Rivals react to Shane van Gisbergen‘s 60-year first winning NASCAR series debut
NASCAR stars have reacted to Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning victory in his first ever NASCAR race with disbelief.
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One of the stars of NASCAR has jovially declared Shane van Gisbergen the “greatest f*****g athlete in the history of our sport” after the Supercars champion’s stunning debut victory on the streets of Chicago.
Three-time Daytona 500 winner and Chicago pole sitter Denny Hamlin led the rival praise for van Gisbergen’s historic drive after he became the first in 60 years to win a race on his NASCAR debut.
Hamlin admitted he knew very little of the 34-year-old Kiwi prior to the race and initially downplayed the significance of the achievement due to the apparent similarities between NASCAR and Supercars.
That was until he learned van Gisbergen normally raced in a right-hand drive car.
“I mean, we knew he was really good but … this is just blowing my mind as we’re talking about it. He’s on the other side of the car?” Hamlin said on his Actions Detrimental podcast.
“You know what? Crown him. The greatest f******g athlete in the history of our sport.
“He went from one side of the car to the other. I did that when I went to Japan and I ran out in a GT3 car, it took me forever to get comfortable driving from the other side of the car. It’s just way different. Holy cow.
“What he did this weekend was unbelievable. If you look at where he was fastest, it was where all the walls were. The tighter the track, the faster he was versus the field.
“I was in awe of this guy’s talent.”
Van Gisbergen dropped to as low as 18th in the 78-lap race before powering through the field to take victory by just over a second.
Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson enjoyed a brief battle with the Supercars star but conceded he was simply no match for the eventual race winner.
After watching the Kiwi round up the field in quick order, he wondered what van Gisbergen’s opinion of the standard of NASCAR drivers was.
“It was so fun to watch from my view,” Larson said.
“When he got to my back bumper, I felt like I pieced together a really good section and I thought for sure I’d look in the mirror and I was going to be like two car lengths or something in front of him.
“He was glued to my back bumper and I was like, ‘Holy s*** this guy is flying’.
“He was able to get by me and then … he put on a show and it was cool to see. I think when a guy like that can come in and kick your ass as your own game, it shows that we all have room to improve.
“I’m curious what he thinks about us. He obviously passed a lot of us, so I’m curious if he thinks we all suck or if we could actually compete, if we weren’t really that bad.”
Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliot, who finished in Chicago, echoed the sentiment.
“He was in a league of his own and, in my opinion, put on a big-time clinic,” the 2020 Cup Series champion said.
“I don’t want to speak for everyone else, but he made me look bad, and I kind of think the rest of us, too.”
SVG CONFIRMS NASCAR DREAM AFTER STUNNING WIN
Shane van Gisbergen confirmed his desire to race NASCAR full-time after one more year in Supercars after he delivered a powerful audition for a career move to the United States with a stunning Cup Series win on debut in the inaugural Chicago street race.
Showcasing his racing adaptability and fierce overtaking skills, the three-time Supercars champion gave his future ambitions of a NASCAR switch a major shot in the arm after finishing on the top of the podium in his cameo with Trackhouse Racing.
Following an eye-catching qualifying performance which propelled van Gisbergen to third on the starting grid, the two-time Bathurst 1000 champion seized the race lead from Justin Haley with five laps to go after a yellow-flag restart in his Project91 Camaro.
Van Gisbergen was then forced to hold off Haley after one final caution prompted a two-lap sprint to the finish to take the chequered flag in overtime in a result which had NASCAR commentators full of superlatives for the Kiwi ace’s performance.
The defending Supercars champion stormed through the field from 18th to the top of the podium after getting caught out on strategy with a late pit road stop pushing him back down the order when officials shortened the race by 25 laps due to fading light after a rain-delayed start.
It was a historic and potentially career-changing victory for the 34-year-old, who became the first driver in 60 years to win on Cup Series debut.
Van Gisbergen described the result as a “dream come true” before confirming a wish to head to the US to race after one more year in Supercars.
“What an experience, the crowd out here, this was so cool,” van Gisbergen said after the race.
“It’s what you dream of, so hopefully I can come and do more.
“When we had that bad strategy back to 18th, I started to worry a bit, but I had some full sends on some people and the racing was really good, everyone was respectful. It was tough, but a lot of fun.
“I can’t believe it, it’s a dream come true.”
Asked if he coveted a full-time NASCAR Cup Series drive, van Gisbergen responded:
“I’m doing one more year in Aus and then I’d love to come over here.”
Van Gisbergen’s impressive NASCAR debut would no doubt leave Supercars chiefs worried about the prospect of losing their biggest star.
The Kiwi’s long-term future in Supercars has been a hot topic amid his early frustration with the Gen3 product and an admission last week that “Supercars isn’t that fun at the moment”.
The Kiwi signed a new multi-year contract with Triple Eight earlier this year, but has a clause in his contract which means he is free to leave at the end of 2024 if he secures a drive in another category elsewhere.
Van Gisbergen impressed from the moment he hit the track in Chicago, topping practice before narrowly missing out on pole, despite having only driven a NASCAR once in a test day last week.
In a race littered with cautions after starting in slippery conditions, van Gisbergen was in contention throughout, finishing third and fourth in the first two stages.
The 100-lap race was delayed for more than an hour due to heavy rain and standing water on the track, which later resulted in the race being shortened to 75 laps.
Van Gisbergen now faces a quick turn-around to return to Australia for this week’s round in Townsville.
He sits fourth in the Supercars standings behind Erebus Motorsport pair Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown and his Triple Eight teammate Broc Feeney.
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