Shane van Gisbergen dominates street courses, especially Chicago’s road race. The Kiwi superstar crushed the competition in 2023 during the inaugural race, and now he faces fellow Red Bull athlete Connor Zilisch, who drives for the same team, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports (JRM).
Ahead of his highly anticipated Xfinity return race, the 36-year-old revealed what it’s like racing against the phenom, sharing his biggest concern about driving the No. 9 Weather Tech JRM Chevy.
“First Time in a JRM Car”: Shane Van Gisbergen Gets Candid Before Xfinity Return
The 2024 season marked van Gisbergen’s first full-time NASCAR campaign, competing in the Xfinity Series. The Kiwi sensation is storming the Cup Series gates in 2025 with a full-time ride with Trackhouse Racing in the No. 88 Chevrolet. He proved his mettle by clinching the Cup Series’ inaugural Mexico City feature, impressively punching his playoff ticket.
As the NASCAR bandwagon rolls into the “Windy City,” the Supercars champion returns to the Xfinity Series against fellow Red Bull racing standout Zilisch. During the pre-race presser, van Gisbergen was asked, “How do you feel the battle will go with him (Connor Zilisch), with your fellow Red Bull driving racer?”
The driver didn’t hold back, saying, “I feel like the odd stuff’s pretty cool to read, like it means that people think nice things about me. That’s cool. Yeah, Connor will be very good and very tough to beat here. Yeah, he has been amazing in those cars.”
Van Gisbergen then revealed the brutal truth about his Xfinity campaign. He added, “I haven’t driven an Xfinity car all year and first time in a JRM car, so, yeah, I’m looking forward to that.” For the unversed, Xfinity and Cup cars are worlds apart, like night and day, when compared directly.
The difference between these two NASCAR series creates a unique challenge for drivers switching between them. Cup cars feature more advanced aerodynamics and suspension systems, making them more similar to the Supercars that van Gisbergen dominated for years. Xfinity cars, while competitive, have different handling characteristics that require specific setup knowledge and driving techniques.
Different Machines, Same Competitive Fire
“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 those cars race really well so, pretty awkward and clumsy, but really fun to race,” he added, reflecting on Saturday’s The Loop 110.
Van Gisbergen admits that the Xfinity cars are fun but clumsy in terms of dynamics. While Cup cars perform more like the Supercars contemporaries he’s more used to, the Xfinity machinery is a different ball game altogether. This creates an interesting dynamic where his Cup Series experience might not translate directly to Xfinity’s success.
It has been a good start for van Gisbergen, who clinched the pole and will lead the field from the front on Saturday in the No. 9 JRM Chevy, while Zilisch pilots the No. 88 car from the rear of the field. One way or the other, fans are really in for a treat: A thrilling teammate showdown and plenty of parallels to look forward to.
The qualifying crash puts Zilisch in a tough spot, but his road course prowess shouldn’t be underestimated. Starting from the back of a street course like Chicago presents opportunities for aggressive moves and strategic pit calls that could put him back in contention.