“No one thought we would come out and win that race”: Shane van Gisbergen recalls 'hard to explain' feelings from 2023 Chicago race win

Three-time Supercar Champion Shane van Gisbergen’s win at the inaugural Chicago Street Race was a remarkable achievement that took many NASCAR pundits and fans by surprise. In an interview ahead of Sunday’s Chicago Street Race, Van Gisbergen shed light on his incredible win and how it impacted his life.

The 2023 Chicago race was NASCAR debut for Van Gisbergen; he experienced a memorable one. Driving the Trackhouse Racing’s “Project91” entry, the New Zealand-born driver started third on the grid and emerged victorious after taking the lead from Justin Haley with five laps to go.

Reflecting on the winning moment, Shane van Gisbergen expressed that the feeling was “hard to explain."

He admitted that no one had expectations from him, but he secured a historic win in NASCAR’s top-level series. In an interview with motorsports.com, Van Gisbergen said about his 2023 Chicago race win:

“No one thought we would come out and win that race. That feeling when the radio cracks open and the engineer or crew chief comes over, screaming about how exciting the win was, and that short-term spike of emotions you get—it's hard to explain, but it's an amazing feeling.”

With the Chicago win, Shane van Gisbergen became the seventh driver to win a Cup race on his NASCAR debut.

Van Gisbergen is the favorite to win the back-to-back Cup race in Chicago. He has top odds of +500 in the odds table in the 40-car field.

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“I needed a year to learn and adapt” – Shane van Gisbergen on moving to full-time in Cup Series

Ahead of the 2024 NASCAR season, the 35-year-old driver signed a development deal with Trackhouse Racing and moved to America to compete full-time in the #97 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series.

On entering NASCAR’s top-level series, Shane van Gisbergen wants to learn, adapt and settle into America, ensuring that he would be better prepared and more competitive for NASCAR’s oval racing when he eventually joins the Cup Series.

“I knew I needed a year to learn and adapt, fit in here, and settle in the country before being in the Cup Series next year.

"Jumping into the Cup Series after a six-month preparation probably wouldn't have been very good. It would've been very, very tough to do that,” Van Gisbergen said, as quoted by motorsports.com.

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Catch Shane van Gisbergen in action to pull off a double duty at Chicago Street Course this weekend.