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Shane van Gisbergen Moving to Cup for Trackhouse in 2025

Shane van Gisbergen will make the move to full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition for the 2025 season, driving the No. 88 for Trackhouse Racing, the team announced Aug. 24.

Trackhouse has acquired a third charter for van Gisbergen and the No. 88. The release did not specify from whom the charter was purchased.

Stephen Doran will be his crew chief. Doran is currently the crew chief for Zane Smith‘s No. 71 at Spire Motorsports.

“This is what I have planned for and I am ready,” van Gisbergen said in a team release. “I know there is a tough learning curve ahead, but the best way to learn is to go out and do it. I feel I have made progress running the [NASCAR] Xfinity Series this year with Kaulig Racing and I can’t thank everyone there enough.

“I look forward to the Cup Series. Those drivers and teams are the best in the world and it will be an honor to be part of their races.”

“This is a big day in so many ways for Trackhouse Racing, Shane, Chevrolet and race fans around the world,” Trackhouse co-owner Justin Marks added. “This is an important step for our organization and it’s a credit to the men and women at Trackhouse Racing whose hard work and success the last few years has led to us expanding to three Cup teams in 2025.

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“It’s also a big step up for Shane, who took a chance on Trackhouse Racing, moved here from New Zealand and now joins the most competitive stock car racing series in the world. Everyone will get to watch one of the world’s racing superstars compete in the NASCAR Cup Series next year.”

The 35-year-old van Gisbergen made a successful career racing in Australian V8 Supercars, winning multiple races and championships in the series. In last season’s inaugural Cup event at the Chicago street course, van Gisbergen won in his series debut, driving Trackhouse’s Project91 entry.

The win launched him into full-time Xfinity racing for the 2024 season, where he has won a series-best three races in the No. 97 for Kaulig Racing in a partnership with Trackhouse, all of them at road courses.

Van Gisbergen has made six total starts in the Cup Series and will make his seventh in tonight’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, his second start on a superspeedway.

Van Gisbergen completes the Trackhouse Cup lineup for 2025, joining returning drivers Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain.

His replacement at Kaulig in the Xfinity Series has not yet been revealed.

About the author

Wyatt Watson has followed NASCAR closely since 2007. He joined Frontstretchas a journalist in February 2023 after serving in the United States Navy for five years as an Electronic Technician Navigation working on submarines. Wyatt writes breaking NASCAR news and contributes to columns such as Friday Faceoff and 2-Headed Monster. Wyatt also contributes to Frontstretch's social media and serves as an at-track reporter, collecting exclusive content for Frontstretch.

Wyatt Watson can be found on Twitter @WyattGametime

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Kevin in SoCal

Glad to see SVG get moved up to the Cup Series. I hope he does as well as, or better than, Ambrose and Montoya.

Kevin in SoCal

Oh, and now the 88 Dale Jr fans are now 88 SVG fans. :D

Steve

Obviously the goal is to win one of the road course races to get into the playoffs. He has done nothing on an oval to justify putting him in a cup ride. Especially when there are far better oval racers that are without rides for next season.