Shane van Gisbergen earned his third and fourth NASCAR wins in Chicago over the weekend, capturing the checkered flag in both Saturday’s Xfinity Series Loop 110 and Sunday’s Cup Series race, the Grant Park 165, from pole positions.
This brings the New Zealander’s career tally in the Windy City up to four, having won the 2023 Cup Series Race on his debut and the 2024 Xfinity contest; he was caught during the 2024 Cup Series race after winning the first stage.
A trending tweet erroneously pointed out that Van Gisbergen equaled Chicago Bears starting quarterback Caleb Williams’ win total in Chicago, but the Bears’ second-year starter only has three.
Chicago selected Williams, a highly-touted prospect while at USC, as the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He won his first three starts at home, including his debut against the Tennessee Titans, before dropping his final five contests.
In between, Williams shepherded his side to another “home” win: a 35-16 drubbing over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London that counted as a Chicago home game.
Why does van Gisbergen perform so well in Chicago? The three-time Supercars champion is arguably the best street course-racer in the world: it was the reason Trackhouse owner Justin Marks brought him over for the 2023 race.
“He’s the best road course stock car racer that I’ve ever seen,” Marks said after van Gisbergen’s win on Sunday. “I think when he’s done with us all and walks away from the sport, I think he’s going to walk away as the best road course racer that this sport has ever seen.”
“This joint, it’s changed my life,” van Gisbergen said about Chicago. “I didn’t have any plans to do more NASCAR races when I first came over here, and I never thought I’d be in NASCAR full time.”
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“As I’ve said many times, these races are like a holiday to me,” he continued. “It’s the ovals where I’m really focused on getting better and better.”
The win — van Gisbergen’s second of the season after his triumph in Mexico City — effectively guarantees his spot in the 2025 Cup Series playoffs.
