Triple Eight's Gen3 assurance with van Gisbergen
Should Gen3 offer closer racing as expected, Mark Dutton expects Shane van Gisbergen to stay in Supercars long-term.
Speaking on the Gold Coast, where he clinched the 2022 title, van Gisbergen revealed talks of a new deal.
The New Zealander expects to remain in Supercars full-time, and wants to stay with Triple Eight.
However, van Gisbergen also claimed his long-term Supercars future will be influenced by Gen3.
New low downforce cars will be introduced in 2023, which will encourage closer racing.
The Gen3 prototypes are currently undergoing aero testing at Wellcamp near Toowoomba.
Speaking on Supercars’ Cool Down Lap podcast, Red Bull Ampol Racing Team Manager Dutton said van Gisbergen’s future hasn’t been discussed “too much”.
However, if competition lifts to another level with Gen3, Dutton expects van Gisbergen not only to hang around, but ‘carve it up’.
“Shane likes to try a lot of different things, and likes to enjoy himself like we all do,” Dutton said.
“A lot of people in the category are keen for [Gen3] to work and be successful, so we keep the passion and have big reward for hard work.
“It's been a lot of hard work, Gen3. Everything says it should be good, the cars look better, they’re lighter, less downforce.
“Everything points to better racing, and if there’s better racing, Shane’s going to be there carving it up.”
Van Gisbergen has made a habit of racing outside his Supercars commitments.
Already in 2022, he has made a Le Mans debut, scored ARC and WRC podiums, and raced GT cars nationwide.
Van Gisbergen has also been linked to a NASCAR Cup Series cameo in 2023.
Through it all, the two-time Bathurst winner has maintained that Supercars is his primary focus.
Rival Chaz Mostert recently said he wants van Gisbergen to stay put: "I’d personally love him to stay.
"It’s the same with Scotty [McLaughlin] before he went overseas.
"I want to race the best guys not only in Australia but in the world.
"I look at Shane and Scotty like they are; some of the best race car drivers I’ve ever versed.”
Van Gisbergen helped Triple Eight to a driver-team championship double for the second year running.
The title was sealed on the Gold Coast despite Broc Feeney being caught up in the Sunday chicane crash.
Triple Eight is now dovetailing its Gen3 builds with the repairs of the #88 Red Bull Ampol Commodore.
“Some big carnage,” Dutton said of the Race 32 crash.
“The car’s pretty smashed up after that.
“[Feeney] got sandwiched in the middle of things.
“Obviously the cars did a great job, everyone getting out without injury, that’s most important.
“But the car’s pretty beaten up."
The 2022 Repco Supercars Championship will conclude on the Adelaide streets in December.
