477 - Shane Van Gisbergen - Just The Beginning

Shane Van Gisbergen stops by the Bojangles Studio to chat with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in preparation for his highly anticipated return to NASCAR action this weekend in Indianapolis. After a stunning upset victory in his first NASCAR Cup attempt at the Chicago Street Course, SVG announced his plans to follow up his impressive debut by invading the Racing Capital of the World. He has also made it clear that he’d like to pursue NASCAR racing full-time in 2024, and he unpacks what that may look like with Dale Jr. and Download co-host Mike Davis. But before that can become a reality, SVG is set to see how he’ll fare in pavement oval competition as he embarks on his first NASCAR Truck start for Niece Motorsports at Indianapolis Raceway Park. SVG explains that most of his experience in oval racing came early in his career in the quarter midget ranks, as well as some winged sprint car races he ran more recently. Dale Jr. provides some pointers on how to get around the 0.686-mile speedway and what to expect from Trucks competition. They also discuss SVG’s use of heel-and-toe shifting, the world of Australian V8 Supercars, and the rest of the ringers for this coming weekend in Indy.