TRACKHOUSE PREVIEW NASCAR EXHIBITION RACE WITH SVG AT BOWMAN GRAY

MEDIA RELEASE/Trackhouse Racing – Images: supplied & Facebook

Trackhouse racing have sent through their preview for Shane van Gisbergen and the NASCAR exhibition Race at Bowman Gray Stadium, take a read what they had to say below.

For the second consecutive year, the NASCAR season will open with an exhibition race, The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Drivers will participate in a series of heat races and one last chance qualifying race in an effort to earn a spot in the 23-car Clash main event. Last year, all three Trackhouse Racing entries competed in the main event at the quarter-mile venue.

A new and special number this season, what does the number 97 mean to you?

“It’s a number I’ve raced with all my life – I started racing with it at a young age. It’s really cool that Justin Marks and Trackhouse let me race a number that means so much to me and my family. It’s a really good change. I’m stoked to be able to carry the 97 this year!”

What is the key for you to keep improving on the ovals?

“Definitely time and to still keep an open mind, keep learning. I think I’m still making huge gains in certain areas. But certainly, keep learning something new every week, especially at the tracks I’m not strong at, keep trying to improve. I’m nowhere near my ceiling yet, I don’t think.”

• Bowman Gray Experience: This weekend, van Gisbergen looks to make his second appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Last year, van Gisbergen battled his way into the main event, starting 10th and scoring a ninth-place finish.
• A Number That Means So Much: Van Gisbergen will carry the No. 97 number in 2026, his second full-time Cup Series season. The No. 97 has many special meanings to van Gisbergen. His father, Robert van Gisbergen, drove the same number during his racing career. In 2013, van Gisbergen first debuted the No. 97 in Australian Supercars where he created a legacy for the number with 80 wins, 3 Championships, 48 pole positions and 152 podium finishes. In 2024, van Gisbergen was honored with the special number for his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Rookie campaign. He claimed three victories and three pole positions in the No. 97 entry.
• Trackhouse Colors: Van Gisbergen’s No. 97 Chevrolet will sport the popular Trackhouse Racing colors this Sunday at the quarter-mile track in Winston-Salem, N.C. He and teammate Connor Zilisch will carry inverted liveries for the NASCAR Cup Series exhibition race.
• Familiar Face atop the Pit Box: Stephen Doran enters his second season leading the No. 97 team and van Gisbergen after the pair delivered a standout 2025 campaign. The duo’s first NASCAR Cup Series victory together came in dominating fashion on June 15, 2025 in Mexico City at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, leading 60 of the 100-lap race and winning by 16.567 seconds. This was also Doran’s first win as a crew chief.

Weekend schedule/format & playoffs:

No. 97 Trackhouse Team
Crew Chief: Stephen Doran, Butler, Pennsylvania
Car Chief: Nick DeFazio, Orange, California
Spotter: Josh Williams, Martinsville, Virginia
Engine Tuner: Jon Phillips, Jefferson City, Missouri
Fueler: Evan Marchal, Westfield, Indiana
Front Tire Changer: Austin Holland, Huntersville, North Carolina
Rear Tire Changer: Jerick Newsome, Memphis, Tennessee
Jackman: Marshall McFadden, Lamar, South Carolina
Tire Carrier: Brendan Folley, Millersville, Maryland
Engineer: Troy Davis, Windham, Maine
Engineer: Austin Greco, Harrisburg, North Carolina
Mechanic: Stephen Gonzalez, Palmdale, California
Mechanic: Nathan Repetz, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
Interior Mechanic: Tyler Trosper, North Platte, Nebraska
Truck Driver: Todd Cable, Shelby, North Carolina
Truck Driver: Jake Zierhoffer, Billerica, Massachusetts

SUBSCRIBE TO VELOCITY MAGAZINE 

For all our news keep your eyes peeled on the Velocity Magazine website and social media, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for our daily updates and to get the latest edition of our glossy magazine subscribe here from just $55 for 12 months subscription.

GET OUR LATEST ISSUE NUMBER 55 HERE

NAMING RIGHTS SPONSOR