CHICAGO — Shane van Gisbergen isn’t any match for his NASCAR opponents in terms of the Chicago Road Course.
The 36-year-old New Zealand native in his first full NASCAR Cup Collection season gained Sunday’s Grant Park 165 for the second time prior to now three years.
The victory additionally accomplished a sweep of the weekend for the Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet driver. Van Gisbergen gained from the pole on Sunday in the future after driving a JR Motorsports Chevrolet from the pole to victory in NASCAR Xfinity Collection competitors.
Van Gisbergen matched Kyle Busch’s 2016 efficiency at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he gained in each sequence from the pole on the identical weekend. They’re the one two drivers to set that mark.
“What an incredible weekend for me,” stated van Gisbergen, who drove the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet to his second Cup victory on the two.2-mile, 12-turn circuit. “Fortunate man to drive some nice vehicles. I thank Trackhouse, WeatherTech Chevy and all these guys and women right here — what an incredible weekend. Thanks everybody for popping out, and hope we placed on present.”
It was the second victory of the season for van Gisbergen, who additionally gained on the highway course in Mexico Metropolis.
Ty Gibbs introduced his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota dwelling second, matching his career-best end. He needed to maintain off Tyler Reddick, who had more energizing tires on his 23XI Racing Toyota, over the ultimate laps.
“Yeah, really feel like we had a quick Monster Power Toyota Camry (right this moment). Simply want some extra entrance flip,” Gibbs stated. “Really feel like I wasn’t as – free sufficient to get my factors and exits proper, however there’s issues I can work on as nicely to make it higher. We had day general and executed nicely. Simply have to be slightly bit quicker and I feel we may’ve obtained him (Shane van Gisbergen).”
Reddick got here dwelling third after ending second final 12 months at Chicago.
“We type of ended up in a troublesome spot there on the penultimate restart, I suppose,” Reddick stated. “A few of the vehicles have been spinning — I can’t identify all of them, however sadly we type of simply obtained caught within the incorrect lane the place I needed to test up. I obtained behind these vehicles that we have been on the identical tire technique as us, so we simply misplaced a little bit of time there passing these vehicles again.
“It’s nice to complete third, however it’s for positive a bummer while you have a look at how a lot floor you made up.”
Many groups tried totally different methods and rain was approaching in the course of the closing laps, however nothing may cease van Gisbergen on this present day.
“The technique was a bit everywhere, as we knew it could be right this moment, racing the climate, racing vehicles and totally different (pit) stops,” Van Gisbergen stated. “Stephen (Doran, crew chief) did a very good job on the field all day of simply portray the image in my head of who I used to be up towards.
“We had two nice pit stops. Simply so stoked to get (sponsor) WeatherTech in victory lane for his or her dwelling race.”
Denny Hamlin raced from the again of the sphere after lacking observe and qualifying on Saturday as a result of a blown engine, however fought his solution to a fourth-place end.
Kyle Busch, who spun early within the race, rallied from the rear of the sphere to complete fifth.
A large eight-car crash that began when Carson Hocevar hit the wall in flip 10, blocked the monitor on lap three and introduced a purple flag
Michael McDowell handed van Gisbergen at first and led 31 laps and gained the primary stage, however misplaced 22 laps after a caught throttle on his Chevrolet.
Level chief William Byron dropped out early with clutch points and completed fortieth. He leads Chase Elliott by 13 factors within the standings.
