Supercars Champ Shane Van Gisbergen in Gear

Defending Supercars champion Auckland-born Shane van Gisbergen, 27, will return to the season opener in Adelaide on 2-5 March unflustered by the pressure of being the man to beat as he continues a busy racing schedule around the world.

Van Gisbergen is cut from a different cloth to his competitors.

Unlike most of them, he loves racing anywhere, any time and has also made a name in GT3 Sports car racing overseas.

A week after his landmark championship win, he was off racing in Malaysia and he has also driven in the US over summer.

His reaction to the win, uttered at the Supercars launch at Adelaide Oval, was typical.

“I got that monkey off the back,” he said. “Now it’s a brand new year.”

But van Gisbergen can’t wait for the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, and the return to a two 250km races in South Australia’s premier motorsport event.

“I love being in a race car,” van Gisbergen said. “I’ve been racing around the world for the past few years but the V8s are the best. The most competitive, the fastest drivers and the best racing. I love it.”

Original article by Jesper Fjeldstad, The Advertiser, The Courier Mail, February 10, 2017.