Supercars great and defending series champion Shane van Gisbergen has stunned the racing world by winning the NASCAR Cup Series race in Chicago on his NASCAR debut.
He becomes the first man in 60 years to win on his series debut, also making history as the winner of the first NASCAR race on a street circuit.
Van Gisbergen’s pace all weekend left the American racing community in awe, as he led qualifying and looked on the brink of a shock pole before being pipped by 0.15s to start third.
The race was delayed due to rain, leading to treacherous conditions. And an unfortunate strategy saw the Kiwi slip to 18th before a stunning charge through the field. He took the lead with five laps to go before a rival’s late crash sent things into overtime – effectively a two-lap showdown.
Gisbergen was told before the restart: “The two cars behind are desperate for the win for points for the playoffs.”
But he surged clear when the race restarted and was flawless under pressure to seal the historic win.
Asked if he ever thought it was possible, he replied: “Of course not, but you always dream of it … what an experience, and the crowd out here! This was so cool and it’s what you dream of. Hopefully I can come and do more.”
“I’m doing one more year in Aus then I’d love to come over here,” he added when asked if he would accept a full-time drive..
The 34-year-old from New Zealand is a three-time Supercars champion and two-time Bathurst winner, but had barely tested his Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro before this weekend.
One commentator said: “It is amazing what this driver has done … it’s a long time since a road course ringer has gone to victory lane.”
He celebrated with a burnout despite the relatively narrow track on the streets of Chicago. But he won’t have long to enjoy the spoils of victory, flying back down under shortly to enjoy his 500th career race start in Supercars at this weekend’s Townsville 500.
