Justin Haley, who began final within the sequence’ inaugural avenue race final July, moved into the lead with 30 laps remaining and with the race size lower brief resulting from impending darkness, he was good on gas to the end.
Because it turned out, van Gisbergen, the three-time Supercars champion making his first Cup begin, handed Haley for the lead on a late-race restart and held him off once more in extra time to say the win on the two.2-mile, 12-turn course by means of the Grant Park space of downtown Chicago.
For Haley, that run was his solely prime 5 end of the 2023 season, however had he completed one place higher the victory might properly have dramatically altered his yr.
Now one yr later, van Gisbergen is competing full-time within the Xfinity Sequence – the place he’s gained a pair of street course this season – and operating a partial Cup schedule in preparation for a full-time transfer to that sequence in 2025.
Haley moved within the offseason to Rick Ware Racing and has helped lead a change in that group right into a weekly stable performer.
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing, Improve Well being Chevrolet Camaro celebrates in victory lane
Photograph by: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Photos
With a lot of the Cup subject on this Sunday’s Chicago race now with avenue race expertise, Haley believes the dynamics of this yr’s occasion could possibly be very totally different.
“I imply, clearly, SVG’s going to be fast, however , I don’t suppose he was lights out all weekend (final yr),” Haley stated. “Denny (Hamlin) received the ballot final yr and the groups could have positively developed.
“And now that we’ve all carried out it as soon as, I imply it’s only a street course with a little bit bit larger danger issue in the event you do have a problem.
“He’s going to be fast once more. I imply he’s carried out his entire life. However I do imagine or wish to suppose that we’d have caught up a little bit bit.”
Justin Haley, Rick Ware Racing, Components Plus Ford Mustang
Photograph by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Photos
Haley stated two issues labored in van Gisbergen’s favor final yr – the brand new venue for Cup drivers and the wild climate situations that noticed the usage of moist climate tires and finally shortened the occasion.
“I’m extra assured in simply the state of affairs as an entire, proper? I believe first follow, we have been all a little bit nervous,” he stated. “And uh, yeah, the rain all through the weekend was positively troublesome. However yeah, your confidence degree simply goes up.
“You realize, we get new tracks like North Wilkesboro and Iowa and it’s (nonetheless) simply what you’ve carried out your entire life. Then you definitely go to this, put the time period ‘avenue circuit’ on it and have the concrete boundaries tremendous shut and the whole lot’s totally different.
“I simply suppose logistically like type of figuring out the place the whole lot’s at and figuring out how the method is, I believe it’ll be extra fluid this yr for everybody.”
Whereas the 25-year-old native of Winamac, Ind., is presently thirty first within the sequence standings, he has a pair of top-10 finishes and 4 finishes of thirteenth or higher within the final six races.
Haley believes he can once more be a contender on the sequence’ return go to to avenue racing.
“Hopefully, (the climate) is best this yr, however I’m excited for it. I’m excited each week we go race proper now,” he stated.
“There are a number of locations the place you go to a race observe and you are like, ‘Wow, that is like, that is sick,’ proper? And I believe, , once we all received there final yr, we have been fairly excited as an business.
“It’s cool to type of be downtown and be within the thick of all of it.”
