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Shane Van Gisbergen took the NASCAR world by storm this summer by winning the Chicago Street Race. He is signed to Trackhouse Racing for 2024 on a development deal, but, according to Daniel Herrero of speedcafe, the goal for SVG is full-time Cup in 2025. However, what needs to happen for SVG to run full-time in Cup in 2025?
This is the biggest thing that SVG needs to work on as he works his way up to full-time Cup Series racing. He has proven that he can compete and win in the Cup Series car on road courses, but he has to gain experience on ovals. He ran one Truck Series race this year where he finished 19th, which was respectable.
However, he needs to learn how to handle high-banked superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega, and he needs to learn how to handle intermediate tracks as well. Every race track in the Cup Series is just a little bit different, and SVG will have to learn how to handle it all. There truly is no substitute for just doing it over and over and over again.
The road courses make him a threat to make the Playoffs on wins once he does start racing full-time. However, if he wants to be one of the top drivers in the sport, he needs to learn how to run every type of race track well. If he can master that, then he can be successful in NASCAR.
SVG’s biggest asset is forever going to be his prowess on road courses. The fact that he won the Chicago Street Race proves that he can win at the Cup Series level on road courses. As long as this format exists, SVG can sneak his way into the Playoffs via a win at a road course.
While Trackhouse and SVG will work tirelessly to make sure this is not the only asset that SVG has, they need to make sure not to take that away either. Being a legitimate threat to win every road course race on the schedule is a good thing for SVG, and it should serve as a confidence boost for SVG every time he pulls up to a road course.
While improving on other types of tracks is a must, keeping up his strengths is vital as well. Being good on road courses could be what gets SVG into the Playoffs, and, as NASCAR adds more road courses to the Playoffs, maybe he could sneak his way past a round or two.
The biggest question for Trackhouse is how they field a potential car for SVG. They have Zane Smith signed, but he is out on loan to Spire for 2024. That means that Trackhouse could be looking at expanding to a four-car team for 2025.
This means not only one, but two charters would likely have to be purchased by Trackhouse. That’s a pretty tall task given that the last charter sold for around $40 million. However, Justin Marks is not so sure that a charter is required for a full-time team.
Could Marks be looking at either one or two non-chartered teams for 2025? If anyone would attempt it, it would be Justin Marks and Trackhouse. However, expanding to four teams is a massive endeavor, so, could another driver be on the hook for 2025?
Well, Daniel Suarez signed a multi-year extension heading into the 2023 season, and Ross Chastain did as well. This means Suarez is likely at Trackhosue at least through 2025 given the timing of the contract extension the weekend of the Daytona 500, so, after the season began. Unless Trackhouse wants to buy out Suarez, he may not be going anywhere. Then again, it is Trackhouse, and they do attempt crazy things.
Both from a competition standpoint and a contract standpoint, SVG joining the Cup Series full-time in 2025 would require a lot to happen. Will everything that needs to happen come to fruition for SVG?
