“One trick pony”: Fans react as Shane Van Gisbergen matches rare NASCAR feat last achieved by Jimmie Johnson

NASCAR: Grant Park 165 - Source: Imagn
Shane van Gisbergen at Grant Park 165 - Source: Imagn

Shane van Gisbergen made NASCAR history with his dominant performance at the Chicago Street Course, where he won the Xfinity and Cup Series races from pole position. He joined Kyle Busch in the achievement, who did it before at Indianapolis in 2016.

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But another record saw van Gisbergen become the fastest to three Cup series wins (in 33 starts) since Jimmie Johnson, which led to plenty of reactions from NASCAR fans.

Shane van Gisbergen’s victory in the Cup race marked his third career Cup win and solidified his status as the most successful foreign-born driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, surpassing Marcos Ambrose. SVG repeated his debut win at Chicago driving the #88 for Trackhouse Racing. he continued to impress by winning the Mexico City Race and then dominating the Chicago weekend.

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NASCAR shared the rare achievement by the New Zealander:

"Three Cup Series wins in 33 career starts for @shanevg97 That's the fastest a driver has reached this milestone since @JimmieJohnson in 2002"
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One of the fans wrote about SVG’s prowess on road courses.

"One trick pony"
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Another fan said, "Get rid of street courses and this guy is bagging groceries."
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One fan added, "Are you f***ing kidding me. No offense to SVG, but NASCAR definitely wanted him to win on Sunday just for this reason. Thinking it creates positive headlines. I have no issue with SVG winning. I do have a problem with the timing of the caution."

Meanwhile, one fan compared his hot streak to Marcos Ambrose:

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"Easy there Seabiscuit, he’s no different than Marcos Ambrose. One hell of a road race but I’d bet he’ll be gone in two years. For him, I hope not but to me, pretty predictable."
"He's a generational road course racer. Well, obviously since he comes from supercar but still," wrote another.
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Before transitioning to NASCAR, van Gisbergen was a dominant figure in Australian Supercars, winning three championships and earning a reputation as one of the best road racers globally.


Shane van Gisbergen dubs road course racing a 'holiday' after becoming winningest foreign-born driver in NASCAR

Shane van Gisbergen described racing on road and street circuits as a “holiday”, contrasting it with the high-pressure oval races where he focuses intensely on improving. He credited Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks for taking a chance on him to compete in NASCAR and expressed pride in being one of the few foreign drivers to break into and succeed in the sport.

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SVG's smooth, mistake-free driving style and ability to perform under pressure have made him a standout competitor, with multiple wins and strong playoff points positioning him as a championship contender.

"Yeah, that's a very special stat. You know, that's why I'm here, I guess. Justin took a massive chance on me to bring me over. And as I've said many times, these races are like a holiday to me. It's the ovals where I'm really focused and getting better and better. And I come here and there's no stress. People probably think there's more stress and expectation on us, but I kind of just get excited by it and love driving," SVG said via Frontstretch. [00:22 onwards].
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"It's the ovals where I know I'm getting better, and I'm not stressed about it and I'm not forcing it, but I love trying to progress and get better and better. But yeah, to be a foreigner here, there's not many of us who have broken into the sport and stayed here for too long. And pretty cool to be here, that's for sure," he added.
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Shane van Gisbergen is already through to the playoffs and finds himself in 27th place in the Cup Series standings.

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Edited by Tushar Bahl
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