Shane van Gisbergen

Shane Robert van Gisbergen was born on 9 May 1989 in New Zealand. His journey into motorsport began with motocross and Quarter Midgets before transitioning to karting, competing in these disciplines from 1998 to 2004. This early exposure to competitive racing laid the foundation for what would become a distinguished motorsport career spanning multiple continents and racing series.

Van Gisbergen's progression through New Zealand's junior racing ranks was marked by consistent success and recognition. In the 2004/2005 New Zealand Formula First Championship, he placed third and earned the Rookie of the Year award, having previously obtained a prestigious Speedsport Star of Tomorrow Scholarship.

His upward trajectory continued with victory in the 2005/06 New Zealand Formula Ford Championship, where he again claimed Rookie of the Year honors. This was followed by a strong second-place finish in the 2006/07 Toyota Racing Series, establishing him as one of New Zealand's most promising young drivers and setting the stage for his transition to touring car racing.

Van Gisbergen made his V8 Supercar debut in 2007 as the 200th driver to start a race in the series, competing at the Jim Beam 400 at Oran Park Raceway for Team Kiwi Racing. His impressive performances earned him a drive with Stone Brothers Racing in 2008, where he spent five seasons and achieved a career-best fourth place in the championship in 2011.

After a controversial retirement announcement in late 2012, van Gisbergen moved to Tekno Autosports for 2013, a decision that proved highly successful when he finished runner-up in the 2014 championship. His performances at the prestigious Bathurst 1000 have been marked by both brilliance and heartbreak, including leading the 2009 race until a pit stop issue and starting from pole in 2014 only to see victory slip away due to a stalled engine with 10 laps remaining.

The pivotal moment of his career came in 2016 when he joined the legendary Triple Eight Race Engineering team alongside Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes. His first win for the team at the Tasmania SuperSprint was also Holden's 500th championship victory. Partnered with Alexandre Prémat, van Gisbergen won the 2016 Enduro Cup and became the first New Zealand driver to win the championship, clinching the title with a race to spare after winning eight races that season.

Van Gisbergen successfully defended his title aspirations in 2017 and 2018, winning multiple races including the historic Sydney SuperNight 300 in 2018 - the championship's first night race in 21 years. His GT racing career has been equally impressive, with notable entries in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the Blancpain Endurance Series, highlighted by his victory in the 2016 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour alongside Álvaro Parente and Jonathon Webb.

In recent years, van Gisbergen has transitioned to NASCAR competition in the United States, competing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing in partnership with Trackhouse Racing, while also making part-time appearances in the NASCAR Cup Series and ARCA Menards Series.