Moments After Winning The Chicago Street Race, Non-American Driver Drops Massive Revelation on Future in NASCAR

Last night at Chicago was a complete package for NASCAR fans. A dream debut for Trackhouse Racing Team’s latest representee Shane van Gisbergen left the community in awe of his driving skills as he took the victory on his debut. Catching up to Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and Kaulig Racing‘s Justin Haley was certainly a daunting task in hand, especially on a first-of-its-kind track, but van Gisbergen didn’t fail to deliver.

Although NASCAR has handed out opportunities to drivers from all aspects of motorsports, rarely a debutant has been this confident in his approach on the track.

With the weather playing its part in making things more difficult for the drivers, the situation already looked precarious. But the three-time Supercars champion had other plans. Speaking on his sensational debut, Gisbergen addresses his future prospects.

“I Miss Racing in the States”: Shane Van Gisbergen on the American Racing Culture

The Chicago Street Race had a hint of skepticism in the backdrop. With rain already delaying the schedule and making the already risky track even more dangerous. But all this didn’t make much of a difference for the 34-year-old Gisbergen. Giving Justin Marks some more reasons to celebrate with two successive wins at Nashville [with Ross Chastain] and Chicago, Gisbergen has been the focal point of headlines. But with a performance like this, there will always be a question about if he could do it again and, if possible, take u a seat in a Cup Series team.

Speaking in a post-race press conference, he was asked, “Probably more relaxed than I’ve seen in a couple of years. Does it feel like this is the sort of place you could come to race full-time?”

The New Zealand native was quick to express his love for the motorsports culture and his past experiences in the country. He replied, “ I miss racing in the States. I’ve done Daytona four or five times now and just the way the American people are and how they go racing, it’s so much more enjoyable.”

“And even doing the media stuff, which I hate, everyone here is really nice. They ask good questions and they’re respectful and it goes both ways. Everyone here has made me feel comfortable, and it’s so enjoyable the way the races are run.” 

The win at Grant Park 200 makes Gisbergen the only driver to win a Cup Series race on his debut since Johnny Rutherford at Daytona in 1963. One of the main reasons behind roping in the Supercars legend was team owner Justin Marks’ initiative of Project 91, which aims to expand their brand globally to create a fanbase in different parts of the world.

The Trackhouse Racing project also aims to bring in more drivers from various forms of racing into NASCAR, increasing the attention towards the sport.

Read More: Chicago Winner Shane Van Gisbergen Nearly Fell Victim to “Dumba**” Bubba Wallace As His Bizarre Mistake Triggers Fans’ Wrath 

Van Gisbergen Opens Up About Seeing Himself in NASCAR in the Near Future

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Coming to the topic of deciding his future in a competition, he swears his allegiance to Supercars for now. But he doesn’t dismiss the idea of making another memorable return to NASCAR either. Well, boasting three titles already in the Supercars Championship, it’s safe to say Gisbergen is the master of his trade. But the NASCAR fans would love to see more of him for sure.

“I’m committed next year to Supercars. I still love Supercars and hope it goes well there. But in ’25, who knows.” he added, leaving people speculating about a return in 2025.

Gisbergen’s win was no walk in the park. The race was already shortened due to the circumstances and the wet track posed more problems for the drivers. With Justin Haley leading the race with five laps to go, a shift in momentum took place. The caution flags were out after Truex Jr’s crash, but to everyone’s shock, NASCAR canceled Gisbergen’s overtake saying that it wasn’t completed before the caution flags came out. But he held on for a restart that pulled him ahead of Elliott and Haley, giving him a seconds advantage in the timings.

Elliott will be one particular driver who had his aspirations of winning a race to make his way into the playoffs. But despite a strong performance, there was only so much he could do to stop Gisbergen from winning.

WATCH THIS STORY: Heartbroken Chase Elliott Admits Defeat Hours Ahead Of The Chicago Street Race