Shane van Gisbergen wins Chicago’s Grant Park 165 for another Nascar victory

Shane Van Gisbergen celebrate after winning the Nascar Cup Series Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Course. Photo / Getty Images

Shane van Gisbergen cemented his spot as the best street racer in Nascar with another victory at the Chicago Street Race today.

A day after taking victory in the Xfinity Series, the Kiwi took out the Grant Park 165 Nascar event from pole for his second Nascar victory of the season.

In 2023, van Gisbergen stunned Nascar when he won the event in his maiden drive, becoming just the seventh driver to win on Nascar debut and the first to do so since 1963.

He made it four wins in five starts across the Nascar and Xfinity Series today after taking the lead with 16 laps to go.

He then had to hold on to the lead through two different caution re-starts. It’s the Trackhouse Racing driver’s second win of the season following Mexico victory last month.

Moments after van Gisbergen took the lead with 16 laps to go, a yellow flag caution stopped the race for an ambulance needed to assist someone in the infield.

The race resumed with 13 laps to go only for another caution, the sixth of the day. It eventually resumed with nine laps remaining and van Gisbergen held off a fast-chasing Tyler Reddick on fresh tyres.

With Reddick closing in, another caution with one lap to go ensured van Gisbergen would take the chequered flag. Ty Gibbs finished second with Reddick taking third.

The victory capped off a brilliant day for New Zealand drivers in the US after Scott Dixon claimed his 59th IndyCar win.

“I love this place. What an amazing weekend for me. Lucky guy to drive some great cars...hope we put on a good show,” van Gisbergen said after completing his tradition of kicking a signed rugby ball into the stands.

“We made no mistakes. There was some really fast cars and we just seemed to get it right. It was just so hot the weekend, the track was so slick, the times were a lot slower and the margin for error was very tiny. We just had to get it right. I’m rapt,” he added.

The second win of the season moves Van Gisbergen to fifth spot in the playoff standings

Van Gisbergen will head into the next race at Sonoma Raceway as the favourite, another road circuit before a stretch of three oval races.