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6 months ago
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Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has paid a heartfelt tribute to his mum after she passed away ahead of his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series in the United States.
Karen Wallace, aged 64, died on April 15 after a short illness and was farewelled last week.
The Kiwi star - who now lives and races in America - paid tribute to his mum with a sticker displaying her surname on his Camaro where his name would usually be.
'Been a pretty tough couple of weeks here with my mum passing back home in NZ,' van Gisbergen posted on social media.
Shane van Gisbergen (pictured during his time racing Supercars) has paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother after she passed away earlier this month
The Kiwi star placed a sticker displaying his mum's surname 'Wallace' on the top of the door frame on his Camaro (pictured)
'Thanks to my teams for letting me run her last name on my door the past couple of weekends.'
His post prompted an outpouring of support from fellow drivers, including Marco Andretti and Anthony Alfredo.
The 34-year-old thanked both his parents after he won his first Supercars title in 2016.
'I owe everything to my family,' he said after the race.
'Dad is a racer. I'm a pretty big critic of myself, but he's even more so.
'But he's been a great influence, he and my mum have sacrificed a lot and they travel to most races now.
'To have them there and be one of the first people I see after this moment was a really cool thing.'
The Kiwi star raced in the Xfinity Series and Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway over the weekend.
Van Gisbergen (pictured with his mother) says it's been a 'tough couple of weeks' since she passed passed away
The Supercars champion (pictured with partner Jess Dane and their dog) now lives and races in the United States
He finished 22nd in the Xfinity Series race and 28th in the Cup Series race.
Van Gisbergen's most recent outing at Dover Motor Speedway saw him finish in 18th position.
English (US)