After a career 180, Shane van Gisbergen Is Having the Time of His Life

Credit: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 02: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #91 Enhance Health Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220 at the Chicago Street Course on July 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

At the time, little did Shane van Gisbergen realize how much his win in the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series Chicago Street Race a year ago would change his life.

The three-time Australian Supercars champion returns to the Windy City a full-time NASCAR racer in the Xfinity Series with the occasional start in the Cup Series, like this weekend. Looking back, what van Gisbergen accomplished in his NASCAR debut has even more meaning to the Kiwi now.

“Yeah, it’s cool. It does have more meaning now knowing how tough this series is and how good everyone here is. We just had a dream run and we’re ready to try and do the same again. The preparation has been pretty good. Looking out there now, the track looks amazing. The weather looks like it’s going to be pretty good, which I’m excited for. Hopefully it’s a good race weekend for everyone.”

Mostly an unknown entity last year, van Gisbergen is one of the favorites heading into Sunday’s Grant Park 165. Road racing fans were aware of talent and previous success, but the stock car set? Not so much. That all changed with his unlikely win. Now seen as the guy setting standard, van Gisbergen isn’t sure if he’ll be raced differently, or not.

“I’m not sure about that, but I certainly enjoyed last year. I’m a pretty quiet guy, so flying under the radar pre-weekend was awesome for me. I just focused on my job and do well at it. Yeah, the media stuff is pretty overwhelming sometimes, but I’m getting used to it.

“I know for sure that there’s probably a target on us. People are going to be looking at us a lot more and try to study what we’re doing. But yeah, just have to keep our heads down and expectations in check. Our prep has been good with all the Kaulig Racing guys, and then obviously some Trackhouse Racing input, as well. I feel ready to go and prepared. Just have to go out there and do it.”

Credit: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 02: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #91 Enhance Health Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220 at the Chicago Street Course on July 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The fact that van Gisbergen was able to fly under his competitors’ radar last year, despite his impressive racing resume, didn’t bother him.

“No, not at all. I think the funniest was – Brad Keselowski had a tweet afterwards. We must have done the track walk next to each other and he goes – ‘did the track walk and had no idea who this guy is, but now I do’ or whatever. I found that pretty funny.

“But yeah, it’s hard, especially in this series – when you’re racing every weekend, it’s hard to have the blinkers off and watch other racing. You’re so engrained in what you’re doing and focused on yourself. I wasn’t angry or disappointed in them at all. It was cool to just come in, but that changed pretty quick after practice and qualifying, I guess.”

While van Gisbergen will be considered a threat to win in both the Xfinity and Cup Series races this weekend, the same cannot be said when he gets on ovals. As a rookie in NASCAR he’s had to learn to manage his expectations from week-to-week.

“Yeah, I kind of had just been letting the road course stuff happen this year and not focusing on it as much because like I just know I’ll be good there. I do the usual preparation, but I don’t do more. Whereas with the ovals, I try to study as much as I can with SMT, previous races, onboards.. I’m trying to soak in as much as I can. I’m really focusing on getting better on the ovals, and I feel like I have.

“At Iowa, I made some errors and had a bad weekend. But I feel like it’s been a pretty steady progress. And then Nashville was the most comfortable I’ve felt on the ovals. I feel like I’ve said that the last few ovals that I’ve run, so certainly moving forward; getting better, more competitive. I’m racing around some pretty good guys, I feel like.

“But yeah, the road stuff just comes.. it’s almost like a holiday on a road race weekend for me. I can relax and have some fun.”

Credit: CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 02: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #91 Enhance Health Chevrolet, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 220 at the Chicago Street Course on July 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

One difference this year is that everyone will have van Gisbergen’s SMT data to look at and study. But he says it isn’t as simple as someone trying to copy what he does on track.

“Yeah, the SMT stuff is amazing on the ovals, but I hate it on the road courses for that reason (laughs). They can see what you’re doing. But yeah, I guess my brake technique is completely different, so it would be very hard for someone to switch over.

“Like for me on the ovals, I’ve never left-foot braked before. But you can’t really right-foot brake on an oval, so I’ve had to learn that technique. But if I tried to left-foot brake on a road circuit, I’d be miles off the pace. It’s such a different technique and way that you control the car into the corner. I do it with the clutch, they do it with the throttle.

“Yeah, it would be very hard for someone to just try and emulate what I’m doing, I think. You can still see gears, proximities, steering angles, stuff like that, and get most of the basic stuff down, I think.”

Having completely upended his career and his life, van Gisbergen says he’s enjoying racing in the states and in NASCAR. But, there is still a part of him that misses home.

“I miss New Zealand a lot, for sure. But I love it here. I really enjoy racing. I love racing every week. I love having a routine and knowing what I’m doing pretty much every day until November, that’s exciting. I have three weeks off in August and I have no idea what I’m going to do. It’s a weird feeling.

“I love this style of racing; the atmosphere, the people and the schedule. Yeah, I’m loving every moment. I definitely think I made the right choice. I feel like it’s a really cool place for me; being welcome by everyone, whether it’s team people, drivers and the fans. It’s been really cool to see how welcoming everyone is and I’m really enjoying it.”

Looking back, van Gisbergen never envisioned that his win a year ago would lead to a complete change in his life.

“Not at all. It was just a one-off race at that point. As I said, I went to Nashville the week before, a year ago now, and just opened my eyes to how cool the racing was; how open it was for everyone.

“I took my dad there last week…he’s come over for the weekend. We were standing right by the inside wall on the backstretch right when the cars were going past. The experience here is awesome. We both had a little moment, without saying anything, how cool it is here.

“Yeah, we’re all really, really enjoying it. It’s been a huge 180 for me, my life and my career. But yeah, I’m having the time of my life.”