Shane van Gisbergen on the difference between Xfinity, Cup cars, inability for Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch to relate

Shane van Gisbergen famously won his first start in the NASCAR Cup Series during last season’s trip to Chicago, and he’s returning to the Windy City with victory on his mind yet again.

Since his triumph last year, van Gisbergen’s life has been turned upside down. He’s taken to NASCAR and America in general, and the New Zealander is racing in the Xfinity Series full-time, with designs on moving to the Cup Series in 2025.

Speaking with Jeff Gluck of The Athletic, van Gisbergen explained the difference between the Xfinity Series and Cup Series cars, and how it all relates to Supercars, where he cut his teeth. Additionally, van Gisbergen elaborated on why drivers like Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott haven’t been able to relate to his feelings on the matter.

“So the Xfinity car, I’ve never driven anything like that. I’ve never driven a car that drives like a forklift, where the rear end is doing the steering. Every other car feels solid, locked-in, makes downforce in a straight line, rather than yawed out,” van Gisbergen explained, during the latest edition of 12 Questions. “The Cup car is relative to pretty much every other race car in the world. So I jumped in that Cup car at the Coke 600 and that was the first real oval I’ve done (in Cup) and it just feels like a normal car. You’re like, ‘OK, I can push on and be comfortable with this, get a feel.’

“Whereas in an Xfinity car, it slides — and I don’t know if it’s the (differential) moving or the air doing its thing or the car is actually sliding. Like there are just so many features and feelings I’ve never felt before. And whenever I’ve spoken to people like Kyle Busch or Chase Elliott, they’re like, ‘Man, it’s the opposite for us. We love that feeling where it feels like the car is sitting and yawing.’ So yeah, the Cup car is way different to a Supercar, but it’s still more relevant than most of the stock cars here.”

With all the differences in all three series, it’s miraculous van Gisbergen has been able to have the success he’s had in just his one year in NASCAR as a whole. Regardless, he’s quickly become a fan favorite, due to his ability, and the personality he’s showcased throughout that time.

Will he be able to repeat in Chicago? It won’t be easy, but Shane van Gisbergen is the betting favorite at the moment. We’ll see if he can get the job done, and continue his torrid pace.