Shane van Gisbergen will have a busy run to end his first full season in NASCAR with the addition of five more Cup Series races to his schedule.
Kaulig Racing will run the No.16 entry for van Gisbergen this Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway, followed by Darlington Raceway (Sept. 1), Atlanta Motor Speedway (Sept. 8), Watkins Glen (Sept. 15), Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 6), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 20), and Martinsville Speedway (Nov. 3).
“Doing both Cup and Xfinity races with Kaulig Racing is going to keep everyone busy but I didn’t come to America to sit and watch racing,” said van Gisbergen. “I came to race.”
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Initially, van Gisbergen was slated for six Cup Series races this season; he’s already competed in the events at Circuit of the Americas, Talladega Superspeedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the Chicago street course. Watkins Glen and Las Vegas were the other two races on his original schedule.
“I was told when I came to the States that Darlington was the toughest track on the circuit, and I can’t dispute that, but I immediately fell in love with the place,” said van Gisbergen. “It is just so much fun to drive and I am keen to drive a Cup car there. As for Atlanta, we finished third there in only my second Xfinity series start, so that was kind of crazy. I have so much more experience now and I just love getting to the track each week.”
The New Zealander is a Trackhouse Racing-contracted driver who competes full-time for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series. Kaulig Racing fields van Gisbergen in the Cup Series in its second car, which is used as an All-Star car for various drivers.
In the Xfinity Series, van Gisbergen has three wins as the regular season wins down. The 35-year-old is expected to make the move to full-time Cup Series racing next season with Trackhouse Racing.
“This season has been a lot of learning for me, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. It’s super fun to be competing for a NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship and getting a shot at racing in the Cup series against the best of the best,” said van Gisbergen. “To me the road courses are a regular race, but the ovals are a challenge, one I am hoping to conquer soon. I’m looking forward to this second half of the season.”