Earlier this month, Van Gisbergen surprised the world of motor racing by becoming the first driver in recent NASCAR history to achieve a debut victory.
The sensational victory came on the streets of Chicago with the Kiwi taking over the Project91 entry at Trackhouse Racing.
It has now been confirmed that the Supercars regular will return to the Cup fold for the Indianapolis road course race next month.
Van Gisbergen will face a unique challenge as the Cup regulars are familiar with the track, unlike Chicago which was new to everyone.
Street circuits are also very familiar to van Gisbergen with four of them on the current Supercars schedule.
However, Busch from Richard Childress Racing firmly believes that van Gisbergen will be a formidable opponent at Indy, despite his lead over the competition not being as significant.
Race winner Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet Camaro
Photo by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Images
“He is definitely the frontrunner,” he stated.
I believe the difference between Chicago and the rest of the field will be smaller than before. He was consistently faster than all of us by around six to eight tenths of a second per lap.
“I believe that as we head into Indy, our performance should be relatively close, with a difference of around two-to-three tenths, but he will still remain the most skilled individual.”
There is much speculation that Van Gisbergen will switch to US stock cars on a full-time basis next season, as he makes his return to NASCAR.
He is technically contracted to Triple Eight for the 2024 Supercars season, however is known to be unhappy with the new Gen3 cars.
T8 boss Jamie Whincup indicated after the Chicago win that he wouldn’t stand in van Gisbergen’s way if a full-time NASCAR ride became available next year.Van Gisbergen won’t be the only Supercars driver in the Indy field with Brodie Kostecki set to make his Cup Series debut in a third RCR entry.
Busch anticipates that Kostecki will be a valuable addition to the team for the upcoming race. This belief is founded on a collaborative trial they conducted earlier this year using a Holden Commodore Supercar, which is owned by RCR in the United States.
Supercars have become a suitable test mule for NASCAR teams given the similarities with the current-gen Cup cars.
“We conducted a joint test of our V8 Supercar at RCR earlier this year,” Busch clarified. “He was present when we initially hit the track, and I believe he had a two-second advantage per lap over me. However, as the day went on, we managed to close the gap and eventually set similar lap times.”
It simply took me some time to become accustomed to those vehicles and understand their nature, as well as the effective ways to maneuver around corners. It involves different driving techniques specific to those cars.
I believe that those individuals are highly skilled in their respective fields and possess a deep understanding of the intense and fundamental nature of stock car racing on road courses. Therefore, I anticipate that [Kostecki] will also excel in this regard.
“I hope to rely on him for support, gain valuable knowledge from him, and spend time practicing in the simulator and similar activities together. This will ultimately benefit us when we reach our destination.”
Race winner Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet Camaro
Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
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