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Watch: Shane Van Gisbergen Nearly Takes the Cameraman out During Wild Burnout After Chicago Xfinity Race Win

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Armaan Agarwal | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 9:23 AM ET

New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen is considered the standout driver for NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race. The 36-year-old won the inaugural Cup Series race two years ago. As such, expectations were high on the Kiwi driver’s shoulders this weekend. Gisbergen did not disappoint his fans with a victory in the Xfinity Series. However, things almost got out of hand.

The 36-year-old driving the No. 9 Chevrolet of JR Motorsport, managed to pull off an impressive performance. Shane van Gisbergen once again proved that he remained the best driver in the field in the streets of Chicago. After the race, the Kiwi driver was celebrating his triumph with fans. Gisbergen was doing an epic burnout in his Chevrolet, with some donuts for fans to enjoy.

As Gisbergen slid his car on the straight, it seemed like the NASCAR cameraperson might be in danger. The cameraperson was forced to move aside within a split-second as the tail of the No. 9 car went sideways. Luckily, the cameraperson was unharmed, and the celebrations continued. However, it was a stark reminder that a driver must be aware of their surroundings even after the end of a race to ensure they do not create any dangerous situations on-track.

Burn it ALL the way down, @shanevg97! pic.twitter.com/OtY9p5OYvA
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) July 5, 2025

Shane van Gisbergen takes pole for Cup Series race

The Kiwi driver seems to be on fire this weekend. Shane van Gisbergen not only won the Xfinity race, but even managed to clinch pole for the Cup Series round on Sunday. The Trackhouse Racing star is right at home in the Chicago street circuit.

After Qualifying, Gisbergen was happy to have secured pole. The 36-year-old asserted that he was having a hard time during practice. However, things improved substantially during Qualifying. The former V8 Supercars champion claimed that a couple of good laps allowed him to grab the first slot for the race.

Practice wasn’t that great for us, but when we went out for qualifying, the car felt really good. We turned in two pretty good laps.
Shane van Gisbergen said post-Qualifying.

Shane van Gisbergen will not have an easy time in the race. Michael McDowell will be starting in second place. McDowell has made it clear that he’s ready to push the Kiwi driver to the limit this time around, a sort of redemption for the 2023 race. Though, Gisbergen would have gained immense confidence after his Xfinity Series win, and thus will be the favorite on Sunday.

The 36-year-old has been under scrutiny ever since he made the switch from Australia’s V8 Supercars to NASCAR. Critics are not happy to see Gisbergen secure a spot in the Playoffs after his victory in Mexico City. Some believe that the Kiwi driver does not deserve a place in the Playoffs due to his struggles in superspeedways. Though, Shane van Gisbergen has been working on improving himself beyond just road courses.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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