Big update on Shane Van Gisbergen's NASCAR All-star entry as Trackhouse and Kaulig Racing speak out

Ahead of the 2024 edition of the NASCAR All-Star race, Shane van Gisbergen's potential entry into the highly-coveted event has been abandoned as Trackhouse Racing and Kaulig Racing suffer with the scarcity of one of the most important assets.

The New Zealander is well known for his incredible racing abilities in the Supercars category. SVG has three titles, 81 victories, and 176 podiums to his name, solidifying his place among the Supercars greats. Last year, the 34-year-old competed for the first time in the Cup Series, driving the #91 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing at the Chicago Street Race.

After leading nine laps during his 78-lap dash, Shane van Gisbergen clinched a Cup Series win on his debut and eventually confirmed his entry into the 2024 All-Star race. However, per the revelation from Trackhouse and Kaulig Racing, the team currently has two cars reserved for more experienced drivers like Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez.

Allowing van Gisbergen an entry into the North Wilkesboro Speedway race means that the team needs to arrange for a third car, which at the moment, is not what the collaboration partners are looking forward to. Hence, his bid for the upcoming 100-lap dash has been sidelined.

NASCAR adds a twist in tire strategy choices for the All-Star race

The high-banking Bristol Motor Speedway witnessed severe tire degradation, where the teams' focus was shifted to tire preservation or loss of contention. The unexpected wear and the resulting instantaneous strategies enhanced the allure of the race.

In a bid to have a challenging All-Star race, NASCAR has added a new strategy element with multiple tire choices to choose from. The available compounds will be the prime tire, soft tires or 'option,' and wet tires.

The teams will set their qualifying time donning the prime tire, whereas the Sunday race will witness the entrants kicking off with 'option' tires onto their cars. As the 62.5-mile race will kick off, the teams stand at their discretion with any tire to put on.

Speaking on taking inspiration from the Bristol race, NASCAR Senior Vice President John Probst said (via NASCAR official release):

"When we were at Bristol, we certainly saw a very entertaining race there when tire wear became something they had to manage, and so it’s just an opportunity for us to try it. If it does look good, we will certainly consider it.”