Shane van Gisbergen is having the time of his life racing in NASCAR full-time

If not for the 2023 Chicago Street Race, Shane van Gisbergen's life would look a whole lot different.

The three-time Australian Supercars champion became the first driver in over 60 years to win in his first NASCAR Cup Series start last July, winning NASCAR's inaugural street race and becoming the hottest story in racing.

A year later, with two Xfinity Series wins under his belt and a chance to defend his Cup Series win on Sunday, van Gisbergen says full-time NASCAR competition never seemed like an option.

"Not at all," van Gisbergen said when asked if a NASCAR career was ever in the cards before Chicago last summer. "It was just a one-off at that point."

Said one-off turned into an improbable victory amid a perfect storm for NASCAR, as van Gisbergen would go on to run the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Road Course in August, as well as the Truck Series race at IRP on that same weekend.

van Gisbergen was then tapped to drive the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024, and with two wins under his belt — both of them coming at the road courses of Portland and Sonoma — he's the overwhelming favorite to win his third race of the season on Saturday in Chicago.

van Gisbergen is also among the favorites for Sunday's Grant Park 165, as the 35-year-old looks to defend his Chicago crown and earn his second Cup Series win. With a potential full-time Cup Series ride in van Gisbergen's future, every lap he turns is another opportunity to prove to the world that Chicago wasn't just a fluke, but a sign of things to come.

While van Gisbergen has taken naturally to stock-car racing, he admits that it hasn't been the easiest challenge to take on, both professionally and personally.

"It's been a huge 180 for me, in my life and in my career," van Gisbergen said.

According to the man himself, though, he's enjoying every minute of his time in America.

"I'm having the time of my life."

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.