Shane Van Gisbergen has done enough superspeedway racing now, the category that defines the NASCAR events at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, that he has a defined enough characterization for them now.
It’s like leading pigs to slaughter
“That was in reference to the first Talladega that I did,” Van Gisbergen said. “I was doing pretty good and I got shuffled out to the back. I was 30th or whatever and thought it doesn’t matter on the last lap. I came around the last corner and I was in the back with Kyle Busch.
“There was a wreck in Turn 4, and I thought I should back down and he just stayed flat out and just drove into the crash carelessly. I’m like, what are you doing, but they just treat the cars here like they’re disposable.
“There’s another back at the shop and every point matters. I slowed to third or fourth gear and wobbled through it and came across the line. He’s still crashing and spinning, the car is completely destroyed and my thing is brand new and ready to race next week, but he gained three or four more points. The mentality for these races are just so different than anything else. I guess I have to pull my belts tighter and get amongst it.”
Has he started to adapt?
“I remember my first Talladega race,” Van Gisbergen said. “I would be in these battles, get put four wide on purpose just to single me out to the back just because they didn’t want me in there. I guess I was driving like an idiot. I feel like I can flow with the guys now, and have the right momentum, and judge the runs a bit better now.
“The last Talladega, I was pushed to the lead and held my own for a while and feel like I can be part of it now.”
Superspeedway racing certainly isn’t boring to him now, which is what he thought it would be before ever started one in person.
“I used to watch it on TV and thought it was boring,” said the three-time Australian Supercars champion turned NASCAR Cup Series rookie at 35-years-old. “I thought they were just flat out (on the throttle) the whole way. When you’re running the race, there is so much going on.
“Like in the Xfinity Series, it can get strung out but in Cup, you’re always jockeying for position, fuel saving and always trying to place yourself in the right spots. There is so much more to it. It’s quite fascinating learning all these skills and green flag pit stops. I certainly feel like I can be in it now.”
Gisbergen concedes that it is easy to drive a Cup car around Daytona by itself but it’s completely different in traffic.
“When you’re in the back and in the middle, I hate being in the middle,” he said. “There’s no air left, the car feels like it’s out of the track, and you’re drifting on corner entry. You have 35 other maniacs flat out as well, pushing you around.
“It’s a rush. My heart rate wasn’t moving at all by myself but I’m 150 in a pack. It’s just a rush.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.
