Kevin Harvick believes Shane van Gisbergen’s recent NASCAR success could mark a pivotal turning point, not just for Trackhouse Racing, but for the sport’s commercial landscape as well.
Red Bull’s unexpected NASCAR comeback in 2025 is already making headlines in Victory Lane. Partnering with Trackhouse Racing, the iconic energy drink brand has returned to stock car racing for the first time since 2011, sponsoring both Van Gisbergen and rising prospect Connor Zilisch.
The decision to return, mainly due to Van Gisbergen’s long-standing Red Bull partnership in Australian Supercars, is already paying off.
Why Does Kevin Harvick Think Red Bull’s NASCAR Return Matters?
On his “Happy Hour” podcast, Harvick praised Red Bull’s return to NASCAR’s Victory Lane and called it a significant moment for the energy drink giant’s renewed involvement in stock car racing.
“When you look at SVG, well there’s a couple things here,” Harvick said. “One, the sponsor on the side of that car. Okay, well, when you have Red Bull on the side of your car.”
Harvick pointed out that Red Bull’s previous stint in NASCAR, beginning around 2005, ended in disappointment due to poor team performance and a lack of lasting impact. But with Van Gisbergen taking wins and bringing Zilisch into the fold under the Red Bull banner, Harvick sees a sharp contrast.
“Red Bull came into this sport in 2005-ish, and had just a terrible experience with the way that they put the team together, the performance on the racetrack, everything that happened with Red Bull’s experience in NASCAR is the exact opposite of what happened yesterday,” Harvick said. “With Shane going to Victory Lane, his relationship, bringing Connor Zilisch on board with that Red Bull relationship.”
While Harvick emphasized that he doesn’t typically focus on sponsors, Red Bull’s success with SVG signals something bigger for the sport.
“Normally I don’t sit here and talk about sponsors,” Harvick said. “But to me this is a big deal to have Red Bull in Victory Lane, and have Red Bull back in NASCAR racing because the energy drink sector of what we do, we need Red Bull and Monster to compete. Whether it be marketing, advertising, well just like Budweiser, Coors Light, Miller Light used to do back in the day.”
With Van Gisbergen now a proven winner and Red Bull visibly invested, Harvick believes NASCAR could be headed for a new era of big-brand rivalries.
“When you have those big companies like that that are engaged in the marketing side of things, it brings a whole new element to the marketing side of things, and that is good for our sport,” Harvick said.