"I haven't raced Josh Berry yet; he doesn't like foreigners" - Shane Van Gisbergen takes sarcastic jibe at the SHR driver ahead of Talladega Cup race

Three-time Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has taken a light-hearted jibe at Cup Series rookie Josh Berry.

After two full-time campaigns with JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, Josh Berry made his big move to the NASCAR Cup Series in the 2024 season. The driver, piloting the No. 4 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, has a big task at hand, filling the void left by legendary driver and future Hall of Famer Kevin Harvick.

Notably, Berry was entangled in a rather avoidable incident with Trackhouse Racing driver Daniel Suarez in the recent Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Cup Series race in Richmond. The incident, albeit minor, sparked Van Gisbergen's humorous commentary, hinting at Berry's purported aversion to foreign drivers.

In a recent interview with Rubbin' Is Racing days after the race, Shane van Gisbergen shared his humorous take on Josh Berry's purported targeting of foreign competitors.

Van Gisbergen will compete in his second Cup race of the season during the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 21st. Referring to the upcoming race, the part-time Trackhouse No. 16 Chevrolet driver stated:

"Everyone's been pretty cool but I haven't raced Josh Berry yet. Now you say that he doesn't like foreigners, he's taking us all out. So, I'll try and avoid him."

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Shane van Gisbergen on Justin Marks' plans for the Kiwi driver

Gisbergen made his historic NASCAR debut last season by winning his first ever race, the Grant Park 200 at Chicago Street Course. The 34-year-old driver, after making two more NASCAR appearances in the 2023 campaign, made a permanent move from Australian Supercars to the American stock car racing series for the 2024 season.

As part of Trackhouse Racing's Project91 program, SVG is scheduled to compete in various Cup Series races across the season. In the meantime, the Kiwi driver has been deployed to the Xfinity Series, where he pilots the No. 97 Chevy for Kaulig Racing on a full-time basis. Shedding light on Trackhouse owner Justin Marks' vision for himself, Shane van Gisbergen stated in the same interview:

"I’m sure he’s got something in mind that I need to achieve, but he hasn’t let me know yet."

Speaking of the possibility of a full-time Cup Series move come next season, van Gisbergen clarified:

"It’s not a done deal. But that’s kind of what I’ve been told, and that’s why I’ve moved here, to be in the Cup Series."

After six races, Shane van Gisbergen is ranked 13th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He has 130 points to his name, courtesy of a third-place finish in Atlanta.