Kenny Wallace labels Kyle Larson and Shane van Gisbergen “two greatest racecar drivers of all time” after Chicago showdown

After witnessing a rigorous back-and-forth battle for contention between Kyle Larson and Shane van Gisbergen, former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace deemed the two as the "greatest." The New Zealander sealed his second Chicago triumph, but this time, it came in the Xfinity Series.

The Chicago Street Course hosted the second edition of the Xfinity Street race, where Shane van Gisbergen sealed the front spot on the starting lineup. Meanwhile, the Hendrick Motorsports rival locked his spot in the second place. As the 50-lap dash went green, Kyle Larson snatched the lead on Turn 2, only for the #97 Chevy driver to retake it on Turn 6.

A similar battle ensued between them and Shane van Gisbergen secured the Stage 1 win, while the #17 Chevy driver settled second. Stage 2 saw Kyle Larson and the New Zealander plummet to an 11th and 10th-place finish while Austin Hill reigned supreme for the Stage 2 win.

However, the #97 Chevy rallied back up during the final stage and nabbed the lead from Jesse Love on Lap 48. From that point, Shane van Gisbergen comfortably led the pack and came home with his third NXS win this season by a margin of 1.287 seconds over the runner-up.

Kyle Larson also regained his dominant run but settled in third place with Ty Gibbs locking the second-place finish.

Witnessing the two stock car prodigies pursue a nail-biting battle for the win, Kenny Wallace labeled the two as the "greatest racecar drivers," while he sang praise for Shane van Gisbergen's road course racing prowess.

"What a great race. To see the two greatest racecar drivers of all time Kyle Larson and what can you say about Shane van Gisbergen. What a humble man [SVG], he talks a lot but he's a great race car driver all around. Boy, he can boogie-woogie to the maximum peak on those road courses," Wallace said via X. (0.53)

Shane van Gisbergen looks to steal the show at the Cup race as well as he yearns to race against Kyle Larson for the win

The New Zealander entered NASCAR last year with his debut run at the 2023 Chicago Street Race. After braving the unfavorable odds, Shane van Gisbergen became the only driver to win a Cup race in Chicago. When it comes to road course racing, the Kaulig Racing driver is no stranger but is surely a force to be reckoned with.

All NASCAR wins of the #97 Chevy driver have come from road courses. This includes the 2023 Chicago Cup race, Xfinity wins at the Portland International Raceway, Sonoma Raceway, and the most recent Loop 110 on the Chicago Street Course.

The weekend is not done yet and Shane van Gisbergen will battle in the Cup Series race as well. Shortly after dethroning the defending champion Cole Custer and reigning supreme over the 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, the New Zealander expressed his desire to compete with the HMS driver at the Cup race also.

"It was cool we [SVG and Kyle Larson] were waving at each other, thumbs up. Really respectful but big moves. He was amazing on the brakes and on the bumps. Really cool. I learned a lot and he probably learned a lot off me. Hope to race him again for the win tomorrow,” the Loop 110 race winner said via NASCAR.

After recording his third Xfinity Series win, Shane van Gisbergen has climbed two spots in the standings and is in 11th place now.