Shane van Gisbergen reveals thoughts on American NASCAR culture, ‘epic’ pre-race traditions

Shane van Gisbergen enjoys going to different race tracks in America because it’s different from what he has experienced all over the world. While speaking to Kevin Harvick on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, van Gisbergen revealed the biggest difference between NASCAR culture and the culture of other racing leagues.

“The efficiency of everything on a weekend,” Shane van Gisbergen told Kevin Harvick. “The weekends are so much shorter, but there’s so much more racing stuff involved. You go to the track on a Friday night or even Saturday morning sometimes. You do your tech practice, and then you just come back the next day and race.

“It sounds so simple, but the pre-race day is epic. Those two hours before the race, with the drivers meeting, which is not really a drivers meeting. Then the driver intros, the anthem, the pre-race stuff here that they do is fantastic. You get so wound up before the race.”

Van Gisbergen then said that Talladega is his favorite track for pre-race festivities. He loves “how emotional everyone is and the anthem’s pumping. And then this truck just comes roaring through with the big flag on it. It’s epic.”

“We don’t really do that as much at home,” van Gisbergen continued. They do sometimes, but most weekends, you’d go to a track on Tuesday, and you’d leave on Monday. The weeks were long, drawn out. You’d be over it before the weekend started. You just feel these short weekends. Everyone’s stoked to be there. It’s very different vibe.”

Van Gisbergen is from New Zealand and made a name for himself by winning three Supercars championships. Supercars is a touring car racing organization based in New Zealand and Australia.

Van Gisbergen began competing in NASCAR in 2023 and won his debut Cup Series race in Chicago. He became a full-time driver this year and won races at Mexico City and Chicago again.

“This joint, it’s changed my life,” van Gisbergen told reporters after winning at Chicago last weekend. “I didn’t have any plans to do more NASCAR races when I first came over here, and I never thought I’d be in NASCAR full time.

“Yeah, it’s pretty special here, some good memories, and some good races. I love the track. It’s a cool place to come to. You feel a nice vibe. You feel a good vibe in the mornings walking to the track with the fans. It’s pretty unique like that. Yeah, I enjoy it. I hope it stays next year. But as the guys were saying, when I arrived, I’m biased.”