NASCAR star Shane van Gisbergen issues verdict on Supercars return

NASCAR News News Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 8:03 PM ET •By Simmey Hannifin Donaldson

After NASCAR stars Austin Cindric and Jesse Love headed to Australia to compete in the Supercars and Super2 season finale this offseason, other drivers could well follow suit in the future.

Not Shane van Gisbergen, however. The Kiwi made the switch from Supercars - where he was a three-time champion - to NASCAR full-time in 2024 and says he has no plans to return for a cameo any time soon.

That isn't only due to his commitment to NASCAR, either; it's because any van Gisbergen cameo at Adelaide would be totally different from Cindric's.

Whilst the Team Penske star naturally struggled and was towards the back of the field due to having to get used to the new machinery, van Gisbergen's pedigree in the series likely means he would be racing towards the front.

Shane van Gisbergen not keen on Supercars cameo

That would likely see him get involved in the championship fight and potentially influence who won the title, and that's something he's keen to stay well out of.

Quizzed if he'd make a Supercars again in the future, that very issue was at the forefront of his mind.

“Maybe one day," SvG said, via Speedcafe.

"But I think it would be stupid for myself, or Scotty [McLaughlin] or Jamie [Whincup], for example, to do Adelaide.

“You would not want to be involved in the championship fight, especially because you’d probably be in a top team that’s involved in the championship.

“If I was to do a wildcard, I’d be retired and do it mid-season, or do Bathurst or something. I would never want to get involved in the championship final.”