“I’m not willing to do stupid shit”: Shane van Gisbergen navigates cautiously amid his transition from Xfinity to Cup cars 

Shane Van Gisbergen finished 14th at the iconic Coca-Cola 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway despite having damage due to a multi-car tangle that forced the driver to go across the infield. The driver was running inside the top 20 when the incident happened. The driver started racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series from this year itself. This was the driver's second-best finish at an oval in the Cup Series. Gisbergen's teammate, Ross Chastain, went on to win the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 race in a last-lap thriller.

Van Gisbergen reflected on the race and contrasted the differences he faced, transitioning from the Xfinity Series to the Cup Series.

"The margins are so tight, on the restarts, I struggle with the dirty air, just not knowing where to place the car, I'm just not experienced. I'm not willing to do stupid shit yet because I don't wanna crash, I need to get all the laps I can, and it's working for us. The results aren't great, but I feel like we are getting there," Shane Van Gisbergen said to the media post-race. [1:09 onwards]

The driver competed in the NASCAR Xfinity series full-time last year. The Kiwi driver drives the No. 88 Chevrolet car for the Trackhouse Racing Team in the Cup Series this season. Shane Van Gisbergen became the talk of the town in 2023 after winning his debut Cup Series race at the Chicago Street Course.

The 36-year-old driver is currently ranked 33rd in the Cup Series this season with 161 points scored so far. The driver would look to continue his form and deliver a strong performance in the next race at Nashville.

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Shane Van Gisbergen could have finished better if there hadn't been damage

Shane Van Gisbergen avoided chaos multiple times during the 400-lap race at Charlotte this weekend. The driver had to save the car from being turned sideways in the middle of the straight due to a contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He also had to dodge Zane Smith, who spun in front of him in turn two.

He moved his car to a genuine top-ten finish in the third stage, but a multi-car incident involving his teammate, Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe had a significant impact on his race.

"Unfortunately, when Daniel and Ryan wrecked, I had to go across the infield, and it damaged something underneath, and we were really tight. There were about five crew members jumping on the front splitter to get it back down, but it wasn't quite the same. A lot of the cars we finished behind, we were better than them, but it was promising," Gisbergen said to the media post-race.

Shane Van Gisbergen at the NASCAR All-Star Open - Source: Imagn

It was Gisbergen's first start in the Cup Series at this track, but he finished 15th last year during the Xfinity Series' race at the venue. The driver would now look to improve his performance in the upcoming races in the NASCAR calendar.