“So cool to race at night”: Shane van Gisbergen delighted with progress ahead of Rolex 24 run at Daytona

NASCAR driver Shane van Gisbergen is set to compete in the first round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on January 19th. Following his second day in practice, the New Zealand native shared his thoughts on competing in the prestigious event.

The Kiwi will pilot the #91 Corvette GT3.R along with NASCAR phenom Connor Zilisch and former IMSA champion Ben Keating. The race will also feature motorsports icons such as Felipe Massa, 'The Phoenix' Romain Grosjean, and fellow NASCAR driver Austin Cindric.

After the second practice session, van Gisbergen took to X to share his excitement about competing in the prestigious event. Adding to the star-studded lineup, his former Supercars rival, Scott McLaughlin, who now races for Team Penske in the IndyCar Series, will also be participating.

Following the end of the second practice session, Shane van Gisbergen shared a post on X, expressing his excitement about participating in the 63rd edition of the Rolex 24 endurance race.

"Another good day of practice! Made some great gains and got to get some laps in at night, so cool to race at night, everything feels so much faster! All in all, heading in the right direction as we prepare for next weekend 😀" van Gisbergen wrote on X

Shane van Gisbergen, a three-time Australian Supercars champion, will drive the #88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Known for his exceptional road course skills, he made a stunning NASCAR debut by winning the 2023 Cup Series Chicago Street Race, solidifying his status on the global motorsport stage.

In his rookie full-time Xfinity Series season with Kaulig Racing, van Gisbergen had an impressive campaign piloting the #97 Chevy. Across 33 races, the New Zealand native claimed three victories, earned seven top-five finishes, and secured three pole positions.

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"Interesting to see how we race together" - Shane van Gisbergen sheds light on teaming up with Scott McLaughlin

Four-time NASCAR race winner Shane van Gisbergen and fellow New Zealander Scott McLaughlin ruled the Australian Supercars Championship for nearly eight years, amassing six championships between them. Now, the former on-track rivals are set to reunite in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Reflecting on the opportunity, Trackhouse Racing's newest Cup Series driver expressed excitement, calling it "really cool" and "interesting" to compete alongside McLaughlin once more.

"Since we both left Supercars, we’ve been wanting to do something together. Whether it’s an endurance race like this or the [Bathurst 1000] even, to go back and do that, so it’s really cool to share with him and it’s been fun learning how he works and interesting to see how we race together and how we like the car," Van Gisbergen said (via Sportscar365).

Meanwhile, Shane van Gisbergen will return to Daytona International Speedway for the 2025 Daytona 500 to kick start his first full-time season in NASCAR's top division.