New Zealand driver Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates a NASCAR win with his team. Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire / PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand driver Shane van Gisbergen could hardly have asked for a better NASCAR championship rookie season but admits he still struggles with some of the extra bits associated with motor racing.
Van Gisbergen has three rounds left in the 2025 season which has been highlighted by five wins, all on road courses.
While he is now out of contention for the overall NASCAR Championship, he is looking forward to proving he can succeed on ovals, including this weekend at the iconic Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.
With his success this year SVG's commitments to the media and sponsors have soared, something the former three-time Australian Supercars champion admits he doesn't really enjoy.
"No I don't, it's pretty full on," van Gisbergen told RNZ.
"But that's part of racing, all that exterior stuff, so got to do it all and accept that's how it is.
Shane Van Gisbergen kicks a rugby ball into the stands after winning a NASCAR race in 2025. Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire / PHOTOSPORT
"I'm not the most outgoing person but that is part of our job and getting in the car is the last part of driving."
However, van Gisbergen said the media pressures are less in the US and that it probably helps being a foreigner.
"You're encouraged to be yourself a lot more over here.
"In Australia you get judged on everything you say, here you just say what you think and get respected for it a bit more.
"Everything I said at home I get click baited and turned into a shitty headline so you're always guarded about what you say."
Van Gisbergen's victory celebrations this year have included kicking a signed rugby ball into the crowd and the 36-year-old admits the team did have to restock following his success.
His Trackhouse team is obviously happy with him as the two parties signed a multiyear contract extension in August.
However, the Kiwi admits the 2025 season has been a double edged sword with success on the road course and struggles on the ovals, although that has started to improve.
"We started running in the thirties when we were really struggling at the beginning of the year basically because of my inexperience, but now we've turned a corner and I feel our pace (on ovals) is top ten or fifteen almost every week."
Shane Van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, 2025. Photo: David Hahn/Icon Sportswire / PHOTOSPORT
Van Gisbergen admits racing on the 4.3km speedway track at Talladega can be crazy.
"It's very different to traditional ovals, we're doing like 320kmh in a pack of 40 cars, it's amazing how fast we go all squeezed together.
"It's one of the most difficult races we do and hopefully we can prove we're getting better and get a result."
There are eight drivers left in the NASCAR play-off with Denny Hamlin top of the standings.
That will be trimmed to four drivers ahead of the championship race in Phoenix on 2 November.
