Over the years, NASCAR has opened its doors to several drivers from across the motorsports world. One of the prime examples of such a crossover success is Shane van Gisbergen, who has now vouched for a former Supercar rival's NASCAR debut. 

The driver he backed was none other than Matt Payne. The 2025 Bathurst 1000 champion almost had a deal in place to make his Cup Series debut at Sonoma this past weekend. Backed by General Motors, Payne would drive for Chevrolet-powered Richard Childress Racing.

However, the move was blocked by his current team in the Supercars Championship, Grove Racing, which is backed by Ford, creating a manufacturer conflict. SVG addressed Ford's rejection of Payne during his pre-race media availability on Sunday.

"I'd love to see him do it," SVG said (via Cup Scene on YouTube). "I think he's a massive talent. He was only just starting when I left, but from what I saw, he was really good. So, yeah, sounds like he wants to come do it. So, hopefully he can have a go."

The Kiwi driver was also questioned about whether he would like to see more Supercar drivers come to NASCAR. He welcomed the idea, saying:

"Yeah, certainly welcome it. I think it's appealing to teams in some ways. You know, you're going to have strong road course guys, but yeah, you've got to commit to a big building phase on the ovals as we've seen. So yeah, I'd love to see more come and try and do it."

As for Matt Payne’s situation, the Grove Racing driver is contracted to stay with the Ford-backed team through 2027, which means he will have to wait until 2028 to have a shot at racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

While Payne is left waiting for an opportunity to enter the Cup Series, SVG has been making strides. 

Shane van Gisbergen wins a thriller at Sonoma Raceway

SVG earned his second victory of 2026 at Sonoma during the Toyota Save Mart 350 on Sunday. The Kiwi driver started the race from sixth place and finished seventh in the first two stages.

In the final stretch, the Trackhouse driver could have lost the race win to Chase Briscoe, who was on his rear bumper in Turn 11.

While talking to TNT Sports post-race about the thrilling final stage battle, the Kiwi driver praised his No.97 team for all their efforts, and also acknowledged Briscoe. 

"What a day. We were really bad yesterday, and these guys did an amazing job turning this car into a winner,” said van Gisbergen, who celebrated with a massive burnout for the grandstands. "(Briscoe) was coming. He was really, really good, and I ran out at the end."

Shane van Gisbergen won the race with a 0.357-second lead over Chase Briscoe, after leading 74 of 110 laps on the 1.99-mile track. With this victory, SVG also tied Tony Stewart in second for all-time wins at road courses with eight wins.

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak