Shane van Gisbergen’s Daytona 500 debut was a story of what-ifs and hard luck, ultimately resulting in a 33rd-place finish, eight laps off the lead.
His race began with a strong surge, climbing from 26th to 15th in the opening laps. This early progress was interrupted by a significant rain delay, a common Daytona wildcard, adding another unpredictable element to the already chaotic race.
The restart saw van Gisbergen make some clever tactical decisions. He wisely used the high line early on, gaining several positions and breaking into the top ten. This wasn’t just aggressive driving; it demonstrated a clear understanding of the track’s changing conditions as the ideal racing line shifted throughout the race.
A crucial moment arrived when he switched to the middle line. This perfectly timed move propelled him through the pack, unbelievably nosing him into the lead on lap 45. This brief taste of front, however, proved short-lived. A subsequent move to the inside line stifled his momentum; the Toyota behind chose fuel conservation over pushing forward, leaving van Gisbergen vulnerable. Within a few laps, he’d fallen back to 16th.
Van Gisbergen would spend the rest of the stage battling just outside the top ten, with a late multi-car incident involving Denny Hamlin and several others bringing out a caution flag on lap 63, which would put a close to the first Stage.
Stage 2 began with van Gisbergen in 18th position, but his race quickly took a disastrous turn. He became entangled in a massive pile-up triggered when front-runner Joey Logano’s Mustang suddenly lost power due to a blocked throttle body. This caused a chain reaction as cars checked up ahead.
Van Gisbergen’s #88 Chevrolet Camaro was caught in the crush, making rear-end contact with Ty Gibbs’ #54 Toyota. While the initial impact appeared minor, the force of the collision caved in the nose of van Gisbergen’s car.
The damaged hood became a major problem, and despite the #88 crew’s valiant efforts to repair the damage, the time lost proved too significant, effectively ending his race. Van Gisbergen would spend the remainder of the race circulating several laps down and well off the pace nursing the damaged #88 to the finish.
In the end, Van Gisbergen would finish his first Daytona 500 in 33rd, a result short of his hopes but showcasing considerable promise given his limited experience. Fortunately Van Gisbergen doesn’t have to sit on this disappointment for long, as he is back this weekend for Round 2 of the 2025 season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“Everything was good in the first stage, ran a lot up front and even led a lane, but got some damage to my 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet early in the second stage. Showed a lot of speed, just wish our race could’ve went a bit better.” said Van Gisbergen.
Header Image: Shane van Gisbergen Facebook
