Before Shane van Gisbergen embarks on a busy 2024 NASCAR schedule, he will make a brief stop in the ARCA Menards Series.
In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Friday morning, Trackhouse Racing president Ty Norris confirmed that van Gisbergen is expected to participate in the ARCA season opener at Daytona Int’l Speedway on Feb. 17.
This is a required step for van Gisbergen to gain approval for the succeeding NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the track.
“We’re in the process of getting [van Gisbergen] in the ARCA race for Daytona,” Norris said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “There’s a [pre-race practice] in January and the Xfinity Series has a pretty lengthy practice, so there’s a lot of opportunities to be observed. That’ll lead to an approval for Daytona and once he’s approved at Daytona, we’ll be able to go to any track on the circuit.”
Van Gisbergen boasts one of the most impressive resumes across all forms of motorsports around the world.
Among the accomplishments van Gisbergen accumulated while competing in Australia include three Supercars titles along with three victories in the prestigious Bathurst 1000. Van Gisbergen has also made starts in crown jewel endurance events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The inaugural NASCAR event at the Chicago Street Course is where van Gisbergen made headlines around the United States. By passing Justin Haley in the closing laps, van Gisbergen became the first driver to win in their NASCAR Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford did so back in 1963.
With a Cup Series win already under his belt, van Gisbergen is committing himself to NASCAR with a full Xfinity Series season planned in a collaborative effort between Trackhouse and Kaulig Racing. His part-time Cup Series schedule includes the Coca-Cola 600 and a return to the Chicago Street Course.
The first objective for van Gisbergen in 2024 is figuring out the draft at Daytona prior to his Xfinity debut.
ARCA’s annual pre-race Daytona practice in January will be van Gisbergen’s first time on the famous 2.5-mile oval surrounded by series regulars looking to make history as an ARCA Daytona winner.
Additional details about van Gisbergen’s ARCA debut, including a car number, team and sponsor, will be announced in the coming weeks.