Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, has secured a multi-year contract extension with Trackhouse Racing, extending his commitment to the team beyond the current season. Following the announcement during the Watkins Glen International event, both Van Gisbergen and Trackhouse Racing founder Justin Marks spoke with the media about the significance of this deal and the outlook for the team’s progression in the <a href="https://www.big14news.com/nascar/cup-series/”>NASCAR Cup Series. This Shane Van Gisbergen contract extension marks a pivotal moment as Van Gisbergen continues striving to make his breakthrough in NASCAR playoffs with Trackhouse Racing.
Trackhouse’s Vision for Growth with Van Gisbergen at the Wheel
Justin Marks reflected on the rapid evolution of the partnership since Van Gisbergen’s first appearances in 2023. He emphasized the driver’s exceptional talent on road courses and growing proficiency on oval tracks, a key development given the NASCAR Cup Series’ emphasis on varied track formats. Although Van Gisbergen entered NASCAR with limited oval experience, Marks highlighted his progression through hard work and adaptability:
“Yeah, this has been this has been a really, really fun project for the company. Obviously, you know, everything happened really, really quickly from Chicago to the Truck race (at IRP) a couple weeks later, into the Indianapolis Cup race, and then a season of Xfinity and now full-time in the Cup Series for Shane (van Gisbergen). I think we’ve got someone here that that can win anytime we show up on the road courses. Winning is so important here in the Cup Series, obviously, but I think what kind of excites us at Trackhouse more than anything is his speed of development on the ovals and just working with him day in and day out and recognizing that even though his history in racing has been not very similar to what the competitors in the Cup Series have with just a lack of experience on the ovals — just his talent, work ethic and kind of showing his progression on the ovals has put our company in a position where we feel excited and comfortable to make a longer-term commitment to Shane. We think he’s got an oval win in him in the Cup Series. Things are just coming together and really starting to gel, so it’s just a good time to make a commitment to each other and we’re thrilled that he that he accepted the offer. We just have to get back to work and keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
—Justin Marks, Founder of Trackhouse Racing
Marks expressed confidence that Van Gisbergen’s growth and the team’s collective momentum lay the foundation for future victories, especially on oval tracks where the driver is steadily gaining ground.
Van Gisbergen Reflects on His NASCAR Journey and Commitment to the Team
Van Gisbergen described the last few years as a rewarding evolution in his racing career, expressing enthusiasm for staying with Trackhouse Racing and building on their progress. He reflected on the deepening connection with the team and the camaraderie that accompanies shared achievements:
“Yeah, it’s been an amazing couple of years, as Justin (Marks) touched on — how it’s all snowballed and how we’ve been going. And then this year, you know, it’s been a real learning year but I feel like we’ve made big progression. The road courses have obviously been a bonus the last couple of months. It’s just been a cool team to be a part of — the win lunches we’ve been doing and seeing how much it means to everyone. This week even, the atmosphere in the shop, the build-up and expectations now, it’s really cool. It’s cool to build a relationship with everyone there and, yeah, I’ve just been loving every minute. I’m looking forward to doing it for a few more years.”
—Shane Van Gisbergen, Driver No. 88 Trackhouse Racing
Asked when he decided to pursue a career in NASCAR rather than return to his previous racing background, Van Gisbergen pinpointed a turning point after competing at the Indianapolis oval race. The excitement of oval racing and the challenge it presented convinced him this was the right direction:
“It was probably after Indy when I ran 83rd and I had the most fun of my life just battling people all race on the oval there. Yeah, the truck race was awesome and I thought — this is going to be really cool to do. After Indy, I think we did a deal pretty quickly after that. Like I said, just right from the start, I’ve enjoyed life here and racing every week and the challenge. It was probably time for me to have a new challenge in my career. I’ve raced Supercars for 15 years or something, so yeah, the timing was just perfect and I don’t regret any minute. It’s been the most fun I’ve had in racing for a long time. It’s been really cool.”
—Shane Van Gisbergen, Driver No. 88 Trackhouse Racing
Van Gisbergen’s Work Ethic and Technical Growth Drive Oval Progress
Justin Marks further discussed the driver’s commitment to mastering NASCAR’s complexities, underlining that success now depends on more than just raw speed. Understanding data, simulators, car development, and technological details are essential. Van Gisbergen’s dedication to studying race footage and analytics remains a standout factor in his swift adaptation to NASCAR’s demanding environment:
“Yeah, I mean, I think in this day and age in the Cup Series, it takes a huge commitment because the series is so competitive and it’s the accumulation or the aggregate of so many small things that end up in success in the Cup Series — that’s data, simulation, really understanding the cars, understanding the development of the cars and how things change week to week, all of that. Shane’s just proven very, very quickly that he likes to live in that area, that bubble, of just really understanding all the technical details; understanding how the cars are built and just what it takes to go fast. I think that there’s also just not a lot of noise. It’s just the work. It’s just getting in and doing the work and putting in the hours and the focus when that’s really what’s required to go fast these days — it’s really to understand these race cars and understand the technology, the aero and how to get the most out of them. I think that’s probably contributed to how fast he’s been able to develop on the ovals. He’s a student and he watches tape. He watches the races and looks at the data and really asks the questions of ‘why’. I think that, at this day and age and at this level, that level of commitment, that level of focus and that level of intelligence are real factors in being successful. He’s just demonstrated that from the first time he showed up at Chicago in 2023.”
—Justin Marks, Founder of Trackhouse Racing
Playoff Prospects and Performance Expectations for the No. 88 Team
Looking ahead to Van Gisbergen’s first NASCAR Cup Series playoff appearance, both the driver and Marks addressed the challenges and realistic goals for the team. Van Gisbergen remained cautious about setting expectations but expressed optimism based on ongoing improvement, especially as he gains more track experience:
“I really have no idea. I try not to race with expectations and just take it as it comes. But I feel like we’re ramping up a lot and we’re starting to go to tracks that will be the second time for me, and I felt like I got a lot better at that last year at Xfinity. And yeah, hopefully the same trend this year, but the first round is very difficult. We go to Darlington, which is my favorite oval. But the other two, Bristol and Gateway — I haven’t really been to Gateway before, so it’s going to be very difficult. But if we get to the second round, it’s probably going to be easier than the first one, you know? So I don’t really know how we’re going to end up, but I do feel like we’re improving every week and our average running position or pace is definitely trending in the right direction, so if we execute, who knows what can happen.”
—Shane Van Gisbergen, Driver No. 88 Trackhouse Racing
Justin Marks emphasized that their focus lies in accumulating playoff points early to secure a good position going into later rounds, highlighting the team‘s strategy to grow momentum and gain experience during the pressure-filled postseason:
“Yeah, I don’t know if I think about what’s realistic or what the goals are from like a finishing standings position or anything like that. I think what we have an opportunity to do with the 88 team is to go into the playoffs, have a lot of playoff points and be able to have somewhat of a cushion, so if we go do a good job and he executes it at those first three races to be able to get to the second round, like you mentioned, I think as the momentum continues to grow and his experience continues to grow and we get through that first round and he has a good second round, I think the Round of Eight is something that’s very possible for us. And then you’re really among the best guys in this sport, executing at the most important time of the year, and that’s when it just gets really, really hard. So, I mean, I think the focus is to really just stay with the week in and week out of just improving and grinding. I think this is the first of many playoff appearances for him, so I think it would be good for him to just get the experience of how the dynamic of the championship changes once we get to those rounds.”
—Justin Marks, Founder of Trackhouse Racing
Trackhouse Racing’s Organizational Evolution Under Todd Meredith’s Leadership
Regarding Trackhouse Racing’s broader strategic evolution, Marks shared insights into the so-called “2.0” phase of the team’s development. Since hiring Todd Meredith as President of Racing Operations, the organization has undergone a comprehensive restructuring focused on improving efficiency, investing in tools, and building a championship-caliber team culture. Marks expressed excitement about Meredith’s expertise and the promise of future success as the team prepares for 2026 and beyond:
“Well, I think as we sit here today, I’m probably more excited about the future of this company than I’ve been ever since day one, and I think that started with hiring Todd Meredith, our President of Racing Operations, who’s come in the first three weeks and really done a very deep dive into the organization. This is a guy with decades of experience in the Cup Series and championships under his belt as an executive in the sport who really knows what it takes to assemble great working groups; how to maximize your opportunity every single week, where to push on things, where to organize budgets, where to organize people and org charts, and where to invest in tools and all that. So having him come in has really opened up the 2.0 process. He sat with me two weeks ago in Nashville and sort of presented his plan to me, and I left that meeting just so fired up and so excited. So, you know, it’s going to be a strengthening of our workforce. It’s going to be a strengthening of our tools. We’re right in the middle of that process right now and I think when we unload it at Daytona in 2026, I think the team will just be more powerful than it’s ever been since its inception and I’m really excited about it.”
—Justin Marks, Founder of Trackhouse Racing
Reflecting on why the organization needed this overhaul, Marks pointed to the natural challenges of competing against larger, more established teams with deeper resources and longer histories. The introduction of the Next Gen car shifted the technical demands, and while Trackhouse executed well initially, competitors have since enhanced their own capabilities, requiring adaptive responses:
“Well I think if you look over the last decade, the history of the sport, there’s always ebbs and flows and periods of power at different teams and all that. It’s knowledge, technology and process development, things like that. When the car first came out and the teams didn’t really know how to fully exploit the Next Gen car and we were going to the races in 2022 and 2023, it was really just kind of like an execution game of just getting the car on the racetrack and executing well, and we’re a great team at execution. That really fell into our wheelhouse, so we had a lot of success in ‘22 and ‘23. Then you have the normal players, your Hendrick Motorsports, Gibbs and Penske, that over time really start to activate the depth in their organizations and the tools and technology they have to really understand what makes the car go fast, and so it’s a different ballgame now than it was in ‘22. As that knowledge center around the cars has developed, that’s where we have found where it’s been more difficult for us because, as an organization, we’re not as big as Penske and Gibbs and all that.”
Marks summed up the team‘s determination to invest, learn, and ultimately compete for championships despite challenges related to size and resources:
“So I think how I’d answer that is just that sport’s gotten tougher and, you know, the cream kind of rises to the top. But with that being said, the plan that we have in front of us I think presents an opportunity for us to come back as strong or stronger than we’ve ever been and really contend for a championship. I’ve seen the plan and I’ve seen the methodology and the psychology around the plan, and it is a championship team framework. It’s going to take money, it’s going to take sacrifice, it’s going to take patience, it’s going to take a lot of work, but as these big teams with a lot of history in the sport now start to really understand the cars, we understand now where we have to make investments and focus our time to get back to where we need to be, and that’s the plan.”
Partnership with Chevrolet and Resource Dynamics in NASCAR
Discussing Trackhouse Racing’s position as a key Chevrolet partner alongside larger teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, Marks clarified that while the level of manufacturer support is equal, the scale and depth of the organizations differ, impacting their relative capabilities:
“We get the same as Hendrick Motorsports does because we’re a key partner with Hendrick. But Hendrick does have a lot of depth in their organization that we don’t have. I think that I’m very bullish that we can do it because of this race car, and it’s why I’m in the sport to begin with because of this race car. I mean, if it was 2013, I think it would be a lot harder to do it because we’re not designing and manufacturing cars anymore. We understand what that window of success is, and we understand kind of the playbook to be able to get there. It’s a huge thing for us to be key partners with Chevrolet, so we have access to data and we have access to support. But you’re only as good as what you can do with that support and what you can do with that access and that data, so that’s what we’re focusing on. I think ultimately, we’ll end up in a business structure that puts us in a position to succeed and contend for championships.”
—Justin Marks, Founder of Trackhouse Racing
Van Gisbergen on His NASCAR Future and Other Racing Aspirations
When asked about the length of his NASCAR career plans, Van Gisbergen indicated he remains open but committed for the foreseeable future, highlighting the longevity possible in racing. He also shared interest in continuing various racing endeavors beyond NASCAR, including European events and rally driving, though for now his focus is firmly on his NASCAR career:
“I don’t really know. I haven’t thought about it. I definitely have a lot of years left in me. We’re lucky as race car drivers. We have a very long shelf life, you know? You see guys competitive till their late 40s, so I can go as long as I want. But I do have other things in racing I want to try. I still want to do some European stuff. I want to do Nürburgring 24. That’s on my list to do that properly. I want to do a bit more rally car driving. I got into that 2021-22. That’s a crazy sport, so I’d love to do more of that. But definitely for now, I want to stay in NASCAR and concentrate on that, but I don’t have a timeline. Two years ago, I wasn’t meant to be here, so I’m really happy here at the moment and can see myself doing it for a while. But it is a sport that fully consumes you, you know? I am very homesick. I miss home a lot, and there’s no time to get back there. I’m a long way from home. I’ll move back there as soon as I’m done racing, but yeah, to answer your question, there’s no timeline. I’m happy here for now.”
—Shane Van Gisbergen, Driver No. 88 Trackhouse Racing
Current Status of Trackhouse’s No. 1 Team and Playoff Preparation
Justin Marks was candid about the recent performance of Trackhouse’s No. 1 team, led by Ross Chastain, noting the team’s talented and motivated composition but also recognizing the need for improvement in qualifying to position well for race day success, particularly in the playoffs:
“Yeah, that’s a great question. The No. 1 team is a very, very talented group of people; very motivated group of people and working very hard. We’re trying a lot of different things right now. We’ve got just a couple weeks left to try a couple things. I mean, the pace in the race, I think, has been pretty good. I think we’re able to make lemonade out of lemons a lot more often than not. I think that for us, we do have to get better on Saturday’s. We absolutely have to get better on Saturday’s if the No. 1 team is going to have an opportunity to deep run into the playoffs because, like you said, if you qualify 28th, it’s just so hard to pull yourself out of that. So that’s where the focus is.”
Marks expressed optimism that with better qualifying performances, improved practice sessions, and strategic pit decisions, the No. 1 team can maximize its potential in the postseason.
Future of PROJECT 91 and Development Programs within Trackhouse
Marks shared insights into the status of PROJECT 91, a development initiative designed to nurture emerging talent in NASCAR, highlighting its importance to the sport and Trackhouse’s business. Although currently not at the top of the priority list due to the focus on improving the main Cup teams’ performance, the program remains active with ongoing discussions for continuation beyond 2025:
“I love PROJECT 91. It’s near and dear to my heart. I think it’s important for the sport. I think it’s obviously been very creative to our business. We’ve been able to do big sponsorship deals that have come through PROJECT 91, and obviously great talent through PROJECT 91. So it’s an important mechanism in the business. It is a draw on the company. It is tough. I mean, like Daytona was really, really tough this year to take four cars there, which is why with the races we’re doing with Connor (Zilisch), we just wanted to do Daytona and then park it. I very much would like to keep that program alive. We’ve got a couple of fairly interesting opportunities with everything that we’re trying to do in the company to get us back into championship form.”
“It’s No. 85 on the list right now, but it’s not dead. There are conversations happening. There is a strategy around it. Just right now, we’ve got to get these three race cars running better on Sunday’s.”
—Justin Marks, Founder of Trackhouse Racing
Van Gisbergen’s Thoughts on Watkins Glen and Road Course Racing
Van Gisbergen described Watkins Glen International as a thrilling and challenging circuit that rewards precision and rhythm, likening it to his home circuit in Australia. He enjoys the flow of the track and values the intense focus required to avoid costly mistakes caused by the proximity of walls:
“Yeah, it’s a really cool track. It’s like Phillip Island with walls. I feel like it reminds me of that track in Australia. It’s so fast and flowing. We were just having a little walk around and the surface has held up really well for how old it is now. It’s a proper ‘tighten-your-belts’ type road course with no room for error. The walls are so close and it’ll bite you really hard. But yeah, I like it. When you get in a good rhythm here and you can flow the car and try not to use the tire, it’s one of the best feelings in a race car ever around here. Just got to not hit the bus stop wall this year and I’ll be fine.”
—Shane Van Gisbergen, Driver No. 88 Trackhouse Racing
Looking Ahead: Significance and Future Prospects for Trackhouse and Van Gisbergen
The multi-year contract extension of Shane Van Gisbergen signals Trackhouse Racing’s strong commitment to investing in his development as a key component of their championship aspirations. Van Gisbergen’s rapid progress on oval tracks combined with his already impressive road course capabilities offers the team a more well-rounded competitor moving forward. Trackhouse’s structural overhaul under Todd Meredith’s leadership aims to enhance team resources and operational efficiency, positioning them for sustained success as the competition intensifies.
As Van Gisbergen prepares for his first NASCAR playoff run, the team’s emphasis on strategic growth, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement suggests they are aiming not only for playoff qualifications but for deeper postseason impact in the coming years. Meanwhile, the organization’s ongoing efforts to strengthen both its Cup programs and driver development initiatives reflect a holistic approach to building a championship–winning operation in the highly competitive NASCAR landscape.
