New Zealand native Shane van Gisbergen made history by winning the Grant Park 220 at the Chicago Street Course in his very first NASCAR Cup Series start. This race marked the first street course race in Cup Series history, and van Gisbergen took full advantage of the opportunity to showcase his skills.
Having already achieved three V8 Supercars championships and 80 career wins in his native country, van Gisbergen proved that his talent could translate to the NASCAR Cup Series. He made his debut start for Trackhouse Racing’s Project91 and immediately made an impact.
With five laps to go, van Gisbergen overtook Justin Haley for the lead and steadily pulled away to secure the victory. This win made him the first driver in NASCAR’s modern era to win in his Cup Series debut since 1963.
The Grant Park 220 unofficial results included van Gisbergen in first place, followed by Justin Haley in second, Chase Elliott in third, Kyle Larson in fourth, and Kyle Busch in fifth. Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, Joey Logano, Ty Gibbs, and Chris Buescher rounded out the top ten.
The race conditions were particularly challenging due to historic rainfall in Chicago. The downpour delayed the race for over an hour, and the wet racing surface presented treacherous conditions for drivers. Many experienced NASCAR drivers, including Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and Chase Elliott, had encounters with tire barriers throughout the circuit.
However, van Gisbergen’s mastery of street courses and fresher tires enabled him to conquer the challenging conditions. He expressed his excitement and gratitude to the Trackhouse team and the crowd in his post-race interview.
Van Gisbergen joined the ranks of other foreign-born drivers who have won a Cup Series race, such as Marcos Ambrose, Mario Andretti, Juan Pablo Montoya, Earl Ross, and his Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suarez.
Although his NASCAR debut was a one-off start, van Gisbergen hinted that he may return to compete in more Cup Series races in the future. However, he plans to continue racing in Australia for one more year before potentially shifting his focus to NASCAR.
The shortened race at the Grant Park 220 resulted in notable changes in the playoff picture. Alex Bowman suffered an engine failure and dropped from 17th to 20th in the standings, now 26 points below the cut line. Daniel Suarez’s left front fender damage relegated him to 27th and put him six points below the cut line. Ty Gibbs capitalized on the opportunity and secured the final spot on the playoff grid with a ninth-place finish.
As van Gisbergen’s victory prevented Haley or another driver from earning a playoff spot with a win, the standings for Kevin Harvick, Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski, and Bubba Wallace remained largely unchanged.
Martin Truex Jr. maintained his lead in the regular season standings, but William Byron closed in on him, now only nine points behind.
Van Gisbergen’s victory also marked a significant milestone, as it was the first win for a true “road course ringer” in 50 years. The last win by a road racing specialist who doesn’t normally compete in NASCAR occurred in 1973.
Other notable performances included Austin Cindric ending his recent string of poor finishes with a sixth-place finish, Michael McDowell securing his third top-10 finish in the past four races, and Chris Buescher extending his streak of consecutive top-10 finishes on road courses to eight.
Overall, the Grant Park 220 was a thrilling race that showcased van Gisbergen’s extraordinary talent and the excitement of street course racing in the Cup Series. With his historic debut win, van Gisbergen has solidified his place in NASCAR history and left fans eager to see what he accomplishes next in the sport.