SHANE van Gisbergen plans to return to his native New Zealand and race Sprintcars over the summer, following his first full season of NASCAR in the United States.
It would mark a reappearance on the Kiwi Sprintcar scene for the three-time Supercars Champion after a much-publicised campaign during the 2022/23 season that ended with a maiden victory.
There’s also a chance that van Gisbergen’s NASCAR off-season will include a speedway outing in the US, via the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on January 8-13.
The Chili Bowl, contested by Midget machines on a quarter-mile clay oval, attracts hundreds of entries and is a popular off-season challenge for NASCAR drivers.
Van Gisbergen contested a Midget race in NZ in 2020, but a multi-car accident led to his Supercars team Triple Eight putting the kybosh on future outings.
Asked directly about running the Chili Bowl in a special fan Q&A episode of the Rusty’s Garage Podcast, van Gisbergen indicated his current Trackhouse Racing bosses are divided on the subject.
“Justin (Marks, Trackhouse Racing owner) actually messaged me (about it) last week, so maybe,” van Gisbergen told host Greg Rust.
“I think I’m going to get fitted up in a Midget here and see if I fit and can get comfortable, because he wanted me to do the Chili Bowl this year.
“But my other boss Ty Norris, who is the president of Trackhouse, said he’s seen the flip count every year at Chili Bowl and hates it, so I might have to argue with both!
“But I plan to race speedway in New Zealand, I want to come back at the end of the year and hopefully race some Sprintcars again, but then pretty early in January is the Chili Bowl.
“So maybe, there’s a possibility I’d do (the Chili Bowl), I’d love to do it, but it’s not easy.
“I just enjoyed the Sprintcar stuff, the quick-fire races, quick night, pack up and leave, go to the next one in a couple of days. Hopefully we do that again.”
Van Gisbergen currently sits 12th in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings after 16 races, with a spot in the Playoffs guaranteed following recent victories on the Portland and Sonoma road courses.
