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There should be an investigation into how New Zealand motorsport has produced the likes of Shane van Gisbergen, Scott Dixon, and Scott McLaughlin, fellow Kiwi Marcus Armstrong has joked.
With IndyCar racing on the streets of Nashville this weekend, Armstrong is back in the #11 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda entry which Takuma Sato is racing on ovals this year.
Next weekend, IndyCar returns to Indianapolis for a road course event, where it will share billing with NASCAR.
With van Gisbergen to make his second Cup Series start at The Brickyard, there will be a total of four New Zealanders across the two categories who collectively boast six IndyCar titles and six Supercars Championship titles, plus a NASCAR race win.
On SVG’s victorious debut in Chicago, Armstrong said, “I think it’s so cool. I know him very well and to see what he did at the Chicago race not long ago was very special.
“But honestly, I wasn’t surprised because I’ve seen him, apart from when he was competing with McLaughlin, dominate Supercars and Porsche Carrera Cup and all the rest of it over on our side of the world.
“I also did some training with him at the beginning of the year in a Porsche Cup car and I know that he’s super-fast, and I think it was really cool to see him succeed so quickly.
“I expect him to be quick at Indianapolis – no pressure, Shane – but, I think it’s so cool.
“I find it really intriguing as to why New Zealand has so many successful racing drivers, really.
“I think there should be maybe an investigation of some sort of what they do down in New Zealand because, if you listed all the top guys, it’s pretty remarkable.
“The fact that Shane has come over here and started doing well is great, but there’s more great guys coming through, so it’s awesome.”
While McLaughlin was a fascinated observer as van Gisbergen became the first debut NASCAR Cup Series race winner in six decades, Armstrong was unable to watch him take the chequered flag live.
“I was on a plane leaving Mid-Ohio,” recounted the four-time FIA Formula 2 race winner and IndyCar rookie.
“Everyone on the plane were basically racing people. We were watching it all together on the runway waiting for the take-off.
“I think there was a late Safety Car just as we were taking off. We were all like, ‘Oh, well, he might not win now.’
“Then we landed and found out he did. Yeah, it was cool.”
New Zealand can also boast World Endurance Champions Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley as their own, while fellow Kiwis Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy each won four races in the just-completed Formula E season, and Liam Lawson is part of Red Bull’s junior programme.
Practice for the Nashville IndyCar race starts this Friday afternoon (local time; Saturday morning NZST and AEST).
