“Starting Grid Might as Well Forfeit” – Fans Warn All NASCAR Drivers as Championship Winner Returns to the Field for a Second Appearance

A couple of weeks ago at Chicago, there were two major debuts in the NASCAR Cup Series. The first one was the debut of the Chicago Street Course and the second one was for Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen at NASCAR. New Zealand native Gisbergen entered the series from the V8 Supercars championship and he made an instant impact.

As a matter of fact, he braved Chicago’s unpredictable conditions and went on to win his debut race.

Now, there is good news for Gisbergen’s fans, as he will be back in NASCAR machinery.

Fans were absolutely thrilled to see the driver return

Once again, Trackhouse Racing have decided to call on his services for the #91 car. This time, the venue will be the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, yet another road course.

Also, considering that ex F1 and endurance racing star, Kamui Kobayashi is joining the grid, the paddock looks very star-studded.

It didn’t take long before social media reacted to the news and fans were delighted. They all knew that with the Kiwi driver in the mix, things will be a lot more exciting.

With the addition of Kobayashi and van Gisbergen, Brodie Kostecki has also joined the driver roster and the excitement is reaching a fever pitch. As it happens, Kobayashi is driving for 23XI Racing in the #67 car, and Kostecki is piloting the #33 Richard Childress Racing car.

Gisbergen left such an impression on NASCAR fans that they were confident that he would dominate at Indy. According to one fan, “Rest of the starting grid might as well forfeit. Dude will lap the field!”.

Others were anticipating a great race and were extremely excited. One fan even confessed that if 2009 F1 champion, Jenson Button, was thrown in the mix, it would be even better.

Of course, there is a fair bit of time until the Cup Series paddock reaches Indianapolis. However, that only serves to build up the anticipation even further. Admittedly, we cannot be sure if Shane van Gisbergen will carry on his Chicago form forward to Indianapolis. Races can be unpredictable, especially if the weather is involved like it was in Chicago.

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Furthermore, the street course was brand new territory for all drivers, not just van Gisbergen. However, Indy will be a track that most drivers are familiar with, while the Kiwi will see it for the first time.

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What lies ahead for the NASCAR drivers this weekend?

After the Cup race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the paddock heads to Pocono. This is an iconic venue and offers another chance for drivers to reach the 2023 Playoffs. After the last 2-3 races witnessed rain showers, the drivers will be keen to run on a dry track for a change. If that is out of the question, then the Cup Series paddock has no choice but to grin and bear it.

Martin Truex Jr won last weekend and shut up any critics who thought that he should retire. Now, the 3-time 2023 race winner will be aiming to keep up the momentum and grab a fourth. At the same time, all of his rivals will be keen to try and stop him and grab a win of their own.

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