- SVG prefers “raw” machinery where the driver is the limit.
- Kiwi finds NASCAR’s Next Gen car aligns with his instinctive style.
- Van Gisbergen remains humble, using teammate Chastain to gauge progress.
For a driver who grew up wrestling high-powered touring cars around unforgiving street circuits across the ocean in Down Under, Shane van Gisbergen was never going to fall in love with something sterile.
So when the three-time Supercars champion recently opened up about what separates a “driver’s car” from what he bluntly calls an “engineer’s car,” it wasn’t just another stock answer about setup philosophy. Rather, it was a revealing look into how SVG views racing at its core.
Shane van Gisbergen’s frustration with ‘engineer’s cars’
Ironically, the same mindset that pushed him away from an overseas open-wheel opportunity years ago is now shaping his NASCAR journey. Long before Chicago street-course wins and Cup Series headlines, SVG had a pathway lined up toward A1GP.
For the unversed, A1GP is a short-lived nation-versus-nation open-wheel championship that was once viewed as a stepping stone for future Formula 1 aspirants. But while many young drivers would’ve jumped at the chance, the Trackhouse Racing driver went the other direction entirely.
He chose Australia’s V8 Supercars instead, because to him, racing raw mattered more than polished prestige. In fact, his recent comments on Jeff Gluck’s exclusive cut straight to the heart of a debate, one that has quietly followed motorsport for years.
How much influence should a racecar driver actually have over performance? Well, for the Kiwi, the answer is simple –
“For me, I want a raw car where the driver is the limit,” he explained. In his mind, the best race cars are those that let drivers search for grip, manipulate balance, and extract the best lap time solely through feel.
That’s why he drew such a sharp distinction between those cars and what he calls “engineer’s cars.” “Some cars, you’re just driving to the limit of what you’ve got,” he said. “You don’t have any tools, whether it’s your skills or in-car adjustments, to make it better.”
“You’re just stuck with whatever you’ve got. I call those “engineer’s cars.” You’re driving what they’ve given you, and you’re stuck at that level. You don’t have any ability to make a difference.”
In hindsight, it’s not hard to see where that perspective comes from. Supercars built van Gisbergen into one of the most instinctive racers on the planet – his heel-and-toe shifting now infamous in NASCAR. Over in Oceania, those V8 supercars demanded hustle, movement, and most importantly tenacity.
In fact, drivers weren’t simply managing aero platforms or protecting tire windows; they were manhandling heavy machinery over curbs and through street circuits with minimal margin for error. To SVG, that’s what racing is all about: operating on the ragged edge and feeling truly alive in the car.
And surprisingly, he sees similarities between the criticism surrounding NASCAR’s current platform and the backlash Formula 1’s modern machinery often receives.
Why NASCAR’s Next Gen Car Fits Shane van Gisbergen Perfectly
Despite criticism from several longtime Cup Series veterans about the Next Gen platform, van Gisbergen appears genuinely comfortable with it. In fact, many of the traits others dislike are exactly what attract him. It might all come down to familiarity or shared dynamics.
“But cars like these, where the faster you go, the more downforce you make, where you can search for grip, that’s what I like,” he said about NASCAR’s Next-Gen hardware.
That statement explains a lot about why SVG’s transition to NASCAR has looked far smoother than many expected. While some drivers see the car as edgy or difficult to lean on, van Gisbergen has his eyes on the greater picture. And to him, it’s about enjoying exploring the limit rather than simply surviving it.
Then there are the obvious similarities between NASCAR’s Gen 7 and Aussie Supercars, both sharing traits in handling and fundamental steering dynamics.
It also helps explain why his adaptation curve on road courses looked so natural almost immediately. At the same time, he’s realistic about where he stands in stock car racing. Even with his decorated resume, van Gisbergen admitted he still leans heavily on teammates like Ross Chastain as a benchmark:
“I use him as a reference and a yardstick to see where I’m really at,” SVG admitted to Gluck, on the latter’s 12-questionnaire session.
Old-school enthusiasm
That honesty has become one of the more refreshing parts of his NASCAR transition. From a fan’s perspective, there’s no manufactured swagger or forced narrative about domination. Instead, there’s a veteran racer openly learning a completely different discipline while trying to help Trackhouse improve alongside him.
And maybe that’s why his story resonates with old-school enthusiasts. SVG doesn’t sound like a driver obsessed with simulations, data traces, or perfect operating windows. If anything, he comes out like someone who still believes racing should feel alive behind the wheel.
