“He’s going to be in playoffs next year” - Shane van Gisbergen backed for a breakthrough season next year in Cup by NASCAR Insiders

NASCAR insider and renowned journalist Jordan Bianchi is confident that Shane Van Gisbergen will make the playoffs next year. In a recent episode of the Teardown, Bianchi and his colleague at 'The Athletic', Jeff Gluck agreed that the 3X Supercar champion could soon attain newer heights of success in the arena of the Cup Series.

Gisbergen currently drives the No. 97 Kaulig Racing Camaro full-time in the Xfinity Series. Also known by his initials, SVG, is expected to move up the ranks and join the Cup Series as the wheelman of the No. 88 Chevy for Trackhouse Racing in 2025. This season, he is on a part-time schedule driving the No. 16 car for Matt Kaulig's Cup team.

Speaking about SVG's expected move, Bianchi said:

"If you're looking at this purely as a performance, this is bottom line that SVG is your guy. I would put money, he's going to be in the playoffs next year. He's gonna win one of these road course races whether it's COTA, Sonoma, Chicago, Watkins Glen...I mean, he's going to win one of these. It's just the way it is."

Check out Jordan Bianchi's comments below (starting from 55:55):

Gisbergen won his NASCAR debut at the Grant Park 220 in Chicago last year and became the first driver in 60 years to win a Cup race in their very first attempt; a feat that was achieved by Johnny Rutherford at Daytona in 1963, when he drove for Smokey Yunick.

This year, SVG boasts back-to-back wins in the Xfinity Series races at Portland and Sonoma before winning his third race of 2024; the Loop 110 at the Chicago Street Circuit.

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Shane van Gisbergen or Zane Smith: Jordan Bianchi drops a truth bomb

Jordan Bianchi explained why Shane van Gisbergen's usher in the Cup Series would happen at the expense of Zane Smith. Trackhouse Racing will expand to a three-car team in 2025 and the required charters for the same are already in place.

However, reports say that Smith, who the team signed in a multi-year deal last September, will be released at the end of the season. SVG will replace the 25-year-old Californian. Bianchi explained:

"It always felt like it was gonna be a numbers game. Honestly, it didn't make sense. If Trackhouse could go back and they knew the SVG thing at the time they signed Zane; they didn't know that SVG was gonna be full-time. If they could have a do-over again, they're not signing Zane."

Bianchi added:

"Zane got done dirty...like, it's unfortunate [but] this is a business at the end of the day. This is professional sports".

Zane Smith currently drives the No. 71 car in the Cup Series for Spire Motorsports under a loan agreement with Trackhouse Racing. With Michael McDowell slated to drive the No. 71 next year and Trackhouse Racing releasing Smith, the 2022 Truck Series champion is exploring new driving opportunities.