Van Gisbergen scores 60-year NASCAR first

Three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen has become the first driver in 60 years to win on their NASCAR Cup Series debut.

Van Gisbergen powered to victory in the inaugural Chicago Street Race on the downtown streets of the Windy City.

The New Zealander, a two-time Bathurst 1000 winner, passed Justin Haley with five laps remaining to win the shortened race.

It came in van Gisbergen’s first start, the Kiwi having been picked up by Justin Marks to race Trackhouse’s Project91 wildcard Camaro.

With the result, van Gisbergen became the seventh driver to win his first start and first in 60 years.

Back in 1963, Johnny Rutherford won a points-paying qualifying race at Daytona.

Van Gisbergen will now return to Australia for the next round of the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship, the NTI Townsville 500. Tickets are on sale now.

Townsville will be broadcast live on the Seven Network on the Saturday and Sunday of the event.

Van Gisbergen celebrates victory Pic: NASCAR

It will be broadcast live on Foxtel (Fox Sports 506) and streamed on Kayo on all three days.

International fans can live stream every Supercars race and qualifying session live and uninterrupted on SuperView.

Van Gisbergen only led nine of 75 laps on Sunday, with the race shortened 25 laps earlier in the race due to darkness.

The win looked under threat with two laps to go in regulation, when Bubba Wallace locked up under braking and clouting Ricky Stenhouse Jr..

The race was sent into Overtime, but van Gisbergen denied Haley in the closing laps to take the historic win.

Van Gisbergen also became the first New Zealander to win a Cup Series race, joining former Supercars rival Scott McLaughlin in striking it large Stateside.

The 78-time Supercars race winner joined Marcos Ambrose as Supercars champions to win in the Cup Series.

Ambrose, the 2003 and 2004 Supercars champion, won at Watkins Glen in 2011 and 2012.

McLaughlin, himself a Supercars champion, has won four races in IndyCar since joining the series in 2021.

The 2019 Bathurst winner was one of many to celebrate van Gisbergen’s stunning victory, with the win sending shockwaves through world motorsport.