Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen wrestled with an unruly car for much of the first half of the 400-lap race in Martinsville.
At the same time, his Trackhouse teammates Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez charged forward and spent some time in the Top 10.
Frustrated with the performance of his #88 Chevrolet Camaro, Van Gisbergen described the car as tight and “terrible,” struggling to rotate through the centre of the turns. A missing rear shock packer, which had fallen out during his first pit stop, was reinstalled in hopes of improving the handling.
Despite the adjustment, the Kiwi reported ongoing issues shortly after Lap 100. It wasn’t until a significant setup change later in the race on Lap 160 that the car finally started to feel more manageable.
By then, however, van Gisbergen was already a lap down and pushing to secure the Lucky Dog position to be in position for a free pass when the race’s next caution occurred. His fortunes began to shift as his lap times improved, matching those of the race leaders.
He eventually became the first car a lap down, and a well-timed caution granted him the free pass back onto the lead lap. But stuck at the rear of the field, a long green-flag run during Stage 3 saw him fall a lap down once more.
Hoping to regain lost ground, the team brought him in for fresh tyres, but a crucial mistake proved costly—a loose right-rear tyre wasn’t adequately secured.
Exiting pit road, van Gisbergen lost control, entered Turn 3 and spun, triggering a caution.
“That’s a bad feeling right there,” remarked Clint Bowyer on Fox Sports broadcast.
Kevin Harvick added, “He had no idea. Usually, you can feel the car start to squirm when the tyre isn’t on right. But he had just come out of the pits going straight—no warning at all.”
There are calls to bring back five lugnuts, as fans can’t comprehend why the change isn’t being overturned, as unsecured wheels have become common this season.
The pit lane blunder resulted in van Gisbergen being penalised and held for two laps, leaving him five laps down with 100 laps remaining. The incident will also see two Trackhouse Racing pit crew members suspended for the next two races.
Van Gisbergen finished the race 35th, six laps down in another disappointing oval race for the Kiwi.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin won the 400-lap race by 4.6 seconds, leading over 250 laps. Christopher Bell finished behind in second and Wallace in third. Chase Elliot and Kyle Larson rounded out the Top 5.
Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain finished 6th in front of Ryan Preece. Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe and Todd Gilliland rounded out the Top 10.
Van Gisbergen’s Trackhouse teammate, Daniel Suarez, finished 21st.
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Darlington Speedway next week, a track at which Van Gisbergen has Cup-level experience. Last September, he finished 26th at Darlington. He also raced there in May in the Xfinity Series, finishing 15th.
Header Image: Logan Riely/Getty Images
