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When Shane van Gisbergen made his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series earlier this year, the world of racing went berserk. The Kiwi Supercars driver won his debut race on the streets of Chicago. The moment has been made immortal for reasons beyond the obvious as what fans remember from that event was a lapse in the commentary by NASCAR legend Jeff Burton.

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After retiring from racing, Jeff Burton has been a commentator in NASCAR. Taking on media responsibilities back in 2015, the NBC analyst has since made the move to the commentary box gradually but not without his fair share of slip-ups.

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NASCAR insider poked fun at Jeff Burton’s misery

One of Burton’s biggest slip-ups came during the Chicago Street Race as he struggled to pronounce the name of the Kiwi Supercars champion. The incident took place towards the end of the race with just 5 laps to go. SVG was leading the race ahead of Justin Haley and Chase Elliott on course to victory. In the audio, Jeff Burton can be head announcing “As everybody jostles for real estate [van gisberg] is into the lead here in Chicago. van… [gibberish].”

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He failed to properly pronounce the Kiwi’s last name and his struggles gave NASCAR fans a hearty laugh. A few insiders took a jab at the NASCAR legend for his commentary lapses. For instance, former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief and NASCAR veteran Steve Letarte was one such person. On an earlier episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast, the former HMS man did not hold back after Jeff Burton’s mispronunciation,

“Hey Jeff [Burton] how do we pronounce his name?” Letarte asked. “Now we don’t want to pick on Jeff but that was by far the worst attempt of any announcer that we had,” the former HMS crew chief added.

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Steve Letarte was not the only one who took the mickey out of Jeff Burton’s dismal attempt at getting SVG’s name right. Under a post that posed the question, “What’s the WORST and most embarrassing Commentary call ever in NASCAR?,” NASCAR fans were ready take a jab at Burton one more time.

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NASCAR fans rip Cup Series commentary blooper to shreds

One fan commented, “Shane Van Gisbenen Shane Va- Shane Va- gibeebebeb SVG!”

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Another user suggested that Rick Allen calling the last lap of the 2020 Kansas Lottery 300 was a disaster. However, another fan replied to his comment, comparing that moment to Jeff Burton’s Chicago mishap. “This and Jeff Burton failing to pronounce SVG’s name at Chicago are the most hilarious calls I’ve ever heard live, aggressive goes around is up there too,” they said.

Another user claimed that the SVG call was something that will remain in his memory for years to come, while another compared Jeff Burton to the fictional character Boomhauer. “Van Gisbergens always has me in stitches. I won’t forget that for as long as I live,” one user wrote. “The SVG one, that’s straight up Boomhauer. I expected to hear “Illtellyouwhat, dang ole, man”,” wrote another.

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Another fan was curious about how Jeff Burton would sound commentating on Formula One, where the names are even tougher to pronounce. “I would pay an irresponsible amount of money to listen to Ward Burton call a Formula 1 race,” they wrote.

The 34-year-old’s journey in NASCAR has not yet ended as he will likely race in the Cup Series again next season. But Jeff Burton needs to get his name right the next time around. It was indeed a blooper reel moment when it comes to NASCAR commentary, but was it the worst ever? Let us know your thoughts.

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Written by

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Nilavro Ghosh

1,031 Articles

Nilavro Ghosh is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports, where he is known for his creative yet easy-to-read writing style. Before taking up his role as a sports journalist at ES, Nilavro has written for some of the top publishing houses, like The Telegraph. While most journalists stop at covering live events and taking the news to the readers, Nilavro goes the extra mile to give fans a platform for them to express their thoughts through his 'race reaction' pieces. Away from all racing action, he has also been the first to report on driver transfers in the silly season. When he is not indulged in the racing world, he likes to make music.

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Nischal Kandpal

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