DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.: Shane van Gisbergen’s schedule just got busier for the fall.
Trackhouse Racing announced Friday that the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff driver van Gisbergen will add two more NASCAR Cup Series events to his 2024 schedule.
The Auckland, New Zealand will now compete in seven of the final 12 NASCAR Cup Series events during the 2024 season.
With the support of a new partnership with Acceptance Insurance, the 35-year-old will compete in next Sunday night’s Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and the opening race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.
Although Acceptance Insurance is new to Van Gisbergen and NASCAR, the company has been a trusted name in car insurance for over 50 years.
“I am so thankful for Acceptance Insurance to come on board and support my Cup Series experience,” said van Gisbergen in a team press release.
“Acceptance is a growing brand, like me in NASCAR. I look forward to representing and working with them and making them known to every NASCAR fan.
“Doing both Cup and Xfinity races with Kaulig Racing is going to keep everyone busy but I didn’t come to America to sit and watch racing. I came to race.”
In addition to Darlington and Atlanta, the former v8 Super Car Series standout is scheduled to compete in Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, followed by Watkins Glen in September, Talladega Superspeedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October, and the penultimate Cup Series race of the season at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.
Both Kaulig Racing and Trackhouse Racing have been mum on van Gisbergen’s plans for 2025, but his is not expected to return to the Xfinity Series for a sophomore season but instead contest a rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
van Gisbergen burst onto the NASCAR scene in 2023 when he pulled off an upset victory in NASCAR’s inaugural street course race in downtown Chicago last July.
This season, he has earned three Xfinity Series wins in the first 21 starts at Portland International Raceway, Sonoma Raceway, and the Chicago Street Course Race, respectively.
Entering Friday night’s Wawa 250 at Daytona, van Gisbergen, driver of the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing has just six top-10s this season.
He will start tonight’s 100-lap race from the 19th position in just his second Xfinity Series start at the “World Center of Racing.”
Ahead of Saturday night’s penultimate race of the Cup Series regular season, van Gisbergen has registered four Cup starts with a best finish of 20th in his first Cup race of the year at
Circuit of the Americas in March.
“This season has been a lot of learning for me, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. It’s super fun to be competing for a NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship and getting a shot at racing in the Cup series against the best of the best,” said Van Gisbergen.
“To me the road courses are a regular race, but the ovals are a challenge, one I am hoping to conquer soon. I’m looking forward to this second half of the season.”
Follow Chris Knight on X (Twitter) @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
