Strategy misstep costs van Gisbergen All-Star berth

The Kiwi began from pole position and controlled the first leg of the race before the first round of pit stops, which proved pivotal.

Van Gisbergen got the holeshot into Turn 1 and left the Spire Motorsports duo of Carson Hocevar and Michael McDowell to battle over second.

The Spire pair banged wheels, opening the door for RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece to capitalise and displace McDowell for third.

At the halfway mark, van Gisbergen led by 3.5 seconds. Shortly thereafter, the competition caution flew.

Pit stops came with 47 laps to go. Van Gisbergen opted to take four tyres while several behind him took just two.

That cost the Kiwi track position, dropping van Gisbergen to sixth. Hocevar took the lead ahead of McDowell, Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing), Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing), and Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

Once the race went green with less than 40 laps to go, it took several laps for van Gisbergen to clear McDowell, but after finally getting by the #38 he found Preece in the #60 on his outside.

With four fresh tires, SVG and Preece have to go!

Less than 30 laps remain at @NWBSpeedway! pic.twitter.com/J4Nzefyeox

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 18, 2025

Attack turned to defence for van Gisbergen as AJ Allmendinger in the #16 Kaulig Racing Camaro put a pass on the #88 Trackhouse Camaro.

While van Gisbergen struggled, Preece made headway and with 28 laps to go passed Wallace for second and set about chasing Hocevar in the lead.

The caution flew for the seconds time with 23 laps to go when Riley Herbst slid up into the wall thanks to contact from a fading McDowell.

We’ve got contact! pic.twitter.com/trYRL8EsMB

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 18, 2025

“Tight entering and then just blowing the rears off it cracking the throttle,” said van Gisbergen of the second stint.

“Quite a bit different.”

Before the race restarted, Preece was sent to the rear of the field for a ‘choose’ violation.

Drivers have to pick whether to start on the top lane or bottom lane, and Preece was found to have run over the choose cone.

“How can we do that,” he said on the radio.

“You can’t even see the f***ing thing. You have to be shitting me.

“I thought it was the start-finish line. That is f***ing bullshit.

“How can you call it when you can’t see it.”

Van Gisbergen restarted inside the top five but began to fade fast as the second half of the field made headway on newer tyres.

Ultimately, the #88 faded to 13th. Hocevar, meanwhile, controlled proceedings at the front and won by half a second over John Hunter-Nemechek to book them an All-Star Race berth.

Post-race, van Gisbergen reported damage from contact with the #34 of Todd Gilliland.

Despite finishing 13th, van Gisbergen had a slim chance of making the race thanks to the Fan Vote. However, that went the way of the #4 Front Row Motorsports driver Noah Gragson.

Results: NASCAR All-Star Open, North Wilkesboro Speedway

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