NASCAR is predominantly famous for its nail-bitingly intense oval racing action. But the American Stock Car series does ply its trade on street courses, too. The 2023 edition of the Grant Park 220 saw the Cup Series tackle the Chicago Street Circuit in Illinois with a Red Bull driver making his debut.
Kiwi racing ace, Shane van Gisbergen made his Cup Series debut at the race and it kept Max Verstappen on the edge of his seat.
Verstappen was cheering for his fellow Red Bull driver, who started the race from the second row. To add to the allure of the event, it turned out to be a wet-to-dry thriller that saw van Gisbergen win on debut—breaking a 60-year-old record held by Johnny Rutherford.
“I stayed awake to watch it. And I’ve never felt so nervous in my life watching someone else race and trying to win it. So yeah, I was literally screaming in front of my monitor for him to win that,” explained the Dutchman to the media on the eve of the 2023 British GP. And Verstappen didn’t watch it just for the spectacle or because he knew the Kiwi.
The reigning F1 champion also objectively praised Gisbergen’s adaptability to stock cars after having raced in V8 Supercars and the Australian GT series for several years before entering NASCAR. “I know he’s a great driver. I know what he’s capable of. And I know how good he is in different kinds of disciplines,” the Red Bull Racing driver added.
anyway here’s SVG winning the 2023 chicago cup race https://t.co/zl1hsRshgV pic.twitter.com/FUfCebNrg0
— Lux ️️ (@Zillygisbergen) December 14, 2024
Verstappen has often expressed his desire to race in other disciplines after his F1 career but never hinted at NASCAR. Like Gisbergen, the Dutchman would be keen to try his hand at rally cars and GT racing as well. As for NASCAR, he feels that’s not his “style” and he just likes to watch the series.
That said, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kyle Larson tried to ruffle Verstappen’s feathers last year by claiming that if the roles were reversed, he’d have the measure of the four-time F1 world champion.
The Max Verstappen – Kyle Larson conundrum
Last year, Larson created controversy when he declared himself to be a superior racing driver than the Dutchman. In fact, Larson proclaimed that whilst he could beat the #1 driver in F1, the Dutchman could never have the legs over him in NASCAR.
“I know, in my mind, I am better than him as an all-around driver,” he explained.
Larson’s comments sparked a huge debate on social media and between racing experts and pundits. Verstappen, on the other hand, dismissed the American racing driver’s comments.
“That’s fine. Everyone thinks their own way, right,” retorted the 27-year-old whilst quickly changing the subject when asked about Larson’s remarks.
In reality, we might never see this theory tested out. Verstappen is a keen enjoyer of all disciplines of motorsport but his heart lies with endurance racing outside the F1 paddock and may never even think to venture into the world of American Stock Car racing.
