When Red Bull Racing Team folded its NASCAR operation in 2011, few imagined the energy drink giant would return to stock car racing’s highest level. The iconic red and yellow livery that featured on the cars of drivers like Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne disappeared from the Cup Series landscape. Now, 14 years later, Shane van Gisbergen’s American racing journey has created the perfect storyline for Red Bull’s NASCAR resurrection. Reconnecting the three-time Supercars champion with the sponsor that helped build his career in the Supercars Series.
The reunion comes through Trackhouse Racing, an organization that has continually defied conventional NASCAR wisdom since its 2021 debut. Team’s founder Justin Marks called the partnership “an incredible chapter” and “a huge win for our sport,” highlighting the global recognition Red Bull brings to NASCAR. “Red Bull is one of the most powerful brands in the world and it’s an honor for us to embark on a partnership with such an iconic company,” Marks stated.
Justin Marks’ ambitious team, which brought Shane van Gisbergen to NASCAR through its PROJECT91 program in 2023, will now feature Red Bull as the official energy drink of Trackhouse Racing. They will extend their support serving as the primary sponsor for van Gisbergen’s No. 88 Chevrolet in five races throughout the 2025 season. The partnership includes Red Bull backing the Kiwi driver at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 16), Sonoma Raceway (July 13), Iowa Speedway (August 3), Daytona International Speedway (August 23), and Kansas Speedway (September 28).
For van Gisbergen, the partnership represents a continuation of a relationship that began in 2016. “2016 was my first year with the Red Bull team in Australia in supercars,” SVG recalled. “They won all the races, all the championships the years previous, and that’s all I wanted to do was drive that car. Join that team and win the championship the first year was a dream come true. That’s why you go racing.” The New Zealander’s pride in representing the brand is evident as he explained, “To share it with such an iconic brand, the Bull and the Sun, it’s known instantly everywhere around the world what it means to represent it, win races and championships with Red Bull on the side of the car, it’s a pretty cool feeling.”
For SVG, the reunion with Red Bull connects his past success to his NASCAR future. During his tenure with Red Bull in Australian Supercars, he claimed three championships and established himself as the fourth most successful driver in series history. He bagged 78 wins and 47 pole positions, including victories at the prestigious Bathurst 1000 in 2020 and 2022. At a time when teams like JGR and Hendrick Motorsports aren’t able to keep hold of their anchor sponsors like Hooters and FedEx, Trackhouse is onto something special.
As SVG embarks on his rookie Cup Series campaign, the road course races at Sonoma and potentially the superspeedway at Daytona represent his best opportunities to deliver Red Bull its first NASCAR victory due since ‘11. Having already shown his road racing prowess with his historic Chicago Street Race win in 2023, van Gisbergen expressed his excitement about continuing the partnership: “To continue my story with them over here in the States, I’ve loved representing them personally on my helmet, now to be on a car and have a full Red Bull livery car, unreal to have them back in the sport. Hopefully we can have some fun together and tell some pretty cool stories.”
Beyond SVG, Red Bull has also invested in Trackhouse development driver Connor Zilisch, making him a Red Bull Athlete in August 2024. The 18-year-old phenom, who won his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen in 2024, represents Red Bull’s commitment to developing young talent. Unfortunately, Zilisch’s Cup Series debut at COTA earlier this month ended prematurely when he was caught in an incident on Lap 51, becoming stuck next to the tire barrier after Daniel Suarez spun out in turn 19. Despite the setback, the question remains: Does Red Bull’s dual-driver approach signal a long-term commitment to NASCAR that could eventually expand beyond the current five-race sponsorship with SVG and one-race deal with Zilisch?
SVG needs to be wary about his reliance on road courses
SVG’s early 2025 season performance offers promising signs for Red Bull’s NASCAR investment. With a sixth-place finish at Circuit of The Americas, the New Zealander has already demonstrated his road course prowess in the No. 88 Chevrolet. On the flip side, he’s unable to find similar joy on speedways and oval tracks. Apart from his top 10 finish at COTA, SVG hasn’t bagged a top 15 finish in three other attempts. And this was a concern before he was making the switch from Xfinity to Cup Series last year. The good thing for the Trackhouse Racing star is that he will have plenty of opportunities to work on his oval racing, and at the same time make the most of road course events in 2025.
“I had Marcos Ambrose a lot last year and Kevin Harvick and I talk with Kevin this year whenever I need him. There is nothing like this type of racing anywhere in the world on ovals. Every week, even Atlanta a couple of weekends ago, I was learning something every lap. You just have to keep your eyes open and keep learning and trying to evolve.” Shane van Gisbergen said this in an interview with Speedcafe. Interestingly the Kiwi driver had two top five finishes last year in the Xfinity Series at Atlanta and Brickyard. So he’s putting in the hard yards to compete against the best at the Cup level.
Beyond his on-track results, SVG’s efforts to bridge the Australian Supercars and NASCAR communities could prove invaluable to Red Bull’s global motorsport strategy. His active promotion of NASCAR appearances for Supercars drivers creates the potential for expanded international interest—precisely the kind of cross-promotional opportunity that aligns with Red Bull’s worldwide marketing approach.
One interesting thing to notice, the energy drink giant’s return to the sport coincides with NASCAR’s new media rights deal, addressing one of the reasons Red Bull originally departed – lack of brand visibility to younger audiences. With Red Bull’s massive global marketing machine now supporting Trackhouse Racing, the partnership could help attract new demographics to NASCAR racing. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
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