SHANE van Gisbergen has paid tribute to his Antipodean fans, noting the effort his followers Downunder put in to support his stockcar exploits.
After winning three Supercars titles and three Bathurst 1000 crowns, SVG shifted his sights to North America full-time in 2024.
Subsequently, his six NASCAR Cup Series victories top the all-time winners list for international drivers, with his five O’Reilly Series victories tied for the most ever with Marcos Ambrose.
“It’s been amazing seeing the social media, how many people follow the races and say they don’t go to work on Mondays – it’s all Monday mornings there,” said van Gisbergen on the Kevin Harvick Happy Hour Podcast.
“It’s been awesome, they’re all Monday morning races for them over there.
“The support, and the news articles every week on the racing websites there, it’s been pretty humbling to see how many people support me, it’s really, really cool.
“And then the amount of people who come to the races, Kiwis and Aussies, they were at Daytona, it was epic.”
When pressed on what newcomers to sport want to learn, the answer was clear.
“They all ask why the ovals are so difficult; that’s the number one question!” He said.
“It’s just so hard to explain… It’s like why most drivers struggle on road courses, because they haven’t done it most of their life, it’s just a completely different discipline of driving.
“The way the cars are set up a different way, how they feel when you land in the banking, the aero disturbance from others – I don’t know where to start.
“It’s a completely different sport.”
Neil Crompton takes the Supra Supercar for a spin!
Supercars Hall of Fame member Neil Crompton puts the new Toyota Supra Supercar through its paces.