Shane van Gisbergen. Photo / Getty Images
Kiwi motorsport star Shane van Gisbergen has headed for the gravel after he surprisingly quit V8 Supercars recently.
The immensely talented 23-year-old walked away from an enviable position in the Aussie-based V8 series, where he consistently pushed the Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon to solid results - including a win
last year at the Hamilton 400, which van Gisbergen still considers a career highlight.
He signalled a break from the championship with two rounds to go, and ran his last V8 touring car race in Sydney two weeks ago.
Whether the young gun his looking at the forest for the next step in his career remains to be seen, but he was filmed testing rally champion Chris West's Mitsubishi Evo 9 in Maramarua forest last week.
It is understood that van Gisbergen is able to race competitively in a rally car, but not a V8 or touring car. The car that he tested in Maramarua was the same machine that Chris West drove to second place in Rally of Otago last season.
