The Kiwi took the chequered flag 14th at the end of a 600-mile contest won by teammate Ross Chastain.
Van Gisbergen, whose previous best on an oval this year was 20th, proved one of just 17 cars on the lead lap at the finish of the longest race on the Cup Series schedule.
The triple Supercars champion had started 30th and survived a wild moment just past lap 100, saving a major slide after a tap from Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Shane … Shane … SHANE! 😳 pic.twitter.com/jAUt0i2wTO
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 26, 2025
Van Gisbergen revealed post-race that floor damage sustained while taking evasive action for a clash involving Ryan Blaney, polesitter Chase Briscoe and another of the Trackhouse drivers, Daniel Suarez, prevented an even better result.
“We’ve just been chipping away the last few weeks; getting better and better,” said van Gisbergen.
“I feel like we’ve just been growing in confidence. We’ve been a bit under the radar, but we had some good pace there.
“Unfortunately when Daniel (Suarez) and Ryan (Blaney) wrecked, I had to go across the infield and it damaged something underneath and we were really tight.
“There were about five of them jumping on the front splitter to get it back down, but it wasn’t quite the same.
“A lot of the cars we finished behind, we were better than them, but it was promising.”
Contact! 😱
Shortly after a restart, @Blaney, @Daniel_SuarezG and @KyleLarsonRacin are caught up in this crash! #CocaCola600 pic.twitter.com/LnnQTUNCwe
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 26, 2025
Chastain was the man of the moment as he raced from a 40th place starting slot after a crash in practice required Trackhouse to build-up a spare car overnight.
The Florida watermelon farmer duly delivered by driving through the field and overtaking the night’s pacesetter, William Byron, for the lead six laps from home.
Byron kept the pressure on in the closing laps, but it was not enough to deny Chastain his first win of the year, the sixth of his career and first at Charlotte.
“When I left the shop last night, I went over and sat in this car for the first time. It was about 10 o’clock when I left,” said Chastain post-race.
“[The team] worked until 2:30. They were back at 5:30 this morning. Most of them drive 30, 45 minutes home. A little shower, I think. I don’t even know if they slept.
“[They were] back there at 5:30 to get this thing ready, and that’s the dedication it takes from Trackhouse.”
Third through fifth at the finish were Briscoe, AJ Allmendinger and Brad Keselowski.
RESULTS: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Denny Hamlin had been Byron’s biggest threat heading into the closing stages, but finished 16th after a refuelling glitch required an extra pit stop late.
Kyle Larson’s attempt at the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double proved miserable.
Having crashed out at Indy, he led early at Charlotte before clouting the concrete just over 40 laps into the 400 lap marathon.
The 2021 Cup Series champion was later taken out of the race for good having been an innocent party in the Suarez/Blaney/Briscoe incident.
“I saw smoke and I tried to get left through the infield and I just didn’t get far enough left,” explained Larson.
“I got tagged and it ended our night. Just a bummer of a day all around.”
Trackhouse’s fourth driver, young gun Connor Zilisch, was earlier delayed in a crash triggered by seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who was making his 700th career Cup start.
Problems for @JimmieJohnson in the No. 84! @ColeCuster and @ConnorZilisch are also involved. pic.twitter.com/7E96HqaGbK
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2025
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