With NASCAR heading back to street course racing in Chicago this weekend, all the talk and noise is naturally surrounding Shane van Gisbergen. The Kiwi speedster made history last season by winning the inaugural Cup Series race in the Windy City in his debut.
However, a lot has changed since his triumphant run. Shane van Gisbergen is now a rookie, running his first full season in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing. And this time around, he will be pulling off a double duty, competing in both Xfinity and Cup races. Expectations are high for the Kiwi Speedster, with many already considering him to be the runaway winner.
These expectations and pressures can throw even a good driver off course. But SVG isn’t too concerned about the outside noise and is looking to have a good time racing this weekend. “It’s almost like a holiday, a road race weekend for me. Just relax and have some fun,” he said in an interview with Jeff Gluck.
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However, not everyone is in favor of SVG looking to sweep the weekend at Chicago. JR Motorsports star Justin Allgaier had a rather interesting presumption about how well the Kiwi speedster will fare running in both races. He even hinted that he might not be the outright favorite to win the Xfinity Series race. The message he was trying to convey was that SVG is better adapted to the Cup car thanks to its resemblance to stock cars from the Supercars Series.
Do you agree with Dale Jr. that Shane van Gisbergen is the favorite for the Chicago race?
Maybe, but it’s too early to tell
Interesting comment from @J_Allgaier when asked by @dustinlong about SVG being the favorite. Allgaier says SVG should be considered a bigger favorite for the Cup race than the Xfinity race this weekend because of how much more Cup matches up to Supercars.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 5, 2024
This was indeed a big take by Allgaier ahead of the race and certainly started the debate online. Fans soon started to share their opinions on the same; some agreed with the JRM star, while others had a different perspective regarding the same.
Will Shane van Gisbergen dominate the Xfinity Series race in Chicago?
SVG has garnered a huge fan following ever since breaking into NASCAR. Therefore, Allgaier comments were taken as an offense by a few, who were quick to highlight his dominant runs on the road course this season so far, “I mean how can SVG not be the favorite in Xfinity? The guy won 2/3 road courses this year and should’ve won the first one if Austin Hill wasn’t a te*rorist.”
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Another fan disagreeing with the JRM star driver’s view explained how SVG has been on a roll despite being in the new environment. “Well considering he’s almost 3/3 on tracks that the field have more experience on and in a car that’s vastly different to anything he’s driven before, I’d have to respectfully disagree with Justin. The Xfinity car rewards driver talent more than the cup car.”
But some weren’t convinced that SVG was a clear favorite to win this Sunday. This particular fan was also not impressed with how the media has been on the hype train, crowing the Kiwi speedster as a top contender, “Interesting how all the media talks about is SVG winning in Chicago. He’s an Xfinity rookie who has only won road courses. What regular cup driver is favored to do well?!”
Furthermore, a fan agreed with Allgaier’s theory that driving the Xfinity car would be a challenge compared to the Cup car. He even fancied a SVG vs. Allgaier battle for tomorrow’s race, “Allgaier is right. The cup cars are very similar to a supercar. The xfinity race should be super fun to watch. The battle between Allgaier and SVG will be great.”
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It looks like not everyone is rooting for van Gisbergen to win the Chicago Street Race. This race fan certainly didn’t shy away from venting out his feelings, and he even imagined the scenes of what it would be like if SVG didn’t emerge victorious. “It’s gonna be hilarious when SVG doesn’t win.”
Well, it’s hard for the fans to bet against SVG given how highly he is rated on road course venues. But, Justin Allgaier can have his say, as he is one of the drivers that could foil his run during the race.
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