Latest news with #AustralianSupercars
Perth Now
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Perth Now
'That guy is unbelievable' - SVG rules NASCAR roads
Three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has extended his NASCAR winning streak in the US to two straight and three victories in the last five weeks with yet another dominating run on a road course. The New Zealander once again showed he's in a completely different class on road and street courses than his rivals as he led 97 of 110 laps to win from pole at Sonoma Raceway in northern California on Sunday. All three of his wins this year have been from pole — which tied him with Jeff Gordon for a NASCAR record of three consecutive road course victories from the top starting spot. Gordon did it between the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Victory number four for van Gisbergen — who stunned NASCAR in 2023 when he popped into the debut Chicago street course race from Australian Supercars and won — seemed a given. His rivals have lamented that "SVG" has a unique braking technique he mastered Down Under that none of them — all oval specialists — can ever learn. That win in Chicago two years ago led van Gisbergen to move to the US for a career change driving stock cars for the Trackhouse Racing team. Van Gisbergen is the fastest driver to win four Cup Series races — in his 34th start — since Parnelli Jones in 1969. He's also the winningest driver born outside the US. "It means everything. That's why I race cars. I had an amazing time in Australia, and then to come here and the last couple weeks, or years, actually, has been a dream come true," said van Gisbergen. Although he dominated again on Sunday, van Gisbergen pitted from the lead with 27 laps remaining and then had to drive his way back to the front. He got it with a pass of Michael McDowell with 19 laps remaining, but two late cautions made van Gisbergen win restarts to close out the victory in his Chevrolet. Chase Briscoe was second in a Toyota. "I never played basketball against Michael Jordan in his prime, but I feel like that's probably what it was like," said Briscoe after not being able to pass van Gisbergen on the two late restarts — the last with five laps remaining. "That guy is unbelievable on road courses. He's just so good. He's really raised the bar on this entire series."
Fox Sports
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Chicago Takeaways: SVG Wins, Controversial Finish, Tempers & Possible NASCAR Return
CHICAGO, Ill. — Shane van Gisbergen made a little more history again on Sunday in the city where he made his biggest history. The New Zealand driver, who won the inaugural Chicago street race in his Cup debut in 2023, earned his second win in three years at the track, as he had a comfortable lead on Ty Gibbs when the caution came out on the final lap on Sunday afternoon. SVG, as he is known, became only the second driver to sweep an Xfinity and Cup weekend by winning both races from the pole. The other was Kyle Busch at Indianapolis in 2016. And with his third win, he is the most-winning foreign-born driver in NASCAR Cup Series history. Not bad for a driver who didn't expect to race in NASCAR, except for that one-off for Trackhouse Racing two years ago. "This joint, it changed my life," said three-time Australian Supercars champion van Gisbergen, who says he isn't a fan of cities as he likes his space and grass. "I didn't have any plans to do more NASCAR races when I first came over here, and I never thought I'd be in NASCAR full time." Rain barely fell on the cars minutes after the checkered flag. So here are the takeaways from a mostly dry Chicago race: Controversial Caution As van Gisbergen was completing his next-to-last lap, Cody Ware blew a brake rotor and slammed into the Turn 6 tire barrier. It was a hard hit, but NASCAR didn't throw the caution until van Gisbergen had passed the start-finish line and taken the white flag. Because van Gisbergen had taken the white flag, the final lap was completed under caution and the race was official. If the caution came out before he had taken the white, there would have been an overtime restart and a two-lap dash to the finish. NASCAR had waited to see if drivers could move their cars after hitting the tire barrier previously and had no idea how hard the impact was for Ware. So race officials didn't throw the caution until they realized he wasn't going to get it restarted. The hit was hard enough that van Gisbergen could see the smoke from several hundred feet away (it came in an area visible from the frontstretch). "I came out of the last corner and just saw a heap of smoke straight ahead of Turn 6, and I just held my breath until I crossed the line really," van Gisbergen said. "When I got the white flag, I came around the next couple of corners and the yellow came out. It was a massive relief." Ty Gibbs, who finished second, and Tyler Reddick, who was third, would have loved another shot at van Gisbergen on a restart. "I would have been all for that 100 percent, but ... I don't know [if it should have been thrown]," Gibbs said. "That would have been awesome." Angry Drivers Road courses often bring out the tempers. This is especially true on street courses where there is little run-off room if a driver makes an error. The angriest appeared to be Joey Logano, who yelled at Ross Chastain for a couple of minutes after the race. As he left the track, Logano said that Chastain admitted he turned him intentionally and Chastain should be fined. What made Logano especially angry is that it was actually Austin Cindric who started the accident. "Typical Ross. He just sees red and does dumb stuff," Logano said. "That's twice this year on road courses at the end of these things, I've been cost by Ross. I'm over it." Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman had a short conversation after they tangled near the end of the race as well. "He shipped us into (Turn) 12, ran us into the fence in [Turn] 1 and ran us into the fence off of [Turn] 2," Bowman said. "And then we just sort of pin-balled off of each other and he ended up on the worse side of it. But we're just trying to go straight off the corner. I don't know why we did that … I wasn't expecting that to happen or to get raced like that, but we did." The drivers likely won't forget. And they have another road course coming next week at Sonoma. NASCAR likely won't forget either. The league will likely look at both incidents to determine if there should be any sanctions against the drivers. Last Year of Chicago? The deal with the Chicago Parks department with NASCAR was a three-year deal, with some options. But NASCAR appears ready to potentially move its street race to San Diego. NASCAR officials reiterated Sunday that they are still in conversations with Chicago, and they have a couple of months to make a decision (although NASCAR typically likes to get its schedule out by late summer). Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson addressed the drivers prior to the race, just as he did last year. Drivers seem mixed, as they like the street race but they also see value in moving this race around. "Street races are something this sport should commit to wherever it is, whether it's in Chicago or San Diego or wherever it is," Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks said. "I've always been a fan of finding ways to take the product to the people. "If you can take what we do and plop it right in the middle of a city so people can come see it and have never seen a race before, I think that can only be good for the sport." Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass. recommended Get more from NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
NBC Sports
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
Reigning Australian Supercars champion to run NASCAR Cup race at Chicago for Kaulig Racing
Reigning Australian Supercars champion Will Brown will return to NASCAR to compete for Kaulig Racing in the July 6 Chicago Street Race Cup event, the team announced Tuesday. Brown will drive the No. 13 for Kaulig Racing at Chicago and be a teammate to AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon. 'After watching SVG (Shane van Gisbergen) win the 2023 Chicago NASCAR race and getting to drive myself at Sonoma last year, I've been really keen to have a go at the Grant Park 165,' said Brown in a statement from the team. 'The Supercars calendar aligned this year to give me time to get over to Charlotte early to prepare and give the race a crack! I have watched Kaulig Racing closely this season and I'm really excited to get behind the wheel of the MobileX and Shaw and Partners Financial Services No. 13!' Dustin Long, Brown is coming off a 2024 season that saw him win the Supercars title in Australia, scoring five wins and 19 podium finishes, the first time in 40 years that a driver had earned a podium in every round in that series. The 26-year-old Australian made his Cup debut last year at Sonoma, driving a third entry for Richard Childress Racing. He finished 31st.
NBC Sports
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
Australian Supercars driver Jack Perkins to make NASCAR Xfinity debut with Joe Gibbs Racing
Jack Perkins, who competes in the Australian Supercars series, will make his NASCAR Xfinity debut Aug. 30 at Portland International Raceway with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team announced Thursday. 'This is a long-held dream come true for me, and I am so excited about driving in NASCAR's Xfinity Series for the legendary Joe Gibbs,' Perkins said in a statement from the team. 'I started thinking about competing in NASCAR when I first visited the U.S. in 2008 to watch Marcos Ambrose at Sonoma, and be a spotter for Paul Morris, who was contesting an ARCA West race the same weekend. 'It's been a long journey to get here. I've come close a few times, but we couldn't quite get all the ducks lined up. To do it now with Coach Gibbs and JGR proves you should never give up.' Dustin Long, Perkins arrived in the U.S. earlier this week and has spent time at Joe Gibbs Racing. He's undergone a seat fitting and been in the Toyota Racing Development simulator. He will attend the Xfinity race and the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 'Jack has a distinguished career in the Australian Supercars series and came highly recommended by James Small, our crew chief on the No. 19 team in the Cup Series,' said Steve DeSouza, Executive Vice President Xfinity Series and Development, in a statement from the team. 'We're excited to have him make his Xfinity Series debut with us on the road course in Portland.' Said Perkins of Small: 'James and I grew up together, running round Australia's race paddocks as kids while our dads were busy doing their things, and we've remained close mates. James will be at Darlington with the Cup Series the weekend we're racing in Portland, but he's doing everything he can to help me prepare and ensure JGR and I have a successful experience. Without James, the whole deal just wouldn't be happening.' Perkins has three Repco Supercars Championship podium finishes, nine race victories and 35 podiums in the Dunlop Super2, the Supercars equivalent of NASCAR's Xfinity Series.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR goes to the dogs: Why many drivers bring their dogs to every race
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and his wife, Madyson Joye, stand in victory lane with one of their dogs after Stenhouse's win in the 2023 Daytona 500. (James Gilbert / Getty Images) When Shane van Gisbergen was offered the chance to move from Australian Supercars to NASCAR two years ago, he had one question: Can I bring my dog? And when we say dog, we really mean horse because Ronald is much closer to a small pony than he is to a large dog. Advertisement 'He's a pretty cool dog,' van Gisbergen said of the Rhodesian Ridgeback who weighs 130 pounds, which makes him five pounds heavier than Tyler Reddick, the reigning regular-season NASCAR Cup Series champion. Van Gisbergen wasn't going to leave Australia without him. 'You can't get rid of a dog,' he said. 'He is part of our family.' He couldn't put Ronald on a plane because there weren't any dog carriers big enough. So van Gisbergen and his girlfriend, Jessica Dane, had a special crate custom built for the 21-hour flight from Australia to the U.S., where Ronald lives with 18 horses, five cats and a rescue dog named Steve. That menagerie is a bit extreme for a race car driver, but van Gisbergen isn't the only animal lover on the NASCAR circuit. About a dozen drivers travel with their dogs so regularly, at least two tracks have built dog parks for the race teams. Advertisement 'It kind of brings a feeling of home on the road,' said Alex Bowman, who has three dogs, an 8-year-old charcoal Labrador named Finn, a year-old Golden Retriever mix rescue named Huck and a goldendoodle named Merle that belongs to girlfriend Chloe Henderson, a self-proclaimed 'dog mom.' 'My dogs are my best friends. So it's always cool to have them at the race track," said Bowman, who finished fifth in Sunday's 400-mile race in Kansas City, Kan., the 12th event on the Cup Series schedule . Bowman found he could no longer travel without his dogs after Roscoe, a rescued beagle mix he once took to Victory Lane at Daytona, passed away two years ago while he was testing in Indianapolis. 'I couldn't be there. So that was pretty tough,' he said. Alex Bowman drives the Ally Best Friends Chevrolet during practice for the Shriners Children's 500 NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix Raceway on March 8. (Chris Graythen / Getty Images) So tough, in fact, Bowman said Roscoe's death inspired his team at Hendricks Motorsports to change their rules and allow the driver to bring his dogs on the team plane. And the driver isn't the only member of the race team who benefits from that change. Advertisement 'It's cool to have dogs around,' said Sara Beam, Bowman's media representative. 'It's like a therapy dog kind of. They make everybody happy.' While everyone knows dogs like to chase cars, Bowman said there's no chance you'll see any of them trying to run one down during a NASCAR race. 'They're not really near the track. They're never in the pit area or in the garage,' said Bowman, 10th in the Cup standings after Sunday. 'Things would have to go pretty wrong for that to happen.' Bowman has long been an outspoken advocate for animal rescue, donating more than $750,000 over the past four years to animal welfare efforts through partnerships with Ally Racing and Best Friends Animal Society, a charity that promotes pet adoption and no-kill rescue. The paint scheme of the No. 48 Chevrolet, that Bowman drove to a seventh-place finish in Phoenix last month, included more than a dozen rescue dogs. Advertisement Trackhouse Racing has also allowed van Gisbergen, who has one top 10 finish this season, to bring Ronald on the team's corporate plane, giving him his own seat. 'I've grown up with dogs and animals. It always puts a smile on your face,' said van Gisbergen, who will take Ronald on his morning runs at some tracks. 'He's always excited to see you you. He's a pretty happy dude.' Yet even with a reserved aisle seat on the plane it's difficult for animals to make NASCAR's western swings since race teams and drivers often stay in hotels, many of which don't allow pets. However some dogs are easier to travel with than others. Mexican driver Daniel Suárez, who also races for Trackhouse, says he takes Emma, a four-pound black-and-white Pomeranian, and Pepper, an 11-pound Manx cat, to about half his races each season. Before the Phoenix race, Suárez posted photos on Instagram of both pets wishing him luck. Advertisement Suárez, who has three top 10 finishes this year, credits his love for animals to his parents, who would routinely collect abandoned dogs on the streets around Monterrey, Mexico, and try to find them a forever home. They currently have 10 dogs at home, Suárez said, 'and every one if them is picked up from the street.' 'The beautiful part about animals is that it doesn't matter how much money you have. It doesn't matter how good or bad the day you just had. They're always there to give you a lot,' said Suárez, who supports animal-rescue groups such a PETA and the Humane Society of Charlotte, N.C., where he lives. 'We're really lucky to have animals in our lives.' Drivers who, unlike Suárez, can't hide their pets in their pocket, limit their dog's travel to races within easy reach of the motor homes most Charlotte-based teams drive to the track. Erik Jones has been taking his 8-year-old German Shepherd Oscar to races since shortly after moving to the Cup Series full time in 2017. Read more: NASCAR figuring out if building new track in Fontana is the 'right thing to do' Advertisement 'The dog's always happy to see you,' he said. 'No matter how your day goes, good or bad, if you can just go back and see him [it] gives me a chance to not think about racing for a second. 'We think about racing plenty through the week. So anytime you can your mind off it is nice.' Although his wife, Holly, once brought her pet rabbit to the Easter race in Richmond, Va., Jones said he's strictly a dog person. 'Taking him on the road, it never felt like a hassle to me,' said Jones, who has one top 10 finish this season. 'It was just always fun to have him there. Always gave me something to kind of look forward to and keep myself entertained. It got me out more, taking him on walks and doing different stuff.' Advertisement Especially at Pennsylvania's Pocono Raceway, Oscar's favorite track, which built a 7,000-foot dog park in the infield for use by fans and drivers. 'It's just an evolution of logic and doing the right thing,' said Ben May, the raceway's longtime president. 'Dogs are family. And if you can do something special for someone's dog, to some folks that's the same as doing it for their kid, right? It's a big deal.' The Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, has two dog parks, one outside the track for fans and another in the infield for race teams and drivers. Yet despite the drivers' professed devotion for their dogs, much of the care, feeding and cleaning up after the dogs falls to members of the race crew or a driver's wife or girlfriend. Advertisement 'Madyson takes care of our dogs 85% of the time,' said Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who shares Ruby and River, two goldendoodles, with his wife. Stenhouse, who is 15th in the Cup series standings after Sunday's race, said traveling with his dogs can add some extra tension to what already is a stressful job. In the end, however, it's worth it. Read more: L.A. mayor says animal shelters won't close. Rescue groups are still on edge 'It can be a little bit of a pain sometimes trying to travel with them. Making sure you've got all the things packed and we've got food on the bus,' he said. 'But it's pretty comforting having them. Advertisement 'Ours sleep in our bed with us. We're on the road a lot and when you can have your dogs with you, it just makes you feel more relaxed and more like at home.' Van Gisbergen agrees. So would he really have stayed in Australia with Ronald had he not found a way to bring the dog to the U.S.? 'You can't really leave them behind,' he said with a shrug. 'In Australia and New Zealand you can't take your dog anywhere. We're in America. You can take your dog anywhere.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
