Shane van Gisbergen, a racer with experience in Supercars and NASCAR, sits in an interview with Frontstretch and answers questions. In one instance, he reveals that he is relentless in practice to overcome his weakest link.
The Chicago Street Race in Grant Park is at the corner, and van Gisbergen is the community’s choice. In an interview, he shares his thoughts on the race and reveals information about his approach to the upcoming event.
Shane Van Gisbergen Reveals His Weakest NASCAR Link
After he won the Chicago street race in 2023, it laid the foundation for his career at NASCAR. Given his impressive performance at the Grant Park events, the name ‘SVG’, as he is popularly known, poses a considerable threat to the other drivers. His success on street courses has made him a marked man whenever NASCAR visits urban circuits.
However, van Gisbergen is unfiltered in revealing his weaknesses and vocal about the improvements he needs to make to secure another win on the Chicago street course. In an interview, van Gisbergen answers questions related to the upcoming race.
He said, “I’m doing like summer shootout and stuff; just trying to get experience on ovals. These guys have been doing left-handers since they were 10 years old, you know.”
“So, it’s just they’re two completely different sports. And although there has been road racing in NASCAR forever, it’s not that much. So, yeah, that just the experience levels are different in what we do. And I feel like yes, they are. They’ve definitely gotten a lot better since the first one on this track for sure,” van Gisbergen continued.
The New Zealand native driver will race alongside JR Motorsports teammate Connor Zilisch in the Xfinity race at the Chicago Street course. The Loop 110 face-off is stirring more excitement from the community, and fans are speculating whether the street-experienced SVG or the rookie 18-year-old can achieve victory in Chicago.
This pairing creates an interesting dynamic between veteran road racing expertise and youthful NASCAR talent.
Van Gisbergen’s honesty about his oval racing limitations shows his commitment to improvement. While most drivers might downplay their weaknesses, he openly acknowledges that American drivers have decades more experience on ovals. This self-awareness has helped him focus his training efforts where they matter most.
Van Gisbergen said, “Yeah, I feel like the odd stuff’s pretty cool to read. Like, it means that people think nice things about me. That’s cool, but yeah, Connor will be very good and very tough to beat here.”
Then, he praised Zilisch, “Yeah, he’s been amazing in those cars. I haven’t driven an Xfinity car all year, and first time in a JRM car. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to that. Looking forward to driving it tomorrow, seeing what it’s like. And that Xfinity race last year was one of my favorite races. I had a lot of fun in that. And the cars, those cars race really well, so they’re pretty awkward and clumsy, but really fun to race.”
Pole Position Sets Up Chicago Showdown
SVG claimed pole position for the upcoming Xfinity race in Chicago. He qualified with an impressive performance, putting in a lap of 90.085 seconds while the track was calm, a magnificent strategy that proved fruitful for the racer. So, fans will see SVG at the starting position in The Loop 110.
Starting from the pole gives van Gisbergen a significant advantage on a street course where track position matters more than anywhere else. His qualifying performance proved that his street racing skills remain sharp, even as he continues working on his oval racing technique.