Shane van Gisbergen Makes a 7-Word Confession About Intimidating Daytona Superspeedway

With a shift from supercar racing to NASCAR, Shane van Gisbergen is making waves in the racing world. In the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series, SVG drove for Trackhouse Racing and made a remarkable debut by winning the Grant Park 220 in Chicago. He became the first driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series debut race since IndyCar driver Johnny Rutherford in 1963.

Driving the No. 97 car for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series, SVG is looked up to as one of NASCAR’s most promising drivers of this era. However, it is common for drivers to find difficulty racing at a particular track. In a recent interview, Shane van Gisbergen discussed the most challenging race he has encountered in NASCAR so far. And guess which one it is?

Shane van Gisbergen calls it “crazy when the crashes happen” at this track

After the Richmond race, Shane van Gisbergen sat down for an interview with ‘Rubbin is Racing’. He encountered inquiries about the racetrack, which ignited a sense of challenge within him. Without any thought, SVG took Daytona International Speedway‘s name. We all know Daytona has that reputation for certain reasons, but to everyone’s surprise, the Kiwi racer mentioned that there are no escapes from the crashes in Daytona, and one just piles in the wreck fest.

Shane van Gisbergen said, “Yeah, probably Daytona, when you’re doing you know all in a pack, there’s 30-40 cars within a second or two and you’re just flat out at top speed. And if you’re in the middle of the pack and I thought it was a bit much for me, but you got to stay with it. You can’t get out of it and it’s crazy when the crashes happen. There’s nothing you can do, you just pile in.”

In his Xfinity Series debut at Daytona International Speedway, Shane van Gisbergen faced a challenging race. It wasn’t the start he’d expected after last year’s Chicago win. Despite encountering three separate incidents and nine cautions, he displayed remarkable resilience. Dropping off the lead lap twice, he made impressive comebacks using the Lucky Dog/Free Pass rule, which eventually allows a car to recover a lap during each caution. In the final moments, he skillfully avoided a last-lap incident among the lead pack.

Ultimately, SVG finished 12th, crossing the line just 2.914 seconds behind the winner, Austin Hill. Considering the difficulties he encountered, this result was a well-deserved reward for van Gisbergen’s tenacity on the track.

His chaotic Xfinity debut at Daytona International Speedway

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Starting from the 5th position, Shane van Gisbergen navigated through chaos and completed the full 120 laps. The pole-sitter and another debutant, Jesse Love, led proceedings from the outside. By the end of Lap 5, SVG was in 11th place. As the field settled into a single-file formation, he strategically moved up to 18th by lap 20. The first stage was approaching its end, and van Gisbergen attempted to form a bottom line but faced challenges. Despite this, he climbed to 16th on the outside. However, a caution on Lap 22 involved an incident at the back of the field, affecting four drivers, including SVG’s Trackhouse teammate Daniel Suarez.

Jesse Love continued to lead after the restart, and some drivers sacrificed point potential by pitting before the stage ended. He narrowly held off Austin Hill to secure the opening 30-lap stint, while Shane van Gisbergen finished in P15. After pit stops, he found himself in fifth place on the outside line. However, during the second restart, the inside lane surged ahead, and SVG dropped to fourth. Unfortunately, contact between two drivers in the middle lane caused Jesse Love to spin and collide with A.J. Allmendinger, who was directly ahead of SVG. With nowhere to go, he brushed the wall and took another hit from a spinning vehicle.

Per Xfinity Series regulations, teams are granted six minutes to repair damaged cars. Kaulig Racing efficiently utilized this time to restore their entry. Shane van Gisbergen re-entered the track in 31st position, albeit a lap down from the rest of the field. Despite these strong challenges on his very debut, the composure of SVG came into play. He is now gearing up for the spring race at Martinsville Speedway, fueled by the aspiration to clinch a much-awaited victory in the Xfinity Series.

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