Shane van Gisbergen Dodges Daytona Carnage, Charges to the Front in chaotic race
Shane van Gisbergen again proved his knack for surviving chaos at Daytona, emerging unscathed from two separate mid‑race melees and powering from the middle of the field to lead laps in a race that swung on cautions, pit strategy and changing conditions.
Mechanical scare, early shuffle and a close call on lap 6
The day nearly began badly for the Trackhouse Racing driver when a loose heel protector was discovered in the cockpit before the green flag. The team corrected the issue and lined the No. 97 SuperFile Chevrolet up 13th, a grid position that belied what lay ahead.
Van Gisbergen worked his way up from the bottom lane early, but the pack tightened quickly. On lap 6 of 200 a spin near the tail of the field triggered damage to multiple cars and forced a caution. Under the yellow, his crew topped off fuel and he rejoined the field with a plan to be patient.
After the restart he ran near the front through the opening stage, then elected to pit late and finished the stage down the order in 24th. He used the stage break for fuel and tires, restarting further back but positioned to strike when the race intensity ramped up.
Dodging carnage, strategic stops and a charge to the front
With weather threatening later in the day and the pack racing harder for track position, a multi‑car crash on lap 85 collected a number of front‑running entries. Van Gisbergen threaded his way through the melee and came out of the incident in 18th, then stopped for service under caution to top off fuel and fit four fresh tires.
From roughly 21st on the subsequent restart he wasted little time. The New Zealand driver sliced through the field, using clean air and well‑timed drafting to move to the front and lead laps — his first time up front in this marquee race.
Throughout the day he balanced aggression with caution, avoiding contact in a race where many others paid the price for small mistakes. Strategic pit calls and quick service from his crew put him in position to pounce whenever a window opened, and his pace in the draft proved competitive against seasoned pack racers.
Driver reaction and what it means for Sunday
Van Gisbergen reflected on the weekend's ups and downs with measured optimism. “We obviously didn’t qualify as well as we would have liked. We missed it a little bit. But once the race started, our No. 97 SuperFile Chevy was really nice. We were just patient at the start; saving fuel and riding in the back being safe. Once we were ready to go, I could creep up the pack quite nicely. It was really fun to be competitive and put ourselves in a good spot. We got close to a couple of wrecks, but missed them. We had a good pit stop and it worked out really well. It’s a good starting spot for Sunday. ”
The performance underlines van Gisbergen’s growing comfort in NASCAR’s restrictor‑plate style pack racing and gives Trackhouse a momentum boost heading into the main event. With rain closing in and cautions continuing to shuffle the running order, the No. 97 team has shown it can adapt — and that adaptability could be decisive when the checkered flag falls.
For now, van Gisbergen leaves Daytona having again demonstrated an uncanny ability to evade big wrecks and capitalize on opportunity when the race opens up. The coming days will reveal whether that ability can be converted into a first Daytona victory.
