Shane van Gisbergen leaves no doubt about his Rookie of the Year goals

Shane van Gisbergen has given a clear take on whether he expects to become the NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year. The New Zealander debuted in the pinnacle of stock car racing at the 2023 Chicago Street Race and made waves with his street circuit triumph.

The following year witnessed SVG pilot the #97 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing. He bagged three wins for the organization and finished the season ranked 12th. However, Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love earned the Rookie of the Year honors.

Trackhouse Racing, the team for which the 35-year-old drove the #91 Chevy during his Cup debut, expanded to a three-car operation beginning this season. SVG emerged as the best candidate to be promoted to the Cup Series, and thus, joined Trackhouse's Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain.

23XI Racing driver Riley Herbst is also a Cup Series rookie and is Shane van Gisbergen's direct Rookie of the Year rival.

That said, SVG was asked whether he expects the Rookie of the Year award. The #88 Chevy driver expressed he won't be "putting any expectations" on championship or race wins, rather, he would invest his efforts to make the "most" of his rookie campaign.

"Honestly, I never set any goals for myself. I just try to do my best. I know that I've got a huge opportunity here and I'm trying to make the most of it. You know, it's a huge step outside my comfort zone, coming over here and racing something different. Other than really wanting to improve on ovals this year, I'm not putting any expectations on results or championship positioning. If we win some races, that's great and I'm sure we'll celebrate. But I just want to take the season as it comes and have fun doing it," SVG said via RedBull.

---

Shane van Gisbergen shares his thoughts about Talladega Superspeedway

Shane van Gisbergen- NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying - Source: Imagn

After his grand NASCAR entry in 2023, Shane van Gisbergen fielded part-time Cup Series entries for Kaulig Racing the following season. He battled twice at the Talladega Superspeedway in the 11 races he competed in that season.

Though he is a road course prodigy, and his three Supercars championships and 80 race wins serve as a testament to it, racing on ovals, and that too on a drafting track like Talladega, has been a challenge for him.

The Trackhouse driver expressed that during his Talladega debut, he was pushed four-wide because the experienced drivers didn't want him in the draft.

"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," Shane van Gisbergen said via Speedway Digest.

However, that changed in the following Dega race, and more experienced SVG was pushed to the lead.

"Now I feel like I can flow with the guys, have the right momentum, and judge the runs a bit better. The last Talladega I was pushed to the lead and held it a while. Definitely feel like I’m part of it and that I’m better at it now. Happy that I don’t have yellow stripes on my car."

Shane van Gisbegern is currently ranked 34th in the Cup Series while his Rookie of the Year rival, Riley Herbst, is one spot up in 33rd.