Shane van Gisbergen narrowly misses hitting a camera operator after Chicago win.
Shane van Gisbergen's Chicago Burnout and Near-Miss Sparks Debate Over Dangers in Victory Celebrations originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Shane van Gisbergen and Chicago have become synonymous with one another. Since NASCAR started going to the Windy City in 2023, the New Zealand driver has made his way to Victory Lane each year on the 2.20-mile track.
The 36-year-old did it during his Cup Series debut two years ago, stunning the NASCAR world with multiple drivers, including Chase Elliott, admitting it was embarrassing to have someone come in and win during his first-ever race in the sport.
The three-time Supercars champion took the checkered flag first again in 2024, not in Cup but in the Xfinity Series. It was one of three wins during his first full-time season with the Series. He also won at Portland and Sonoma.
The Kiwi — in his rookie Cup season — recorded his second career win just a few weeks ago in Mexico City, which, much like Chicago, was the series making its inaugural visit to a circuit featuring right and left turns.
Expectations coming into the weekend along the shores of Lake Michigan were that SVG could win one if not both races.
He accomplished the first step on Saturday, out dueling his JR Motorsports teammate and fellow Red Bull driver Connor Zilisch on a late restart, recording his third win in the nation’s third-largest city.
After making a cooldown lap around the track, the No. 9 car slowed down the frontstretch before the engine started revving and smoke started billowing out from behind the rear tires. The burnout continued in front of the fans gathered in the grandstands.
The CW camera operator was providing the television-viewing audience a close perspective of the burnout, standing on the track-side of the concrete wall, which serves as the barrier between pit road. He almost got too close.
After @shanevg97 won the @XfinityRacing at @chicago, he narrowly missed hitting a camera operator during his celebratory burnout. pic.twitter.com/ogTzveaxDa
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) July 6, 2025
As the JRM car approached, SVG turned hard to the left and the right rear of the car whipped around. The screen immediately filled with smoke before the camera abruptly tilted to the side, the operator getting knocked off balance.
It was a near-miss. It was a close call. It was a disaster narrowly averted. It was all of those things — and it wasn’t the first time.
It’s happened in the past. The broadcast trying to get the best close-up shot of the victory celebration as possible. However, at some point, the question needs to be asked — at what costs?
It feels like it’s just a matter of time before the close call becomes an accident. It could result in a cameraperson losing their balance like today, a minor injury like a sprained ankle, or who knows, even much worse.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
