Shane van Gisbergen matches historic NASCAR milestone set by Jimmie Johnson after dominant Chicago win

Shane van Gisbergen is rewriting the script on how quickly a newcomer can shake up the NASCAR Cup Series. With a dominant victory at the 2025 Grant Park 165, the New Zealander not only swept the Chicago weekend but matched a modern-era milestone that had remained untouched since Jimmie Johnson's rookie year.

By sealing his third Cup Series win in just his 33rd career start, SVG equaled Johnson's early-career pace, becoming the fastest driver to reach three wins since the seven-time champion did so in 2002. His latest triumph came in familiar fashion, controlling a chaotic street course from pole position to victory lane.

NASCAR's official handle acknowledged the feat on X:

"Three Cup Series wins in 33 career starts for @shanevg97. That's the fastest a driver has reached this milestone since @JimmieJohnson in 2002."

It's a number that places Shane van Gisbergen alongside some of the biggest names of NASCAR's modern era.

His 3-in-33 matches the mark of Tony Stewart, who also won three races in his first 33 Cup starts during his 1999 rookie season with Joe Gibbs Racing. Stewart's third win came late in the year at Homestead, closing out one of the strongest debut seasons in NASCAR history. Like SVG, Stewart entered the sport from open-wheel roots but has transitioned with surprising comfort to NASCAR's grind.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Shane van Gisbergen (88) leads the field during the Grant Park 165. Source: Imagn

Carl Edwards reached the same milestone in 46 starts, pulling off a breakthrough victory at Atlanta in 2005 while driving for Roush Racing. Another modern giant, Kevin Harvick, needed 54 races to notch his third win, which came in 2002 at Chicagoland. Stepping into the iconic No. 3 car after Dale Earnhardt's death, Harvick's early years were marked by turbulence.

Looking further back, pre-2000 legends like David Pearson (40 starts), Dale Earnhardt (42 starts), and Bobby Isaac (38 starts) had also set blazing pace. But even they couldn't match the Kiwi's mark.

---

"These races are like a holiday to me": Shane van Gisbergen breaks multiple records in Chicago

Shane Van Gisbergen after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course. Source: Getty

Sunday's Grant Park 165 was a full-circle moment for Shane van Gisbergen and Trackhouse Racing. From the drop of the green, he looked confident behind the wheel of the No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet.

After Michael McDowell led the first 31 laps and took Stage 1, a stuck throttle took him out of contention. The Trackhouse Racing ace took the lead for the final time on Lap 60, sliding inside Chase Briscoe in Turn 2, braking late in Turn 4, and never looking back. Despite two late-race cautions, SVG held off Ty Gibbs and Tyler Reddick, winning the race under caution.

He completed the weekend sweep, becoming just the second driver after Kyle Busch to win both Cup and Xfinity races in the same weekend. The 2025 win marked his second Cup win at Chicago, building on his 2023 debut victory. SVG now has four victories across Cup and Xfinity at the street circuit, making him the most successful driver on the course.

The victory also made Shane van Gisbergen the most successful foreign-born driver in Cup Series history with three wins, passing Marcos Ambrose and Earl Ross.

"That's a very special stat. That's why I'm here, I guess. Justin (Marks) took a massive chance on me. 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... But, 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," van Gisbergen said in the post-race press conference.

SVG added yet another line to the record books by becoming just the second driver in Cup Series history to win his first three poles exclusively on road courses, joining Dan Gurney.

His 2025 tally now stands at 308 points, with two more street circuits remaining this season. He's already secured two wins this year and continues to make progress on ovals.