Shane van Gisbergen to make oval debut in Truck Series at Indianapolis

Shane van Gisbergen, who won last month’s race on the streets of Chicago in his Cup debut, will run his first NASCAR oval event in the Aug. 11 Craftsman Truck Series race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The three-time Australian Supercar champion will drive the No. 41 for Niece Motorsports and be a teammate to Carson Hocevar.

The 200-lap race on the .686-mile track will come ahead of van Gisbergen’s second Cup start, which will take place Aug. 13 on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 team.

“The weekend will certainly be a challenge,” said van Gisbergen in a statement from the team. “I’ve seen the trucks race on television and know it’s very competitive and that I’ll have a lot to learn on a short track at IRP. I’m used to doing doubleheaders in Supercars, but this will be a little bit different. I’m honored to join Niece Motorsports and thrilled at getting a chance to climb in a truck.”

The 34-year-old Van Gisbergen has expressed his desire to run in NASCAR as soon as next season. He has a contract through next year with his Supercar team, but the team has stated it wouldn’t stand in his way of getting a NASCAR ride in 2024.