The 2024 NASCAR season is halfway over and that means teams like Trackhouse Racing are already looking forward to 2025. Everyone is constantly thinking about the next step and that includes Justin Marks and his organization.
For those not caught up on the situation at Trackhouse Racing, it is complicated. At the moment they have two charters and four full-time drivers with a development driver also signed to a contract.
It has been rumored that they are purchasing one of the Stewart-Haas Racing charters, but that news has yet to be announced.
Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports recently divulged his thoughts on how Trackhouse Racing plans to handle its 2025 lineup. Expect Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain to remain where they are in the 99 and 1 cars.
As for the potential third Cup Series car?
“Trackhouse has two drivers under contract and one car. It still must decide whether it feels Shane van Gisbergen would be better off with another season in Xfinity,” Pockrass wrote. “That would leave Zane Smith in that car, but the more likely scenario is van Gisbergen in a Cup car and Smith either looking for a ride while under contract or loaned to another team like he is this year with Spire.”
With the kind of talent that SVG has and his window to accomplish all he wants to in NASCAR, he is 35 years old, it would make sense to move him up to the Cup Series.
Zane Smith has not been great in the third Spire car. He’s been loaned to them this season. Smith also has more time to develop, he is 10 years younger than SVG. So, Trackhouse Racing has to make the best decision for themselves.
Shane van Gisbergen gives Trackhouse Racing a winner
In the Supercars series in Australia, Shane van Gisbergen developed a ton of racecraft. He has car control unlike most, even in the Cup Series. His knack for road and street course racing is impressive.
In fact, the strides he has made on ovals have been impressive. Each week he goes to a track that he has never raced at, figuring it out, sometimes without practice, and he is still running in the top-20 consistently.
There are only a handful of races that he has not finished in the top-20 at. Las Vegas, DNF. COTA, 30-second penalty on the last lap to go from P2 to P27. Talladega, P22. Iowa, DNF.
SVG is great for Trackhouse Racing. He has a future in the Cup Series and it will be soon. Don’t forget that Connor Zilisch, the 17-year-old prodigy, is signed to a development deal. If I’m Zane Smith, that concerns me more than SVG, because that is how he gets shut out completely is if Zilisch moves up to Cup at a rapid pace.
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