Shane van Gisbergen is not someone who enjoys being in the spotlight off the track. But a new documentary is giving fans a closer look at the man behind the wheel.
“Runaway Kiwi” was produced by SafetyCulture in collaboration with NASCAR and Trackhouse Racing. The 20-minute film, which aired on YouTube, follows Gisbergen’s move from Supercars in Australia to NASCAR in the United States.
Shane van Gisbergen on New Documentary About Racing and Family
Gisbergen explained how he feels about cameras following his life. He said:
“I don’t really like doing it, I guess. In this day and age, people have so much access to you. I love people knowing more about my racing life, but I love going away, going home and no one knowing what I do, as well, is kind of cool.”
He added that some things are still off limits. But he was glad parts of his personal world made it on screen.
“There’s still some things you like to keep private, but it was cool to show off our cars, I guess; my relationship with Dad and how much fun we still have hanging out. Yeah, I think he talked a lot about mom and stuff, so yeah, it was pretty cool,” he said.
The film offers a window into a side of Gisbergen that fans rarely see. His bond with his father comes through clearly, as does the joy he finds away from racing.
On the track, Gisbergen’s record speaks for itself. He made his NASCAR debut at the 2023 Chicago Street Course race and won immediately.
He then joined Kaulig Racing full-time in the Xfinity Series in 2024, finishing 12th in the standings. Last year, he moved up to the Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing and won five of the six road course events.
Now heading into the 2026 season, Gisbergen has a new challenge on his hands. Trackhouse teammate Connor Zilisch has made clear he is not intimidated by the Kiwi’s road course reputation.
The two raced together at Sonoma last season in the Xfinity Series, where Zilisch passed Gisbergen late and won by less than half a second. Reflecting on that battle with Racer.com, Zilisch said:
“I got the chance to race against him a few times toe-to-toe in the O’Reilly Series, and I think those cars are a little bit different for him, so it’s not a complete comparison, but I feel like I’ve been able to run with him in those.”
He also pointed to their time as teammates in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. “We were teammates in the Corvette in the [Daytona] 24 Hours, and I felt like I was as fast as him in that,” Zilisch said.
The next road-course test is Sunday, March 1, at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
The DuraMax Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne is a 95-lap race set for 3:30 p.m. ET. It will air on FOX, with coverage also on PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and HBO Max.
Last year at COTA, Christopher Bell won the race while Gisbergen came home in sixth. With a new documentary out and a motivated teammate pushing him, Gisbergen heads into 2026 with plenty to prove and a little more of himself on display.
