"You get judged so harshly" - Shane van Gisbergen unleashes fury on Aussie Media after finding voice in NASCAR

Shane van Gisbergen recently shared his thoughts on adjusting to the NASCAR environment. The Kaulig Racing driver is in his rookie season in the Xfinity Series as a full-time driver.

In a recent interview with The Athletic's Jeff Gluck, the #97 Gisbergen was asked about his sense of driving style and personality which mingles well with the NASCAR fans in the US. On the other hand, Gisbergen claimed that the media and fans during his stint in the Supercars Championship bashed him for showing any ounce of his personality that didn't click with them.

"I’m a pretty shy, reserved person, but I can still have a personality. But in the Australian media the last few years, you get judged so harshly by the media and the fans. You sort of shell up and sometimes get aggressive about it, or you don’t say the right thing or you hold everything in. And you get smashed for it." Gisbergen said.

Gisbergen then continued the conversation by elaborating on how fans of NASCAR resonate with him more. He added:

"Whereas here, I feel like I can be myself — just say what I think and it comes across the right way. I see that in a lot of personalities here. All the drivers have much more personality...You’re able to show it here and not get judged so much. People, media and fans seem to appreciate it more here and resonate with it."

The three-time Supercar champion Gisbergen made headlines on his debut run at the inaugural Cup Series race at the Grant Park 220 event in Chicago last year. Gisbergen drove the 'Project91' Trackhouse Racing's entry in a part-time stint last year. Apart from his triumph on the streets of Chicago, the 35-year-old also piloted the #91 Chevy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and secured a top-10 finish.

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A brief about Shane van Gisbergen's 2024 NASCAR season

NASCAR is gearing up for the Chicago Street Course weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series. Along with five NASCAR Cup drivers, van Gisbergen is set to perform the double on the Chicago Street Course.

Gisbergen in his first full-time Xfinity season accumulated two consecutive wins at Portland and Sonoma Raceway last month. However, both of the triumphs were on the road courses. With a debut win under his belt last year at the inaugural Chicago race, Gisbergen is eager to show his prowess this weekend.

After 17 starts in the Xfinity, Gisbergen sits at P13 in the overall standings. He has two wins, three top-fives, and four top-tens so far in the 2024 Xfinity Series season.