V8 Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen wins NASCAR race on debut
The NASCAR world is abuzz after debutant Shane van Gisbergen’s win in Chicago, and it appears to be just the beginning for the New Zealander.
New Zealand racing driver Shane van Gisbergen has stunned NASCAR fans in the US – and rival teams and drivers – by winning his debut race today.
The three-time Supercars champion and two-time Bathurst 1000 winner won the Cup Series street race in Chicago on Sunday (Monday morning, Australian time), after qualifying third on Saturday in what was only his second time driving a NASCAR.
This weekend was the first time the Chicago street race had been held, with heavy rain causing a number of crashes before a one-hour delay was called by officials.
However, it was the Supercar champion’s footwork in his Chevrolet Camaro that was causing a stir within the paddock.
While unusual in NASCAR, van Gisbergen used the clutch and blipped the throttle under brakes – a technique known as ‘heel and toeing’ – in an effort to stop the rear wheels from locking up in the wet conditions.
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During the rain delay, van Gisbergen told the NBC telecast “Everyone’s got a bit of a foot fetish – it’s a bit weird for me,” Speedcafe reported.
“That’s just normal for me – we always right-foot brake and blip on the down change,” he said.
His teammate for the weekend, Ross Chastain, also commented on van Gisbergen’s use of the pedals.
“The footwork that man has inside these cars,” Chastain said during a television interview.
“We have the same pedals and I don’t understand how he gets his ankles and his feet to do what he’s doing. I’m a left-foot braker in a NASCAR race car.”
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In a post-race interview, van Gisbergen all but confirmed he will leave Supercars to come and race in the US from 2025.
“I’m doing one more year in [Australia] and then I’d love to come over here,” he said.
While NASCAR teams will likely be wanting to sign van Gisbergen for the 2025 season, it’s possible the New Zealander could also be lured into open-wheel IndyCar racing to compete alongside fellow countrymen Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Armstrong, and Australian Will Power.
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