The Kaulig Racing driver had spent much of the race cruising around at the tail end of the lead lap until Stage 3 when he began his charge.
The #97 was running on the fringe of the top 10 when chaos unfolded. With six laps to go, van Gisbergen crossed the line in 16th.
Entering Turn 3, the #5 of Anthony Alfredo got loose and Jeffrey Earnhardt in the #26 came down across the nose of the #45 driven by Caesar Bacarella
The #26 got tipped into a spin and came back up the track, taking the #45, #5, the #97, and several more with him.
The #51 of Jeremy Clements was among the victims, as well as Josh Bilicki in the #92.
Van Gisbergen’s car suffered damage, forcing him to pit lane for repairs.
Take the short survey.
The race was duly red-flagged and set up an overtime finish after a lengthy wait. Ryan Truex went on to win the race when AJ Allmendinger got spun and the caution flew.
Van Gisbergen was able to take the chequered flag in 25th, albeit, one lap down.
Big trouble on Lap 96!@AlphaBacarella exited the No. 45 under his own power. pic.twitter.com/y9OILWSjsS
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) August 24, 2024
Speaking post-race with Frontstretch for Speedcafe, van Gisbergen said there was an issue with his car from the outset of the race.
“Bit of a nothing race for us,” said van Gisbergen.
“I couldn’t even go flat through the tri-oval at the start. There was something odd in the car. Normally, these races, the cars are like a lounge chair. We struggled all night.”
Speaking about the crash in the final few laps, van Gisbergen said there was not much he could have done to avoid the melee.
“You could see stuff happening but if you stand on the brakes too hard you’re going to get run over from behind,” van Gisbergen explained.
“I’m learning how to manage the momentum of the crash. Just unlucky.
“I was just trying to stay out of trouble,” he added.
“We got better and better but the adjustments they were making were huge. I don’t know. We were really struggling.
“I was still going to get something out of it and then finally got into a wreck that put us a lap down. Try again tomorrow.”
Van Gisbergen will race again on Sunday in the NASCAR Cup Series. That race gets underway at 9:30am.
Driving the #16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro, van Gisbergen will start 32nd.
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