Shane van Gisbergen looked set for a breakthrough result on an oval in the NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but a chaotic multi-car incident dashed his hopes.
The Trackhouse Racing driver entered the race off the back of a career-best oval qualifying effort, securing 10th on the grid.
Van Gisbergen quickly capitalised on the strong starting position, moving into sixth early and running consistently inside the top 10 during the first third of the 301-lap event.
The Kiwi’s early pace included battles with Ryan Blaney and other frontrunners, and he earned his first oval stage points with a seventh-place finish in Stage 1.
Van Gisbergen’s race had its tense moments even before the major accident. On Lap 82, he made contact with Josh Berry, sending the Wood Brothers Racing Mustang spinning and bringing out the caution.
Despite these skirmishes, van Gisbergen maintained a competitive position and looked poised for a solid finish.
The turning point came on Lap 118. While running near the top 10 on a restart, the #88 Chevrolet Camaro was caught in the middle of Turn 2 traffic.
Brad Keselowski, attempting to squeeze inside, brushed the wall and clipped van Gisbergen’s car.
The Kiwi spun twice in front of the pack before being struck by Kyle Busch, leaving the car with significant front suspension damage. Teammate Daniel Suarez and Justin Haley were also involved, while Suarez’s race ended in the wall.
Despite the heavy damage, van Gisbergen returned to the track after repairs, circulating 50 laps down to eventually finish 32nd.
“It was frustrating because the car was really strong, and we were running well,” he said after the race.
“I felt good on the long runs, and it could have been a solid result for us.”
The race was ultimately won by Ryan Blaney, who held off Berry in a tense final stint to become the first driver to lock a spot in the Round of 8.
“Probably the hardest 20 laps I drove,” Blaney reflected.
“He started to get super free, and it was all I could do to hold him off. Clean racing, and I appreciate Josh not throwing me the bumper when he could have.”
Van Gisbergen and the NASCAR Cup Series return to action next weekend at Kansas Speedway, with the race scheduled for Monday, 29 September at 8:00am NZST.
Header Image: NASCAR
