Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin have rather a lot in widespread: New Zealanders who parlayed a number of Supercars championships in Australia (typically battling one another) into U.S racing careers — SVG in NASCAR, and McLaughlin in IndyCar. However this weekend, their careers paths briefly overlap, because the duo turn out to be teammates on this yr’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona with Trackhouse Racing.Â
This weekend sees the duo — together with NASCAR driver Connor Zilisch and sports activities automobile driver Ben Keating — pushing No.91 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R within the GTD Professional class, in a three way partnership between Trackhouse Racing and TF Sport. And for the primary time, it is received these fellow Kiwis working collectively. Which wasn’t all the timeÂ
“It is fully completely different from what we grew up doing — and been doing — the final ten years or one thing,” Van Gisbergen informed Motorsport.com. “Since Scott and I left Supercars, it has been an superior relationship. If you’re racing for a championship, you are centered by yourself world. Although we had powerful moments, we had been nonetheless mates and had a beer afterwards. However now it is fully completely different — we’re working collectively, and it is a lot enjoyable to be driving collectively.”
Supercars race winner Scott McLaughlin (middle) and Shane van Gisbergen (left) throughout a 2020 race at The Bend
Photograph by: Dirk Klynsmith / Motorsport Pictures
Each New Zealanders boast three Supercars championships: Van Gisbergen received all of it in 2016, 2021, and 2022, whereas McLaughlin took three consecutive titles between 2018 and 2020. (In two of these, SVG was the season runner-up.) As an IndyCar driver, McLaughlin received the opening spherical at St. Pete in his second full-time season. Final yr he lastly discovered Victory Lane on the ovals, and enters 2025 with seven profession wins.Â
“It is superb story, what he is achieved with the Supercar championships and now working so nicely in IndyCar,” mentioned Van Gisbergen. “He simply stored saying ‘I gotta come over right here, gotta come and have a crack.’ I am undoubtedly glad I did. It has been an superior profession change for me.”Â
Whereas McLaughlin’s IndyCar journey was fastidiously deliberate, SVG’s foray into NASCAR has been sudden and spectacular. He received a NASCAR Cup race in his debut in 2023 on the inaugural working of the Chicago Avenue Course whereas driving Trackhouse’s experimental Challenge 91 entry — the primary time in over 60 years {that a} driver received of their first Cup begin. After that, a plan quickly got here collectively to convey van Gisbergen stateside full-time. After his 2024 rookie season within the NASCAR Xfinity Collection, the place he received three races and made the playoffs, van Gisbergen’s shifting as much as the Cup full-time with Trackhouse.Â
The #91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R being pushed by teammates Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen at this yr’s Rolex 24
Photograph by: James Gilbert – Motorsport Pictures
And it is Trackhouse that introduced SVG and McLaughlin again collectively once more, coming into a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 into the GTD Professional class this weekend. Van Gisbergen has seemed ahead to this second: “We all the time wished to drive collectively.” And never for lack of making an attempt. Van Gisbergen tried to get McLaughlin as his co-driver at Bathurst, and nonetheless desires to enter the Bathurst 12-hour or Bathurst 1000 with him sooner or later.
Neither of them are rookies within the Rolex 24, however not like Bathurst, they’re nonetheless trying to find their first victory within the prestigious enduro. After so a few years of taking wins from each other, it is an opportunity for the 2 New Zealanders to have a good time collectively.
On this article
Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
IMSA
Shane van Gisbergen
Scott McLaughlin
Trackhouse Racing Group
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