AJ Allmendinger has offered a candid perspective on how Shane van Gisbergen’s arrival in NASCAR has altered the perception of other Supercars drivers attempting to break into the series. Reflecting on his former Kaulig Racing teammate’s rapid ascent, Allmendinger acknowledged that the Kiwi has established a new benchmark that few others have been able to reach.
Van Gisbergen, driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, has enjoyed a standout rookie season in the Cup Series, securing four wins — all on road courses — making him one of the most successful newcomers in recent history. His performance has inspired fellow Supercars competitors such as Will Brown, Cam Waters, and Jack Perkins to pursue NASCAR opportunities. However, Allmendinger emphasized on the Door Bumper Clear podcast how replicating Van Gisbergen’s success is far from straightforward.
“The dude is all world, right? You go win three championships over there. I was joking with him… I was like, ‘You’ve really screwed all these Australian guys and New Zealand guys trying to come over.’ And he’s like, ‘What do you mean?’ And I’m like, ‘Because, they just look at you and go, oh, I mean, he’s smoking everybody. I mean, I’m sure we can come over there in the road courses and do it.'” (19:16 onwards)
AJ Allmendinger on Shane van Gisbergen
Allmendinger continued, pointing out that Van Gisbergen’s dominance has unintentionally created unrealistic expectations that other Supercars drivers have struggled to meet.
“I’m like, they don’t realize like the reason they’re winning races now is because you got tired of kicking their a*s. And now you want to come over and abuse us. So, they come over and like they’re good but they’re not amazing. And so I’m like yeah you you’ve screwed that whole series and country. Good job man.”
AJ Allmendinger on Shane van Gisbergen
Van Gisbergen’s path is distinct. A three-time Supercars champion, he joined NASCAR through the Trackhouse Racing development program in 2024, initially sharing the Kaulig Racing No. 16 entry with Allmendinger. Despite limited starts compared to AJ — 12 to 16 — the Kiwi demonstrated exceptional speed, especially on road courses. His promotion to the full-time No. 88 car this season has resulted in three poles and six top-10 finishes, with victories in Mexico City, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and Chicago.
In contrast, other Supercars drivers attempting to follow Van Gisbergen have struggled. Will Brown’s Cup Series debut at Sonoma ended in 31st place, Jack Perkins finished 32nd in an Xfinity race at Chicago, and Marcos Ambrose was unable to make a significant impact in the Truck Series, despite Van Gisbergen’s debut win there in 2023. This gap underscores the challenge of sustaining Van Gisbergen’s high level of success in NASCAR.
Shane van Gisbergen’s First Oval Top-10 Marks a Key Milestone
While Van Gisbergen’s road-course prowess has garnered most of the attention, his improvement on oval tracks has emerged as a critical storyline of his rookie season. Prior to Kansas Speedway, his top oval finish stood at 12th place at Martinsville in 2024 with Kaulig Racing. With Trackhouse Racing, he posted two 14th-place finishes at Charlotte and Richmond.
At Kansas, Van Gisbergen overcame a series of setbacks to earn his first career top-10 finish on an oval. Without his regular crew chief Stephen Doran—who was ejected due to unauthorized car adjustments—interim chief Chais Eliason and Van Gisbergen started with a stop-and-go penalty. Falling a lap behind early, Van Gisbergen fought back to return to the lead lap after Stage 2 and surged to a tenth-place finish in overtime, ahead of teammates Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez.
“It’s really cool to get a top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway. I feel like we’re getting better and better at these tracks. It was difficult starting a lap down and having that penalty, but Chais Eliason did a great job. We had really good speed at points of the race, so I’m stoked to get a top-10. I’m over the moon with that,”
Shane van Gisbergen, speaking to NBC
Although Allmendinger’s day at Kansas ended with a DNF, Van Gisbergen’s drive signaled clear progress. Despite falling short in the Round of 16, he sits 14th in the standings with 2,086 points and could move up to 13th as the season progresses.
Upcoming Challenges at the Charlotte Roval Could Define Van Gisbergen’s Season
The next race at the Charlotte Roval presents a strong opportunity for Van Gisbergen. He secured the pole position for this track earlier in 2024 and finished seventh. With additional experience and reduced playoff pressure, he is positioned as one of the favorites to influence the playoff outcomes as the season nears its climax.
Shane van Gisbergen’s success has not only raised the competitive bar for current and future Supercars drivers entering NASCAR but also demonstrated the level of dedication and adaptation required to excel across different racing disciplines and track types. His breakthrough on ovals adds a dimension to his skill set, broadening his threat beyond road courses and marking him as a formidable contender moving forward.
