{"id":47292,"date":"2024-07-06T18:51:14","date_gmt":"2024-07-06T23:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=47292"},"modified":"2024-07-14T13:51:45","modified_gmt":"2024-07-14T18:51:45","slug":"surprise-no-more-shane-van-gisbergen-captures-battle-tested-nascar-xfinity-series-chicago-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2024\/07\/06\/surprise-no-more-shane-van-gisbergen-captures-battle-tested-nascar-xfinity-series-chicago-victory\/","title":{"rendered":"Surprise no more, Shane van Gisbergen captures battle-tested NASCAR Xfinity Series Chicago victory"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #97 WeatherTech Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series The Loop 110 at Chicago Street Course on July 06, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by James Gilbert\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

CHICAGO \u2013 Shane van Gisbergen put on a master class Saturday afternoon, winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series\u2019 The Loop 110 at the Chicago Street Race. The New Zealander led early and, again, led late to claim his third consecutive series road course win and second race win on the 2.2-mile downtown Chicago streets.<\/p>\n

Fans who experienced monsoon-like rains at last year\u2019s inaugural NASCAR visit to the Windy City could not have asked for a more ideal summer afternoon on Saturday. People in the packed grandstands \u2013 nearly half taking in their first NASCAR event according to Chicago Street Race President Julie Guise – enjoyed blue skies, a comfortable breeze and temperatures in the mid-70s.<\/p>\n

And they enjoyed a highly competitive spirited race, with van Gisbergen and Californian Kyle Larson dicing it up, door-to-door, front-fender to back bumper from the drop of the green flag and then van Gisbergen charging through the field to claim the lead again in the final laps.<\/p>\n

In the end, the 35-year old van Gisbergen got his No. 97 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet around Joe Gibbs Racing\u2019s Ty Gibbs with two laps remaining and charged off to his series best third win of the year by a healthy 1.287 seconds over Gibbs and Larson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s awesome, what a great race,\u2019\u2019 said a grinning van Gisbergen after kicking a rugby ball into the cheering crowd as is his established NASCAR victory celebration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was pretty wild there at the end, but I can\u2019t thank the Kaulig Racing guys enough. It was great racing to start with Kyle [Larson]. He was really good on the restarts and we made our car better with the second set of tires, but whooo, that was fun at the end passing all those guys. Had some great racing with everyone.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Van Gisbergen who also claimed road course wins at Portland and Sonoma, Calif. led 14 laps as did Richard Childress Racing\u2019s Jesse Love \u2013 most on the afternoon. Big Machine Racing\u2019s Parker Kligerman finished fourth; his best result of the season and Love was fifth.<\/p>\n

The two champion drivers \u2013 Larson and van Gisbergen – set the tone immediately, exchanging the lead sometimes three and four times in a single lap from the drop of the green flag. Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, led the first six laps and van Gisbergen, a three-time Australian Supercars Series champion who won last year\u2019s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race in Chicago, led the next nine laps to claim the Stage 1 win in the process.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was cool we were waving at each other, thumbs up,\u2019\u2019 Van Gisbergen said of racing Larson early. \u201cReally respectful but big moves. He was amazing on the brakes and on the bumps. Really cool. I learned a lot and he probably learned a lot off me. Hope to race him again for the win tomorrow.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Larson, who will start from pole position in Sunday\u2019s Grant Park 165 NASCAR Cup Series race, had been looking forward to the chance to race up front with van Gisbergen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was having a blast,\u2019\u2019 Larson said. \u201cObviously I wanted to win today but I wanted to learn more than anything. I wanted to get to battle with him because he\u2019s just really good at creating shapes and angles and passing. That was an objective of mine and the first opportunity I got, I wanted to get racing because I just didn\u2019t know if I\u2019d have another opportunity to race with him.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy car seemed to be a little better than his for a lap or two which helped me get by him and was able to protect and stuff but he was so much better than me.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Varying pit stop strategies adjusted the field mid-race. Many \u2013 such as Love \u2013 pitted during the first stage break at Lap 15. Van Gisbergen, Gibbs and Larson pit during a caution period later on lap 24. That shuffled the field putting those three early frontrunners playing catch-up in the closing laps.<\/p>\n

With six laps to go and van Gisbergen making his way forward, his Chevy was hit from behind by Sam Mayer\u2019s Chevy in the Turn 12 corner forcing van Gisbergen\u2019s Chevrolet to scrape the wall. He fell off the bumper of then race leaders, Gibbs and Love but stayed in the third position.<\/p>\n

He got around the two with three laps remaining. And Gibbs said looking back, he probably should have raced van Gisbergen a little more aggressively in the final laps.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a bad pit stop and I feel like I used my stuff up a lot to get back through the field,\u2019\u2019 said Gibbs, whose team had a problem on the tire change. \u201cI\u2019d say it would have been close in the end though.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Connor Mosack, Austin Hill, NASCAR Cup Series regular Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier and Austin Green rounded out the top 10. It was the first Xfinity Series start for Logano since 2019. It was the third top 10 in four career series starts for the 23-year old Green \u2013 all coming on road courses.<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s Chicago race winner, Stewart-Haas Racing\u2019s Cole Custer, finished 18th despite dealing with various issues throughout the afternoon \u2013 including a pit stop penalty. He now holds a 38-point lead over JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier in the standings. Joe Gibbs Racing\u2019s Chandler Smith dropped to third place in the championship after finishing last \u2013 38th \u2013 with an engine problem suffered only five laps into the race.<\/p>\n

Van Gisbergen\u2019s effort now gives him a series best 17 Playoff points and his three wins are most in the series this year.<\/p>\n

The NASCAR Xfinity Series travels back east to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway for next Saturday\u2019s Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).  Hill is the defending race winner.<\/p>\n

NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – The Loop 110<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chicago Street Race<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chicago, Illinois<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday, July 6, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. (1) Shane Van Gisbergen #, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  2. (4) Ty Gibbs(i), Toyota, 50.<\/li>\n
  3. (2) Kyle Larson(i), Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  4. (7) Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  5. (8) Jesse Love #, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  6. (3) Connor Mosack(i), Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  7. (13) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  8. (15) Joey Logano(i), Ford, 50.<\/li>\n
  9. (36) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  10. (19) Austin Green, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  11. (11) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  12. (30) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  13. (14) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  14. (28) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  15. (23) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  16. (22) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 50.<\/li>\n
  17. (32) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  18. (10) Cole Custer, Ford, 50.<\/li>\n
  19. (5) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  20. (25) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  21. (27) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  22. (35) Kyle Sieg, Ford, 50.<\/li>\n
  23. (26) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 50.<\/li>\n
  24. (29) Blaine Perkins, Ford, 50.<\/li>\n
  25. (6) John Hunter Nemechek(i), Toyota, 50.<\/li>\n
  26. (37) Sheldon Creed, Toyota, 50.<\/li>\n
  27. (31) Daniel Suarez(i), Chevrolet, 50.<\/li>\n
  28. (20) Riley Herbst, Ford, Overheating, 47.<\/li>\n
  29. (16) Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 45.<\/li>\n
  30. (18) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 45.<\/li>\n
  31. (21) Leland Honeyman #, Chevrolet, Accident, 44.<\/li>\n
  32. (17) Preston Pardus, Chevrolet, Electrical, 38.<\/li>\n
  33. (38) Sage Karam, Toyota, Accident, 37.<\/li>\n
  34. (12) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 36.<\/li>\n
  35. (33) Andre Castro, Chevrolet, Accident, 34.<\/li>\n
  36. (24) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, Accident, 34.<\/li>\n
  37. (34) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, Accident, 15.<\/li>\n
  38. (9) Chandler Smith, Toyota, Engine, 5.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  56.531 mph.<\/p>\n

    Time of Race:  1 Hrs, 56 Mins, 45 Secs. Margin of Victory:  1.287 Seconds.<\/p>\n

    Caution Flags:  7 for 16 laps.<\/p>\n

    Lead Changes:  9 among 5 drivers.<\/p>\n

    Lap Leaders:   S. Van Gisbergen # 1-2;K. Larson(i) 3-5;S. Van Gisbergen # 6-10;K. Larson(i) 11-14;S. Van Gisbergen # 15-18;K. Larson(i) 19-23;S. Smith 24-25;A. Hill 26-33;J. Love # 34-47;S. Van Gisbergen # 48-50.<\/p>\n

    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Jesse Love # 1 time for 14 laps; Shane Van Gisbergen # 4 times for 14 laps; Kyle Larson(i) 3 times for 12 laps; Austin Hill 1 time for 8 laps; Sammy Smith 1 time for 2 laps.<\/p>\n

    Stage #1 Top Ten: 97,17,19,88,00,16,2,21,1,48<\/p>\n

    Stage #2 Top Ten: 21,8,2,7,18,19,48,1,20,97<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service CHICAGO \u2013 Shane van Gisbergen put on a master class Saturday afternoon, winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series\u2019 The Loop 110 at the Chicago Street Race. The New Zealander led early and, again, led late to claim his third consecutive series road course win and second race win on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":47172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11],"tags":[16,181,941],"class_list":["post-47292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","tag-nascar","tag-nascar-xfinity-series","tag-shane-van-gisbergen"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/GettyImages-2160929892-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-ciM","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47292"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47295,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47292\/revisions\/47295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}