Miracles do happen in NASCAR. Just ask Shane Van Gisbergen. The stage was set, with the Cup Series racing on a street course for the first time. Three-time Australian Supercars champion van Gisbergen made his debut at NASCAR’s top level. If those odds weren’t enough, rain flooded the track, and his part-time crew watched by while the driver, whose name couldn’t even be pronounced properly by commentators, went on to do something truly historical.

He won. And that proved to be a catalyst that propelled him into a full-time NASCAR career in the Xfinity Series. With Grant Park 165 on the horizon, the biggest question on everyone’s mind is ‘Can he do it again?’. According to a prominent NASCAR insider, the answer is no.

Shane van Gisbergen’s winning ways put him in the spotlight

Maybe Shane Van Gisbergen was underestimated last year. After all, who would have thought that a rookie competing in NASCAR’s highest tier would win in his debut race, at the first street course race of NASCAR, and that too under terrible weather conditions? Nobody had done anything like it in 60 years, so why would it happen in Chicago of all races? Well, that’s because Shane van Gisbergen is a street-course driver, and the ‘Next Gen’ car, built more like a sports car, played perfectly to his strengths.

However, Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass considers that result to be a one-off, especially because all eyes will be on him at the Chicago Street Course. In a video uploaded by Performance Racing Network’s X handle, Bob Pockrass said, “Can he repeat? Yes. Will he repeat? No. The drivers who need a win are going to be much more aggressive. The big thing will be double foul restarts.

“Now, he certainly has a lot more experience with double-foul restarts. He did a great job last year, but somebody like Justin Healy has a good chance of pushing him aside. He could win, but my feeling is that people are not going to have an ounce of second thoughts about roughing him up to get by him if need be. And I’d expect them to do it.”

Despite racing full-time in the Xfinity Series, Shane van Gisbergen will return to the NASCAR Cup Series for Grand Park 165 at Chicago Street Course to defend his victory. Driving the No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing, the Kiwi will be in the spotlight as he’s also made a name for himself on road courses. Gisbergen hence won’t be able to catch anyone off guard this time around, and his presence will surely draw attention and caution.

The New Zealander has already won two races in the Xfinity Series, securing back-to-back victories in Portland and Sonoma. It’s no coincidence that both are road courses. However, with just six races to play for before the post-season, the competition is heating up with drivers desperate to make it into the playoffs. What does that mean? Having lost the element of surprise, the drivers won’t hesitate to rough up van Gisbergen if he gets in the way.

Last year, Shane Van Gisbergen had 100-to-1 odds of winning the Chicago Street Race. Those who backed him walked away rich. This time around, the odds for the Kiwi are 10-to-1, but despite the odds, bettors remain interested. While he may not have access to top-tier equipment, unlike elite drivers like Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Christopher Bell, van Gisbergen’s impressive road course record speaks for itself – two wins out of three starts, with a near-miss in the third. The memory of his stunning victory last year still lingers, making him a compelling choice for bettors.

How did Shane van Gisbergen achieve his Chicago miracle?

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The Chicago Street Course was a challenging track for some of the most experienced drivers last year. Former Formula 1 champion Jenson Button spun trying to get into the pit road, while pole-sitter Denny Hamlin slid into the tire barrier on Lap 2. Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell fell victim to the same outcome, and halfway through the race, over a dozen cars were piled up on the same turn.

With 16 laps remaining, the eighth-place Shane van Gisbergen found himself in uncharted territory, along with his fellow drivers and crew chiefs, as the unpredictable weather and unique ‘street course’ conditions presented a strategic dilemma. While some teams chose to play it safe and maintain their track position by sticking with worn tires, van Gisbergen’s team went for a riskier approach, pitting for fresh tires, thus having to navigate through the field to regain lost ground.

And that’s exactly what he did. As a man possessed, the Kiwi was lightning-quick around the track, overtaking one car after another, passing by race leader Justin Haley with five laps to go, to secure his eventual victory. Most NASCAR fans didn’t even know his name before the race, and little did he know that the race in Chicago would change the course of not just his career, but also his life.

Reminiscing about the victory, Shane Van Gisbergen said, “On the cool-down lap, everyone was coming up and hitting the back of the car or hitting the side of the car. They were all doing the thumbs-up and stuff. It was overwhelming. Stopping on the front straight, all the people—it was just so unexpected.”

Do you think Shane Van Gisbergen will win the Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Course? Let us know in the comments!