The #97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro slid up into the side of Erik Jones in the #43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota Camry.
That turned van Gisbergen sideways, who looked like he would spin before nudging the right rear corner of Chase Briscoe’s #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Camry.
Van Gisbergen went onto the apron and recovered his car to only lose a handful of positions.
“Very, very tight,” van Gisbergen radioed to his team in the laps after the moment.
“Unbelievably bad. Just extremely tight.”
The moment left former NASCAR Cup Series driver turned commentator Clint Bower in awe.
“Holy cow. What a wild ride,” he remarked.
“Watch him right there in the middle. Starts to get squeezed. He’s pushing up a little bit on the exit. Just like Kevin was talking about. He just barely clips Briscoe on the bottom.
“Wow. Clean them shorts up, let’s go.”
NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick added: “That’s like a magnet right there. When that car starts to take off tight like that, it pulls you up into that car on the outside of you.
“The only that’s going to stop it going up into the wall is another car in between you and the wall.
“Got pretty lucky on that one. A lot of skill, a lot of luck right there.”
Are you serious right now, SVG?!?! 👏 pic.twitter.com/CwXKU555ti
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 15, 2026
Van Gisbergen said he was struggling, and was told by his team that he had damaged his front splitter when he went to the apron.
Denny Hamlin led a Joe Gibbs Racing top three in the opening laps, ahead of Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs.
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