The Verizon 200 race on the iconic tracks of the Brickyard was a race to be savored. NASCAR enthusiasts bore witness to one of the most fierce races of the ongoing season that brewed among race winner Michael McDowell and the road course prodigies Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez as they jockeyed for the lead. However, it was not just the Cup Series veterans that stole the limelight but also the debutants of NASCAR, especially Shane Van Gisbergen.

The Chicago race victor, who had piloted the Project 91 of Trackhouse Racing for a second time, was surely a driver to look out for. The Kiwi’s ascension from Supercars to NASCAR was surely unprecedented, as the driver reconstructed another historical moment on the track of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

However, was this success of SVG unforeseen, or was it the Next-Gen car that acted as a catalyst in the success of the Supercars champion? The answer lies in the words of NASCAR veteran Jeff Burton.

NASCAR veteran spills the beans on SVG’s success in Indianapolis

The race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the second time that Shane Van Gisbergen had hopped behind the wheels of a stock car. Although it was contemplated that the driver would be struggling on the track owing to the tricky turns on the course, it was not long before the street race winner proved otherwise to his critics. Apart from P8 for the race, the Kiwi was able to notch another top-10 finish and create a historical moment.

Van Gisbergen was the first driver since Terry Labonte to kick off his NASCAR Cup Series career with a pair of top-10 finishes. However, was this success really uncalled for on the part of the driver, or was it the Next-Gen car that added ascendancy to the victories? Well, Jeff Burton thinks it was also the car that added an extra edge to the driver, and this was evident in his interview with NBC’s Nate Ryan.

Conversing on the newfound success of SVG, Burton stated, “The reason other drivers have not been able to come into this series and be successful is because these cars drive so damn bad. The brakes are horrible they wheel hop, they didn’t have independent rear suspension and they had a standard H pattern. You didn’t have to use a clutch, don’t get me wrong they were very good transmissions but now all that’s better so now you don’t see wheel hop had you not locked the brakes up and that’s a skill set that those guys at road race all the time are so good at because they don’t wheel hop.”

“Our guys deal with wheel hop and figure out how to work without having that problem and that was a major advantage and they had way too much power for the amount they had all those kinds of things, but when he came it was like- ‘okay I’m sitting in a car that I am accustomed to, it wasn’t exactly the same but it was very close’ and on a street course and this car has opened the door have these things happen.”

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Shane Van Gisbergen expresses his experiences with aggressive driving in NASCAR

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Nevertheless, the experience that the Kiwi gained on his second stint in NASCAR was assuredly an eye-opener before he joined the world of stock car racing full-time. The driver was able to visualize the aggressiveness of the Cup Series, which was far from compromising with the other fellow drivers on the track.

The two-time Bathurst winner, who fought tooth and nail with the Cup Series champions in order to secure a top-10 finish, was able to enlighten himself with real-life on-track scenarios of NASCAR. Speaking to the media, as published by motorsports.com, SVG revealed, “It’s hard here because everyone’s on it.”

“Everyone knows the track, and there’s a lot more room for error. Everyone’s racing aggressively. I can’t thank the Project 91 guys here enough for the Enhance Chevy. So much fun to be back. Hopefully can do more. Had an awesome battle with Kyle [Larson] and Christopher [Bell] there. They got the better of me at the end, but battling with those guys was great.”

With SVG’s stint coming to an end, all eyes will now be on the last two races of the season and who will be able to enter the Playoffs. Will there be any new winners, or will this be the final scenario?

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