SHANE van Gisbergen has noted the odds being stacked against Austin Cindric after his tough debut in the Repco Supercars Championship, which came with a wildcard start at last year’s bp Adelaide Grand Final.

Prior to his debut run, Cindric received significant coaching from multiple sources, including his Team Penske stablemate Scott McLaughlin and NASCAR rival van Gisbergen.

The former Daytona 500 victor subsequently completed testing and ride days at both Sandown and The Bend.

Ultimately, his best qualifying and race runs came on the final day of the event, when he finished 21st from the same position on the grid.

By the end of the weekend, Cindric was starting to find his feet, with a string of quick race lap times.

“I had some thoughts, he was last, like, well, last, but it’s so tough, that’s a very tough track, and it’s the end of the season,” said van Gisbergen to the Teardown Live.

“Like if you asked anyone to go to Phoenix (formerly the NASCAR season finale), they’d run last.

“It’s sort of how it is, they’ve put in a full season, and at the end of the Supercars season, it’s all street circuits that they’ve put together.

“But he was in a really good team, he had good test days, but it’s a hard one.

“I’m sure if he went back this year, he wouldn’t be last, hopefully he gets that opportunity, and hopefully it didn’t scare off like a Kyle Larson from going and doing it, or a Connor (Zilisch).”

While van Gisbergen swept all before him by winning on debut at Chicago in 2023, the success opened the doors for further swaps between codes.

Subsequently, Cameron Waters, Will Brown, Brodie Kostecki and Jack Perkins have all tried their hand Stateside, while the reverse crossover saw Cindric joined in Adelaide by Jesse Love, with the 2025 Xfinity Series champion racing in the Super2 races.

“I obviously had an exceptional Chicago, and that’s probably skewed it,” said van Gisbergen.

“The cars are so different, the way they (Supercars) drive over the kerbs, the way the differential is, they are not the same.

“It’s a very difficult transition for anyone to go and do.”

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