Kaulig Racing has been all about growing in both the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series.
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On the heels of signing Josh Williams and moving AJ Allmendinger back to the Xfinity Series full-time, the team has another new name in the fold for at least the 2024 season.
New Zealand's favorite NASCAR driver, Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) knows what he will be doing in NASCAR in 2024. SVG will run in the Xfinity Series full-time with Kaulig in the newly numbered 97 Chevy Camaro with major sponsorship backing from WeatherTech.
.@Shanevg97 is pulling up to @DAYTONA in style with this No. 97 WeatherTech Chevy. 😎#XfinitySeries | #TrophyHunting pic.twitter.com/AzZ119ijJ6
— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) December 13, 2023
That isn't the only big news. The winner of the Cup Series' inaugural Chicago Street race will also compete in seven Cup races this coming season as well.
SVG's signing feels exactly like what Marcos Ambrose did by going from V8 Supercars in Australia to racing full-time in Xfinity, before eventually becoming a full-time Cup driver. And van Gisbergen has already made it clear he hopes to be in the Cup Series full-time by 2025.
According to Zack Albert from NASCAR.com, Kaulig Racing and Trackhouse Racing worked out this deal together.
Along with sponsoring van Gisbergen in both Xfinity and his seven planned Cup starts, WeatherTech will also sponsor Zane Smith, who will be piloting the No. 71 Cup car for Spire Motorsports, with backing from Trackhouse.
As for how SVG feels about this huge opportunity - he is excited - and his desire for racing in NASCAR is real, as he told Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.
🇳🇿 @shanevg97 is laser focused on his American stock car plans in 2024 with @TeamTrackhouse and @KauligRacing that lie ahead.
🗣️ "It's all NASCAR now [...] I want to be full-time in the Cup Series in 2025. Next year I got to be all in and prepared to do the best I can." pic.twitter.com/bo7J6LNAQ9
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) December 14, 2023
"Trackhouse has placed me with Kaulig to learn the tracks, learn the circuits, learn the way how NASCAR is, and getting to experience seven Cup races," van Gisbergen said. "Getting to do that as a part of Trackhouse and some of Kaulig as well and just learning it all can be a big deal. But the expertise that I am getting from Trackhouse that's a massive help. When the program was sort of coming together, the way I worked with my contract over the year what Trackhouse has provided and come up with is a pretty awesome thing. Forty races, I got to stay fully committed and with the opportunity that I have got, I wanna be full-time in the Cup Series in 2025 so, next year I have to be all in and prepare the best I can. I will try and get home for the break for the Olympics but probably be back and living in America all year."
He's got plenty of learning to do on the ovals, but he certainly will be someone to reckon with on the road courses. SVG's success, or lack of it, on all the NASCAR courses will ultimately tell if the Kiwi will fulfill his dream of full-time Cup in 2025 or if his goal will be pushed back a year or two.
