Acceptance Insurance will be the primary sponsor for Shane van Gisbergen and the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series races at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Sept. 1 and Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 8.
Friday’s announcement means Van Gisbergen, leader of the Xfinity Series playoff standings where he competes full-time with Kaulig Racing, will now race in seven of the final 12 Cup races in the 2024 season.
“I am so thankful for Acceptance Insurance to come on board and support my Cup Series experience,” said Van Gisbergen. “Acceptance is a growing brand, like me in NASCAR. I look forward to representing and working with them and making them known to every NASCAR fan. Doing both Cup and Xfinity races with Kaulig Racing is going to keep everyone busy but I didn’t come to America to sit and watch racing. I came to race.”
Darlington and Atlanta are two of the 35-year-old, Auckland, New Zealand native’s favorite tracks since arriving in America to race full-time in 2024.
“I was told when I came to the States that Darlington was the toughest track on the circuit, and I can’t dispute that, but I immediately fell in love with the place,” he said. “It is just so much fun to drive and I am keen to drive a Cup car there. As for Atlanta, we finished third there in only my second Xfinity series start, so that was kind of crazy. I have so much more experience now and I just love getting to the track each week.”
Although Acceptance Insurance is new to Van Gisbergen and NASCAR, the company has been a trusted name in car insurance for over 50 years. Specializing in providing customized policies for drivers with imperfect records, Acceptance Insurance is dedicated to helping people save money while finding coverage that fits their needs and budget. In addition to affordable auto insurance, Acceptance offers a range of products including renters’ insurance and other comprehensive coverage options.
“We’re thrilled to broaden our partnership to include Shane van Gisbergen,” said Cesar Soriano, Chief Executive Officer of Acceptance Insurance, part of the largest auto insurance and personal lines distribution company in the United States. “This collaboration offers us a fantastic opportunity to connect with thousands of racing enthusiasts and welcome them to our stores, where they can meet SVG in person and experience our brand firsthand.”
Van Gisbergen has taken the NASCAR world by storm since winning his NASCAR Cup Series debut in Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91 entry at the 2023 Chicago Street Race. That success led to a move to the United States in December after signing a driving contract with the organization.
Before the 2024 season, Trackhouse Racing reached an agreement with Kaulig Racing for it to field Van Gisbergen’s full-time effort in the Xfinity Series as well as his partial Cup Series schedule.
The relationship has paid dividends with Van Gisbergen leading the NASCAR Xfinity Series with victories at Portland (Ore.) Int’l Raceway, Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and the Chicago Street Race. The No. 97 Kaulig Racing team is locked into the Xfinity Series Playoffs that begin Sept. 28 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas.
Van Gisbergen has also logged Cup Series starts for Kaulig Racing in 2024 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas in March, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April, Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and the Chicago Street Race in July.
“This season has been a lot of learning for me, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. It’s super fun to be competing for a NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship and getting a shot at racing in the Cup series against the best of the best,” said Van Gisbergen. “To me the road courses are a regular race, but the ovals are a challenge, one I am hoping to conquer soon. I’m looking forward to this second half of the season.”
Van Gisbergen’s Cup schedule for the remainder of the 2024 season includes:
- Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway on Aug. 24.
- Darlington (S.C) Raceway on Sept. 1.
- Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway on Sept. 8.
- Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l on Sept. 15.
- Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on Oct. 6.
- Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 20.
- Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Nov. 3.