Shane van Gisbergen Opens Up on 'Really Difficult' Uncertainty Ahead of Chicago Street Race
Back in July 2023, Trackhouse's Shane van Gisbergen debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series with an outstanding win at the inaugural street race in downtown Chicago. His Cup resume features three top-five and six top-10 finishes, and two poles, including the most recent one in Mexico City, where he also won the race.
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This weekend the Grant Park 165 is the third and possibly last season a Cup race will be held on the Chicago Street Course track through the streets of the Windy City. However, despite the impressive debut win here, Gisbergen feels doubtful about repeating the same this time around.
Shane van Gisbergen speaks with media at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 16, 2025.Nigel Cook / Daytona Beach News-Journal via Imagn Images
Speaking on NASCAR's "Inside the Race" podcast, the 36-year-old admitted he's unsure how he'll fare this time due to the track's unpredictable nature.
"The biggest thing is the surface changes," van Gisbergen said. "Turn one is brand new, but once you're out of turn two and onto the back straight, it's rough concrete with considerable gaps in it.
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"Turn three is very bumpy, and the width of the road keeps changing. The first half of the track is wide — you've got a lot of space — but when you get through turns four and five, it gets very narrow. Same with turn seven.
"There are so many different challenges. You might enter a corner that feels like a highway — three lanes wide — and exit with just one or two lanes. It's really difficult to know where you're going to end up on track."
Even with the Gen-7 car, the three-time Supercars champion also reflected on the various uncontrollable factors in NASCAR races that can hinder his performance.
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"Even when you have the fastest car, things are not easy," SVG said. "There are so many variables in a NASCAR race, like the stages, double-file restarts, and everything else. It's very hard to control a race, even if you have the fastest car."
Despite the unpredictability, the New Zealander will still give his best efforts on the Chicago Street track, piloting Trackhouse's No. 88 ZL1. The Cup race will start at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Related: Shane van Gisbergen 'Glad' He Never Raced for Red Bull F1
Related: Denny Hamlin Says Rising Star Connor Zilisch 'More Cup Ready' Than SVG Was
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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