As an organization, NASCAR has always believed in inclusivity. A sport that boasts a rich legacy has always made sure it reaches out to a greater audience. And it has kept true to that promise in its 75th year of celebration, as it unveils the inaugural street racing in the Windy City.

The race has surely struck the right chords among fans and drivers in equal proportions, as NASCAR enthusiasts flocked to the tracks in order to catch a glimpse of their favorite drivers. But in the pool of known faces in the driver’s camp shine two unacquainted drivers—former F1 champion Jenson Button and defending Supercars Champion Shane Van Gisbergen.

Jenson Button has already amassed a fair amount of fan-following among NASCAR fans owing to his stint in the LeMans and also driving at the Circuit of The Americas earlier in the season. However, Van Gisbergen is a new name in the world of NASCAR. But let that not be a deceiving factor, as netizens have positioned him on a high pedestal.

Shane Van Gisbergen delves deep into the experience of driving stock cars in the Cup Series

The qualifiers of the Cup Series on Saturday were nothing less than a roller coaster ride for the drivers and the audience as well. While most of the Cup Series drivers failed to get hold of the grip on the race track, Shane Van Gisbergen on the contrary sent shockwaves through his driving prowess. 

Driving the Project 91 Chevrolet Camaro, eased his car and led the field of 37 cars and also set the fastest lap in the practice race. Although he was on the verge of snatching the pole position but was bettered by Denny Hamlin‘s and Tyler Reddick’s Toyotas. 

The 2x Bathurst winner finished third and also outperformed his teammates, Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain. The driver nonetheless had set the tone for Sunday’s race as he revealed his emotions after the intense practice session to veteran journalist Bob Pockrass. 

Speaking on his experience in driving a stock car, Gisbergen divulged, “I guess it was pretty intense like wide the practice was. I think Austin Dillon went flying past me on the first lap. I thought everyone would take it easy and build up. Found momentum and speed that gave me a lot of laps from the first round and became comfortable very quick.”

The 3x Supercar champion, after witnessing the crash of Chase Elliott, also revealed, “I saw him wide and line up behind me but didn’t see him when he went off or how bad the crash was. Haven’t seen anything yet but it’s a shame we were sitting there, but it was good that the time stopped and I had plenty of time to go and get two laps.”

Gisbergen also highlighted the difference and similarities between supercars and stock cars when asked by the journalist. He shared, “The power is similar, they are a bit heavier 200 kilos heavier than supercars but the way they drive is pretty similar. They turn better with our cars, our cars have a lot of drifts so they don’t like to turn. The way they react is a little bit different on the bumps, like I run them so low here, to get the aero on the ground we have aero on the top, quite different but similar I guess.” 

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Fans show their appreciation for the debuting Cup Series driver

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This New Zealander is surely grabbing the attention of the NASCAR community. Many took the opportunity to show their appreciation for the driver. Netizens wrote under the post:

“Great interview Bob.  SVG is such a great driver!  If he does not get caught up in the bumper cars he will probably challenge for the win.”

“I like him, would love to see him get a deal to race for a few years like Ambrose.”

“Glad to see him interviewed. Glad you didn’t spin this to compare the cars instead etc.”

With such hype around him, the driver is positive that he would be able to achieve favorable results. While the Cup Series drivers are absolute fan favorites, the two debutants are surely not far behind them. What do you think?

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