Logano tips van Gisbergen to ‘figure out’ ovals

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano believes that Shane van Gisbergen could adapt to oval racing if given time.

Van Gisbergen will race on a full oval (as opposed to the Daytona ‘roval’) for the first time when he makes his Trucks Series debut in the next 24 hours at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The three-time Supercars champion sensationally won in his very first NASCAR start, but that achievement happened to come at the category’s very first street event.

Street circuits make up half of the Supercars calendar whereas an oval is something new for van Gisbergen, but Logano thinks he would come to terms with the discipline soon enough.

“I think he would figure it out,” said the Team Penske driver.

“It’s going to take a second; you’ve got to give someone like that grace having never raced on ovals and mile-and-a-half [speedways] and those types of things.

“But, I’m pretty sure if you’re a good race car driver, you’re going to figure it out. A good race car driver is a good race car driver; it just takes time.

“Just like us, when we go back to Chicago, we’re going to do a lot better than last time, now we kind of know what we’re up against.”

Van Gisbergen has made clear his intention to leave Supercars at the end of the current season and make a permanent switch to NASCAR, albeit not necessarily racing full-time in 2024.

Logano, though, hopes he does.

“I hope he gets to come over full-time because I want to see how he goes,” said the Connecticut native.

“Because, obviously what he did was incredible; he’s an amazing race car driver.”

NASCAR drivers past and present have given a variety of takes on van Gisbergen’s keenness to head to the United States next year.

Logano’s comments contrast somewhat to those of three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, who raised questions as to whether the New Zealander could master ovals.

Dale Earnhardt Jnr mused that he would probably “struggle” initially, and opined that he would need to challenge for wins on road courses in order to justify the hype.

Kyle Larson, though, thinks van Gisbergen should be “throw[n] to the wolves” in so much that he may as well be fast-tracked into the Cup Series next year.

Additional reporting: Stephen Ottley