The Kiwi has kicked off a full-time transition to the NASCAR system which will come into effect next year.
He will make two starts in the States this weekend, firstly in the Truck Series later today (local time) at Indianapolis Raceway Park, before a second Cup Series appearance at the Indianapolis road course on Sunday.
Speaking to media in the lead-up to those races, van Gisbergen hinted at a lack of fun in Supercars at the moment.
The three-time series champion has been long been vocal about his dislike of the new Gen3 cars, which he feels limit driver input and put a premium on set-up.
He expanded on those thoughts while appearing on the latest episode of the Dale Jr Download podcast.
“It’s been a bit of a struggle [in Supercars] with how the series is at the moment,” van Gisbergen told host Dale Earnhardt Jr. “It’s not as enjoyable.
“It’s just the new car and stuff, and there’s so much background…
“They changed [the car]. A whole new chassis and concept. Everyone is the same, same parts.
Shane van Gisbergen, Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Photo by: Edge Photographics
“The qualifying there is awesome, but the racing sucks. It’s so boring. You’re driving around at 30 per cent trying to keep the tyres and everybody is just following each other.
“All the parts are the same and the car has a very narrow set-up window. Everyone is running the same set up, basically. And there’s a minimum tyre pressure of 17 pounds [per square inch]. So everyone goes out at 17 [psi], [the tyres] come on at the same time, drive around at the same pace.
“The tyre just explodes because it’s running too high. And you just follow each other around.
“It’s mind-numbing. I came here [to NASCAR] and the race is just a hustle the whole time, you’re driving flat out. That’s what I love.”
Van Gisbergen conceded that the Gen3 platform will improve over time, but that, after two dominant years to close out the Gen2 era, he feels this is the right time to make the Stateside switch.
“Fundamentally it’s an awesome car, it needs time and changes,” he said.
“It will come, but I don’t know, you go through such a high in your career and now, I don’t know… now is a good time [to switch].”
Van Gisbergen also revealed that, despite having a year to run on his Triple Eight contract, there was encouragement from within the team ownership group to head to NASCAR next year after his shock Chicago win.
“My team is awesome,” he said. “All of the bosses you speak to, from the main one I got a text after the [Chicago] race, he’s like, ‘you’ve got to get over there next year’.
“They are fully supportive, which is awesome. But there’s got to be another driver to fill the seat.”
That driver will be Will Brown, Erebus today confirming that it has granted Brown an early exit from his contract to take the drive.