Kaulig Racing is set to field Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) in both his Xfinity and Cup appearances this season as the three-time Supercars champion strives to make swift progress in the world of stock car racing. SVG is currently under contract with Trackhouse Racing, which has established a partnership with Kaulig.
In a remarkable Cup debut last year, SVG secured victory at the Chicago Street Course for Trackhouse. Although it was previously announced that he would participate in the full NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule with Kaulig, along with seven Cup races, the specific team for those Cup starts was not disclosed.
On Thursday, Kaulig confirmed that SVG would drive the team’s No. 16 car in those Cup races alongside A.J. Allmendinger and Josh Williams throughout the 2024 season.
As previously outlined, the New Zealander is scheduled to compete at COTA, the Coke 600, Chicago, Watkins Glen, the Las Vegas playoff race, and both Talladega races.
SVG expressed his enthusiasm in a team release, stating, “When I first started talking with Trackhouse about moving to the U.S., we had no idea how many races we could secure, but I knew I wanted to be with that team and organization. There has been a lot of hard work to get to this point, and I could not be happier to know that I get to race for an Xfinity Series championship and then get a proper go at the Cup Series on road courses and ovals. Kaulig is a proven winner in both the Xfinity and the Cup Series, and I know with the alliance with Trackhouse, this will be an incredible first year for me in NASCAR.”
Kaulig Racing, with two Cup victories both secured by Allmendinger at road courses (Indianapolis RC – 2021 and Charlotte Roval – 2023), has demonstrated success in both series.
Chris Rice, President of Kaulig Racing, expressed his excitement about SVG joining the Cup program, saying, “When we locked in SVG for the Xfinity Series, it just became a natural next step on the Cup side since we have all the existing infrastructure and a relationship with the pit crews. Remember, SVG had to pass our car to win the Chicago race. We finished second. So, now we get to race with him which is kind of awesome.”
Trackhouse founder Justin Marks acknowledged SVG’s talent and expressed gratitude to Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice for facilitating this collaboration. Marks highlighted the significance of challenging SVG on oval tracks against Cup Series drivers in what he referred to as a “big freshman season for Shane.”
The connection between Trackhouse and Kaulig extends beyond SVG, as recent crew chief changes between the two teams demonstrate a collaborative effort to optimize personnel for success in both series.