Shane van Gisbergen comes 100% clean on his harsh Talladega Cup Series welcome: “They didn’t want me in there”

Cup Series rookie Shane van Gisbergen expressed his feelings about racing at Talladega Superspeedway, where NASCAR will head this weekend. Van Gisbergen made a start at the 2.66-mile tri-oval last season but failed to finish in the top 20.

Three-time Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen pilots the #88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing’s third entry. While he made headlines with a stunning win in his NASCAR debut at the 2023 Chicago Street Race, the road course still has much to learn when it comes to oval racing.

Ahead of the race, Trakchouse Racing drivers were interviewed by Speedway Digest, where the Kiwi shed light on his experience at Talladega.

"Talladega is epic! There is nothing else like it. The drafting tracks have been a challenge for me because it’s just a different type of racing. I remember my first start at Talladega, people would put me four wide just to leave me out to dry, because I guess they didn’t want me in there. Now I feel like I can flow with the guys, have the right momentum, and judge the runs a bit better."

Shane van Gisbergen has made two more starts at Talladega in the Xfinity Series, where he was in his rookie full-time season last year. Despite his best efforts, the New Zealand native's best finish at the tri-oval was P22.

Furthermore, Van Gisbergen also expressed how spotters play the 'most important' role on Superspeedways.

“It’s all in the preparation. You got to have a clear mind when you’re racing, things become instincts. There’s a lot of teamwork, too, with the spotter because he is going to be guiding me. Spotters are probably the most important thing when superspeedway racing."

The Jack Link’s 500 is set for 3:00 PM ET on April 27. Tune in on FOX, MRN, or SiriusXM to find out.

Denny Hamlin sounds the alarm on Shane van Gisbergen: "Just prepare yourselves for it”

In an episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin highlighted Shane van Gisbergen as a potential surprise playoff contender. The JGR driver didn’t predict a championship run, but said that the Kiwi could grab a win and make the playoffs, comparing it to Harrison Burton’s unexpected victory last season.

"We had this whole Harrison Burton discussion last year on a car being 30 something in points and winning and being part of the playoffs. When Shane van Gisbergen wins a road course this year and has run almost last in all the other races, just prepare yourselves for that's coming," said Hamlin.

Meanwhile, three-time Daytona 500 winner Hamlin is no stranger to superspeedway success. His last win at Talladega came in October 2020, where he also secured the pole. Since then, the JGR driver has earned four top-ten finishes—including one podium—in eight races at the track.