SVG 2026 TRACKHOUSE RACING ADVANCE – PHOENIX RACEWAY

March 5, 2026
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MEDIA RELEASE/TrackHouse Racing – Photos: Supplied

TrackHouse Racing have sent through Shane van Gisbergens preview for the next NASCAR round, this time up they head to Phoenix Raceway.

NOTES:

Onto Phoenix: Shane van Gisbergen will make his third NASCAR Cup Series start at Phoenix Raceway. In November, van Gisbergen started 31st and rallied to a 24th-place finish, his best at the one-mile desert oval.
Runner-Up at COTA: Last weekend at Circuit of the Americas, van Gisbergen started 13th and battled in the top 3 all race (his average running position was 4.88). On the final restart with 17 laps remaining, he fought for the lead but ultimately finished in the runner-up position. Van Gisbergen posted his best Cup Series finish at the 2.4-mile Texas road course and collected his second top-10 in three Cup Series races at COTA. He racked up his second top 10 finish in 2026.
Point Standings: Van Gisbergen enters this weekend’s race at Phoenix fifth in the Cup Series driver standings, a career best. He is 10 points behind fourth place and three ahead of seventh place.
O’Reilly Series Win: On Saturday, van Gisbergen secured his first career win at COTA when he piloted the No. 9 SafetyCulture Chevrolet to victory for JR Motorsports. He started second on the front row, alongside teammate Connor Zilisch, and led 31 of the 65 laps in the race. This victory marked van Gisbergen’s 11th NASCAR win on road/street course tracks.
The Partnership: Last week, Trackhouse Racing announced that SafetyCulture will extend its partnership with the team through the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, continuing its role as Trackhouse Racing’s Official Workplace Operations Partner. The global workplace operations platform gives Trackhouse Racing the knowledge, tools and confidence to work safely, meet higher standards and improve every day on and off the track.
A Number That Means So Much: This season, van Gisbergen will carry the No. 97 for 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 Xfinity Series Rookie campaign. In the No. 97 entry, he claimed three victories and three pole positions.
Meet SVG: Van Gisbergen will sign autographs on Sunday, March 8, at 9:00 a.m. local at the Trackhouse Racing merchandise trailer in the Fan Zone – wristband required.

Runaway Kiwi: SafetyCulture has partnered with NASCAR and Trackhouse Racing to produce a new documentary spotlighting van Gisbergen’s rise to the top levels of international motorsport. Runaway Kiwi follows van Gisbergen’s journey from his home in Manukau, New Zealand, to capturing five consecutive road course victories in his NASCAR rookie season. More than a racing story, it explores the discipline, preparation and teamwork required to compete at the highest level – values that sit at the heart of SafetyCulture’s mission to improve the way the world works. The documentary will be available to watch on the official NASCAR YouTube channel and The NASCAR Channel starting Friday, February 27.

You’ve only started your NASCAR career a little over two years ago. Now you have 11 road course wins across the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. How cool is that?

“It’s been pretty awesome! I’ve had a whole lot of fun racing here. Every year I’ve enjoyed it so much and it doesn’t seem like a grind. I got to the end of last year and I was tired, but I had a week off and I was ready to get going again (laughs). There is such a great group of guys and girls at Trackhouse, and it makes racing every weekend so enjoyable.”

You are starting to head to some tracks for the second and third time. What do you want to do better as you approach these tracks in the 2026 season?

“There are a couple of tracks I really struggle at for some reason, Phoenix is one of them. It’s a type of track I need to improve myself. I know my car can do it, but the racing is so much more tough with not a lot of practice. It’s hard, but that is where I need to get better and then, just continue to keep growing at the bigger tracks. I felt like we’ve made some real progress there, so we need to keep it going.”

How different is it when you have a year in the Cup Series under your belt?

“You just learn what you want and need from a car. My driving style was very different to most, I guess. The way I make the car work or want it to work is very different to others. We noticed a lot of trends which took a while to get everyone to adjust to. I adjusted a bit but now we’re sort of coming my way a bit, which has kind of helped me. It’s interesting. The cars are set up so different to what I’m used to and I’m still trying to understand what I need or want from the car.”

SafetyCulture is a global technology company that helps frontline teams find a better way of working. Its mobile-first workplace operations platform gives more than 2 million workers around the world the knowledge, tools and confidence they need to meet higher standards, work safely and improve every day.

SafetyCulture gives leaders visibility and workers a voice in driving safety, quality, and efficiency improvements.

Analysis by Forrester found that SafetyCulture’s flagship products provide a 214% return on investment for customers and $3.6M in cost savings from operational improvements.

Visit safetyculture.com.

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