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Shane van Gisbergen left feeling frustrated despite ‘amazing day’ at Coca-Cola 600
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- Shane van Gisbergen left feeling frustrated despite ‘amazing day’ at Coca-Cola 600
Photo by Krista Jasso/Getty Images
Shane van Gisbergen described the Coca-Cola 600 as an "amazing day" for Trackhouse Racing – but left Charlotte Motor Speedway frustrated after slipping outside the top 10 late in the race.
The No. 97 Chevrolet ran near the front for much of the night, with van Gisbergen even leading 11 laps as rain threatened to shorten the event.
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But a chaotic run to the finish – including a slow pit stop and a handful of wild restarts – saw him drop out of contention for a top-10 finish, eventually crossing the line in 11th.
Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
SVG frustrated after missing out on top-10 finish
Starting third after qualifying was cancelled, the Kiwi driver ran inside the top 10 through all three stages, finishing 10th, ninth, and seventh respectively.
With rain looming, Trackhouse opted to keep van Gisbergen out on older tyres – a move that briefly put him in the lead. But as the weather held off, he lost track position and couldn't recover in time.
Daniel Suarez was declared the winner after the race was called early, while van Gisbergen was left to reflect on what might have been.
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"It's hard," he said post-race.
"I had an amazing day, but I'm p—–. We were a top-five or six car, but we just didn't execute at the end."
Positive takeaways despite late frustration
Despite the disappointment, van Gisbergen found positives in the team's pace and strategy, crediting crew chief Stephen Doran for bold calls that kept them in the mix.
"It was really cool to run up front all day. We were gifted a good starting position with qualifying getting canceled."
"It was a good call by Stephen to stay out there. It was awesome to be able to lead some laps."
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Van Gisbergen's 11th-place result still moved him up two places in the NASCAR standings, taking him off the playoff bubble and into a more comfortable position heading into the next round.
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