Shane van Gisbergen Shares Love-Hate Relationship With Chicago After Life-Changing NASCAR Achievement

Shane van Gisbergen’s return to the Chicago Street Course this weekend brought back a flood of memories, both thrilling and contradictory. The New Zealand native stunned the NASCAR world with a win in his Cup Series debut at the Chicago Street Race in 2023.

Van Gisbergen then followed it up with a victory in the Xfinity Series race at the same venue in 2024. Despite the track’s importance to his NASCAR career, his feelings about the city itself remain mixed.

Shane Van Gisbergen’s Bittersweet Bond With Chicago

Speaking at a NASCAR media event ahead of the 2025 edition of the Chicago Street Course, van Gisbergen didn’t shy away from his honest take. The three-time Supercars champion has never been one to sugarcoat his opinions, and his thoughts on Chicago are no different.

“This place is pretty cool to me every time I come back. I hate cities, so I don’t really like the place, but when you get here, it’s pretty cool,” said van Gisbergen. “You know, I got great memories here. This place has changed my life. So, I’m going to have special memories of this place forever. But yeah, not enough grass for me.”

While his track record in Chicago is flawless, van Gisbergen’s personal preference for city life is very different. The towering skyline and urban buzz might not be his ideal environment, but the course’s impact on his professional journey is undeniable. His rural New Zealand upbringing shows through his preference for open spaces over concrete jungles.

The Track That Changed SVG’s Career

Van Gisbergen’s 2023 win in Chicago was nothing short of historic. Not only did it mark the first time a driver had won in their NASCAR Cup Series debut since 1963, but it also introduced American motorsport fans to the three-time Supercars champion in spectacular fashion. The unexpected win fast-tracked his career as a full-time NASCAR driver, something not many international drivers have been able to accomplish.

The victory came at a perfect time for van Gisbergen, who was looking to make his mark in American racing. His street racing experience from Australia’s Gold Coast and Adelaide circuits translated perfectly to Chicago’s challenging layout. The win opened doors that might have taken years to unlock otherwise.

Read More: NASCAR’s Street Race Maestro Shane van Gisbergen Faces Brutal Truth About Chicago’s No-Room-for-Error Gauntlet

Returning to the street course in 2024, van Gisbergen backed it up with another win, this time in the Xfinity Series as a full-time driver. The victory confirmed that his street-racing skill set wasn’t a one-off anomaly. It proved he could adapt his talents to different series and continue winning on the challenging urban circuit.

Now a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Cup Series, van Gisbergen enters the 2025 Chicago Street Race with momentum left over from his Mexico win last month and history on his side. Though his heart may not lie in the concrete city life, the pavement that winds through downtown Chicago has undoubtedly become sacred ground in his racing story.

The 2025 Chicago Street race is the third consecutive year and possibly the last year the track will host the NASCAR event this weekend. The street race is in the final year of its contract, and so far into the season, no new announcement of an extension has been made. For van Gisbergen, this could be his final chance to add another chapter to his Chicago legacy, even if he’d rather be racing somewhere with more grass.