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A few weeks ago, when NASCAR went to the Chicago Street Course for the very first time, no one expected a non-NASCAR driver to win this race. Well, that’s exactly what happened. As regular NASCAR drivers struggled to stay off the walls, V8 Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen earned his first-ever Cup Series win on his debut.
Speaking about the win, Hendrick Motorsports Chase Elliott mentioned how SVG made other drivers look bad. Interestingly, as we head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a few weeks for the road race, Gisbergen will be making his second Cup Series appearance. Asked about it, Elliott struck a grateful tone and welcomed the Kiwi driver to NASCAR.
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Chase Elliott talks SVG’s return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway
During a speech at the driver’s press conference in Pocono, Elliott said: “Yeah, I didn’t know he was coming back, so that’s great. I hope all these guys come and run more races because I think it will make us better at the end of the day. It’s super cool and I’m glad to hear he got another opportunity. I mean the guy went and won the race. He deserves to run as much as he wants. But I think it’s great and I can’t wait to have it and race with it again. As I said in Chicago, I thought his ride was not only impressive but very elegant.
“You haven’t seen him run over people. He didn’t run over people to win the race. I think he did it the right way and it’s very admirable, and I think people like that deserve great opportunities. I can’t wait to see him again and race against these two guys.
What exactly did Elliott say in Chicago when SVG won the race?
After the race, Elliott and teammate Larson were all very impressed with the Kiwi’s victory. Larsson said:It was cool to see, and I think when a guy like that can come in and kick your ass at your own game, it shows we all have room to improve.”
Meanwhile, his teammate, Elliott said, “I don’t want to speak for everyone, but he made me look bad, and I think of all of us too. He’s gonna go home and tell all his friends how bad we are.
Interestingly, fellow driver Denny Hamlin had countered Elliott’s claims that he made them look bad. The JGR driver said NASCAR drivers entered the world of SVG given that none of the NASCAR drivers had driven on street courses before. Meanwhile, the V8 Supercars series held several street courses in its regular schedule.