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The #16 Chevrolet Camaro driver was in contention for the win all day long and wound up leading with less than two laps remaining in an overtime finish.
The three-time Supercars champion was just a few corners short of victory until the bus stop chicane where he clipped the inside wall on entry.
To that point, van Gisbergen had been almost faultless, and eventual race winner Chris Buescher even noted the Kiwi had been faster than him through the chicane.
After hitting the wall, van Gisbergen got loose and missed the third apex and gave Buescher and opportunity to attack.
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Just a lap earlier, the future NASCAR Cup Series full-timer nudged the RFK Racing driver out of the lead into Turn 1 on the restart.
Buescher returned serve a the third-to-last corner and bumped van Gisbergen out of the way.
“Driver error,” said van Gisbergen.
“I knew Chris was really going to send it and push me if he could get there. As I turned in, I got a bit loose and clipped the inside wall. Just driver error.
“I’m gutted. The WeatherTech Camaro was really good. The race was awesome with Ross and Chris and the others at the end. I’m gutted we couldn’t get it.
“I had a lot of fun but I’m pretty angry at myself.”
UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!
CHRIS BUESCHER PASSES SHANE VAN GISBERGEN TO WIN AT WATKINS GLEN! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/ZYjaSJuZ8f
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 15, 2024
A world away from the no-contact Supercars scene, van Gisbergen said it was play-on as far as the bump-and-run approach goes.
“[On the restart] It was just a little bump to get him wide and I knew I was going to get it back,” van Gisbergen explained.
“That’s why I was pushing so hard. It is what it is, just gutted.”
Van Gisbergen’s next race is the NASCAR Xfinity Series Food City 300 at Brisol Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 21.
