How Shane Van Gisbergen’s Chicago Victory Became an Embarrassing Nightmare for Cup Drivers?

NASCAR


New Zealander Shane Van Gisbergen created history at the Chicago Race on Sunday, as he became the first driver to win a race on debut after 60 years. Notably, he was driving for the Trackhouse Racing team, as the team achieved back-to-back success after Nashville. 

Meanwhile, it’s kind of embarrassing for many Cup Series drivers that an outsider like Van Gisbergen won this race, while many of them have yet to win a race in ages. 

Van Gisbergen’s history as a RaceCar driver

The Kiwi driver is one of the best drivers in the history of Australian Supercars. He won the Australian Supercars championship in 2016, 2021 and 2022. With 79 wins, he is the 4th winningest driver in Supercars’ history. He got into NASCAR via Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 program, as he drove the #91 car. 

Van Gisbergen’s comments after the win

After the race, the Kiwi driver said, “Wow, when we had that ... strategy back to 18th I started to worry a bit but had some full stands on some people, and the racing was really good, everyone was respectful... It was tough but a lot of fun."

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Van Gisbergen beat some well-known Cup Series drivers

Van Gisbergen started the race in 3rd place, as he was cautious initially on the wet track. He showed his tremendous street course prowess in the final few laps. He had a tremendous battle with Justin Haley in the final 5 laps. Eventually, he won the race beating Chase Elliott, Haley, Kyle Larson, and Kyle Busch, who are some of the biggest names in NASCAR. Certainly, it’s embarrassing for other full-time drivers to witness a victory from an outsider. 

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