Shane van Gisbergen has only been a full-time NASCAR driver for two seasons and a full-time Cup driver for one. Yet, he's already raving about the career move and the fun he is having.
" I just feel like I made the best decision ever," van Gisbergen told select media members before heading to Sonoma Raceway. "I was really hating racing in Australia, hating driving those cars.
"I have never had so much fun racing, going to the racetrack every single weekend. I really love what I do."
The excitement is understandable after two trips to victory lane this Cup season, including one last weekend on the streets of Chicago. However, the three-time Supercars champion also includes his time on oval tracks in this discussion. This is a racing skill that he continues to work on while dealing with successes and setbacks alike.
Why is he having so much fun in NASCAR? Why was it worth moving halfway around the world?
The answer is the change in race car. He no longer has to get behind the wheel of the Gen 3 Supercars car, which debuted during the 2023 season.
"It was a terrible car," van Gisbergen said in response to a question from AltDriver. "...The old supercars were amazing to drive, and you'd drive flat-out in the race. You get in the new one, and you have to drive like a grandma to finish the race. It was a horrible experience.
"So it's just what you're used to, I guess. And I come over here, and on the road courses here, you drive this thing flat-out the whole race, and I just love that as a driver, trying to extract everything you can, rather than having to just massage your car to the end."
These comments from van Gisbergen are different than those of the Cup Series regulars who have competed in the United States for multiple generations. Those who drove the previous generations of Cup cars have been vocal about why they prefer those over the Gen 7 car.
Some mentioned the horsepower packages and the effects of dirty air when discussing the topic. Others discussed the fact that the cars are essentially the same while talking about getting the parts from Target. Some have just commented about the danger factor after seeing multiple fires and multiple drivers sustain concussions in 2022.
NASCAR has taken steps to address these concerns. Safety has been a major point of emphasis, which has led to positive results. The sanctioning body has also worked with Goodyear to find better tire options for short tracks and road courses. Horsepower changes are even a topic of conversation.
The sanctioning body remains dedicated to improving the Gen 7 car, so some of the criticism has died down. It just hasn't gone away entirely.
This is not the case for van Gisbergen, who now has three career Cup Series wins in 33 starts. He doesn't have any experience in any other NASCAR Cup Series car that he can use to compare situations.
He just knows that he's having a lot of fun after getting away from the Gen 3 Supercars car.
"So it's very similar," van Gisbergen said. "You hear the drivers' comments when they first went to Gen 7 here, they didn't like it and the bad impacts and stuff.
"I feel like they have improved the safety side, but you still hear drivers complain about how the car is in racing and stuff, so I guess it's just maybe grass is greener."