Van Gisbergen, 35, has learned quickly in his short time as a NASCAR National Series driver. The New Zealander took a NASCAR Cup Series win in his debut event, the 2023 Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course while driving Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91 entry.

While under contract with Trackhouse Racing, SVG was on loan this season to Kaulig Racing, who have fielded the No. 97 Chevrolet for the driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season. The results, at least on road courses, have been impressive. Now he will look to continue to showcase his incredible road course skills as a rookie in the NASCAR Cup Series while also honing his skills on oval courses in 2025.

“This is what I set out to do and I’m ready,” said van Gisbergen. “I know there’s a tough learning curve ahead of me, but the best way to learn is to go out and do it. I feel like I’ve made progress this year with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series and I can’t thank everyone there enough. I’m excited for the Cup Series. These drivers and teams are the best in the world and it will be an honor to be a part of their racing.”

Van Gisbergen has three wins in his first four starts on road courses in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Thanks to his three wins, the driver easily secured his spot in the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs and has steadily gained speed on oval courses as the season has progressed.

While he has proven himself to be a top-15 driver for long stretches on oval tracks, the three-time Supercars champion has also produced some stunning results on off-road circuits this season.

Van Gisbergen finished third at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which has been a hybrid intermediate/superspeedway track since its redesign in 2022. He also finished sixth at Phoenix Raceway, a very technical and flat 1-mile oval, and fourth at the Brickyard 400 at the legendary 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Photo credit: Craig White, TobyChristie.com