Kiwi Supercars ace Shane van Gisbergen’s Christmas wishes have been granted, with border rule tweaks allowing him to compete at the NZ Grand Prix in January.
This week, the Bathurst champion committed to racing at Hampton Downs next month, but needed Queensland to relax its COVID-19 quarantine rules to make that possible.
On Friday, the state government announced it would open the borders to New Zealanders from early Saturday morning, meaning the Aucklander will be a wildcard entry and star attraction in his second appearance at the race.
"The New Zealand Grand Prix carries so much history and it’s going to be really cool getting the chance to compete in it," Van Gisbergen tells speedcafe.com. "Hampton Downs is an awesome venue for it and will provide great racing.
"While I don’t have any expectations and adapting to driving the cars will take a bit of getting used to, it is going to be a lot of fun and I will give it my best."
Van Gisbergen hasn't raced an open-wheel vehicle since he competed in the Toyota Racing Series as an 18-year-old back in 2006.
The 31-year-old must return to Queensland by February 5 to help his Triple Eight Race team prepare for the start of the Supercars season at Mt Panorama on February 27/28.
