- Shane Van Gisbergen fears for the future of Supercars
- He outlined four changes that he believes are essential
- Kiwi driver, 34, will compete in NASCAR races
Decorated Supercars driver Shane Van Gisbergen has outlined the four changes the sport needs to make as he moves into the next chapter of his career behind the wheel.
The 34-year-old Kiwi believes a rebrand, wind tunnel parity testing, a tire change and the removal of mandatory fuel drops are all needed to move the sport forward.
Three-time Bathurst 1000 winner 'SVT' is now pursuing a full-time career in the US racing NASCAR, but wants Supercars to remain relevant.
The first thing I would do is transform the sport back into V8 Supercars,” he told the channel Gypsy Stories Podcast.
'Then I would do the wind tunnel testing for parity, which they also do.
Decorated Supercars driver Shane Van Gisbergen has outlined the four changes the sport needs to make as he moves into the next chapter of his career behind the wheel
The Kiwi is a three-time Bathurst 1000 winner and is now pursuing a full-time career in the US racing NASCAR, but wants Supercars to remain relevant
'I would also put a different type of Dunlop tire on cars. You have to spend more money on tires, they are the most important part of racing.
'Then I would probably (potentially) lose all the fuel drops.
'If you could change the starting level or how much you had to put in, you would save fuel, try to have different levels of pit stops, or the number of pit stops; I think that would make the racing much better.”
Van Gisbergen leaves the sport a legend, with 81 wins from 508 races, 176 podiums and 48 poles after making his debut as a teenager in 2007 at Oran Park.
He also gave NASCAR fans an indication of his talent after his impressive win – in his debut – at the Series event in Chicago in July.
A fiery character at times, Van Gisbergen has been signed by Trackhouse and is expected to adapt quickly to racing on the oval track.
Trackhouse owner Justin Marks has developed a program where the primary focus will be on acclimatizing Van Gisbergen to both superspeedways and 1.5-mile circuits… things he has never experienced before in his career.”