“It’s not massive where I’m from”: Shane van Gisbergen gives a startling take on the iconic Daytona 500

Three-time Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen is gearing up for the Daytona 500 in his first full-time NASCAR Cup Series season in 2025. However, during his media interaction on Wednesday, he candidly played down the importance of the Great American Race by saying that it's not such a big event back where he's from.

The Daytona 500 is one of NASCAR's crown jewel races and the driver who wins it is forever remembered as a legend in American Stock Car racing history. However, van Gisbergen seems to take this race on as any other race he has participated in the past.

Shane van Gisbergen found a place in the NASCAR history books when he won the 2023 inaugural race at the Chicago Street Course. He became the first NASCAR driver to win in his debut race in 60 years, breaking the record set by Indy car driver Johnny Rutherford, who achieved the same feat back in 1963. When asked if his first appearance in the Daytona 500 was a special thing, he compared the race to other prestigious events like the Bathurst 1000 and the 24 Hours at Le Mans.

"Yeah, for sure. I found it difficult to answer that question today. The race is obviously still massive, but it's not massive where I'm from. I guess it's like the Bathurst, Le Mans 24. Watching the pre-race stuff last year, being here to spectate the race was awesome. You see the scale of it. Yeah, I try mentally to treat it like another race and prepare like I would every other race. Try not to get too hyped and focus on doing my thing Sunday," van Gisbergen told the media as per Speedway Digest.

However, he added that he enjoys the part about NASCAR that it's all about racing, even with all the media attention and the prestige of the Daytona 500. He added:

"That's what we do every week in Supercars. Wouldn't be as big as this, the media, but so much more to do. It would be spread out. You'd end up pissed off at the world. NASCAR, you turn up, a little bit of media, go racing. It's all about the racing stuff. I personally enjoy that much more."

He also spoke about how other drivers treat the racing in NASCAR.

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Shane van Gisbergen shares his thoughts on how NASCAR drivers treat the races

In a follow-up question during the media interaction, Shane van Gisbergen was asked about his recent comment on how he thinks that Speedway racing is similar to ‘being out like a lamb for slaughter’. He answered by referencing his experience during his first race at the Talladega Superspeedway where he saw Kyle Busch treating his car like it was disposable.

“I was running good, then four or five laps to go got shuffled to the back. I was coming 30th or whatever. It doesn't matter. Came around the last corner, and I was at the back with Kyle Busch. There was a crash out of four. Saw it happening. Backed down. He just stayed flat out, just drove into the crash carelessly. I'm like, What are you doing? But they treat the cars here like they're disposable,” Shane van Gisbergen shared.

He further explained how he needs to adopt a similar mentality and be prepared for whatever comes his way in his first full-time Cup series season.

“I kind of slowed down, second, third gear, wabbled through the shunt, then came across the line. He's still crashing and spinning. The car is completely destroyed. My thing is brand-new and ready to race next week. He gained three or four spots. Just the mentality for these races is so, so different to anything there is. Yeah, I guess I just have to pull my belts tighter and get amongst it,” he added.

Shane van Gisbergen has a guaranteed spot in his first Daytona 500 in the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro for Trackhouse Racing and will hope to turn in a good result for Justin Marks and his Red Bull-backed team.