SVG to compete in final NZ event before US move 

Rally fans will have one last chance to see Supercars champion, Bathurst winner and motorsport superstar Shane van Gisbergen on gravel when he tackles Battery Town Rally Bay of Plenty this weekend.

Fresh off winning a third Bathurst 1000 crown last weekend alongside fellow Kiwi Richie Stanaway, Van Gisbergen returns to gravel for the final round of the 2023 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship on Sunday.

Van Gisbergen will pilot the Giltrap/LJ Hooker Audi A1 AP4 again in what will almost certainly be his last event on New Zealand soil before heading to the United States at the conclusion of the current Supercars Championship.

The 34-year-old has signed to race in NASCAR in 2024 after a stunning break-through win in a cameo drive in Chicago earlier this year.

Van Gisbergen has impressed with his brief foray into rallying – winning the Battle of Jacks Ridge in 2020 and finishing third in the Rally 2 class at WRC Rally New Zealand last year.

Van Gisbergen finished runner-up to Hayden Paddon at the Daybreaker Rally three weeks ago and will aiming for a similar result at Bay of Plenty.

The event starts with a ceremonial opening in Whakatane on Saturday night before a full day of competition on Sunday.