Shane van Gisbergen’s shock victory on debut in NASCAR back in July sealed a permanent move to the United States in more ways than one.
The three-time Supercars champion shocked the motorsport world in Chicago earlier this year when a cameo in the NASCAR Cup Series turned into a debut victory.
The result, basically unheard of in modern NASCAR, paved the way for van Gisbergen to piece together a full-time move to the States thanks to a development deal with Trackhouse Racing.
He is set to race in a number of different NASCAR divisions next year ahead of plans to run a full Cup Series program in 2025.
But the Chicago win didn’t just facilitate the Stateside move in terms of landing a deal. It also helped land van Gisbergen a visa to live in the States.
The win made van Gisbergen eligible for a visa based on his ‘extraordinary abilities’, allowing him and partner Jess Dane to make the permanent move.
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As for other logistical matters, van Gisbergen has been leaning hard on the likes of IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin, and former DJR commercial man Chris Wilson who now lives in the States and works for Penske, for advice.
“We leave in two and a half weeks,” van Gisbergen told Speedcafe.
“We’ll go to America and settle in, and then head to England with Jess’ family, and then back into it to start learning, I guess.
“It’s crazy. Even setting everything up with a social security number, bank account, visa, all that stuff… and it always seems like you can’t get one thing without having the other, and vice versa.
“It’s quite a process, but Scotty has been a great help, as has Chris Wilson, who moved over to work for Penske. I’ve had a lot of people giving me the right advice.
“I’ve spoken to Scotty a lot, although he has an advantage because his wife is American, which makes it easier. But it’s just the hoops you’ve got to jump through.”
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