SVG suffers Kansas shocker in Trackhouse horror show

SVG showed some promise in practice and qualifying but battled understeer in the overtime-extended race to end up four laps down.

During the Stage 3 break, van Gisbergen said the car was never in the set-up ballpark.

The team took big swings at the set-up but couldn’t come close to getting the #97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro comfortable.

He also battled a voltage issue and then brake dramas meant the pedal going to the floor.

At the conclusion, a downcast van Gisbergen radioed to his team: “Hopefully there’s a reason.”

Trackhouse Racing struggled on the whole with Ross Chastain in the #1 car finishing two laps down in 26th while Connor Zilisch took the #88 car to 29th.

Pole position winner Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing won the 274-lap race in an enthralling overtime finish.

The contest to that point had been a relatively sedate affair with no incident-induced cautions.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin in the #11 Camry led the race after pulling off an undercut with his Lap 218 pit stop.

However, he was caught by Reddick in the #45 Camry inside the final scheduled 10 laps.

The pair traded places as they navigated traffic before Reddick relinquished the lead when he was forced to go to the fuel reserve.

Just as Hamlin was about to take the white flag, Cody Wares spun his #51 Rick Ware Racing Camaro in front of the leaders to bring out the caution.

That brought the leaders to the pits, led by Hamlin and Reddick.

Few front-runners elected to gamble on strategy for the two-lap shootout and elected to take right side tyres.

On the restart, Hamlin got the jump on Reddick. However, best of all was the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro of Kyle Larson in third, who went onto the apron to pass Hamlin and take the lead momentarily.

Christopher Bell, who restarted fourth, was quick away too in the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Camry. He went high and looked to round up Reddick and Hamlin for second but copped a hit from the former and got into the wall.

Bell’s car was wounded and he nearly took Hamlin out trying to get to the bottom of the race track and out of harm’s way.

Larson led the field to the white flag with Reddick in tow and Hamlin third while Chase Elliott in the #9 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro got himself to fourth and Chase Briscoe to fifth in the #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Camry on four new tyres.

Entering the first turn, Reddick dived to the inside of Larson and got alongside the race leader. Behind them, Hamlin got into the wall trying to pass Briscoe.

Entering Turn 3, Elliott had his nose ahead, but the low line paid dividends for Reddick and he cleared Elliott for the lead and the chequered flag first.

“Just really blessed with the late caution. How about that. Was that nuts or what? I couldn’t believe it,” said Reddick.

“These late race restarts, it gets really crazy. I had a run on the #5 and I was just shocked I was able to his inside there.

“Just an incredible Toyota Camry all day long. It was really great we got that late caution.”

The NASCAR Cup Series returns in a week on April 27 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Results: NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400, Kansas Speedway

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