The three-time Supercars champion had been running on the cusp of the top 10 shortly after the restart for Stage 2 when he was squeezed into the wall after Jesse Love (#2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) was nudged into a spin.

Kaulig Racing repaired the #97 Chevrolet and, with the help of a free pass during two subsequent Caution periods, van Gisbergen was back on the lead lap and 17th by the end of Stage 2.

Having pitted during the stage break, the Kiwi emerged ninth for the restart before gradually slipping down the order, as he had done during Stage 1 after qualifying fifth.

With 45 laps of 120 to go at Daytona International Speedway, the critical lap had been reached and green flag pit stops got underway.

Riley Herbst (#98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford) was the leader, actually and effectively, when he peeled off on Lap 76 and was followed into the lane by van Gisbergen, who had fallen as low as 25th, among others.

With several drivers running longer, two groups formed.

Van Gisbergen moved his way back towards the front of the second group, being those who had made their final scheduled pit stop, which included the effective race leader.

However, he was the cause of the Caution on Lap 97 when he tagged the #27 Chevrolet of Jeb Burton (Jordan Anderson Racing) into a spin and was himself unloaded into the infield in the incident.

Van Gisbergen somehow saved that moment as he skated on the grass inside of Turn 4, and was 21st when the race restarted again on Lap 103, with Ryan Sieg leading in the #39 RSS Racing Ford.

Almost as soon as the track went green, it was yellow again, and SVG was involved once more.

This time, though, he was a victim, despite making contact with what appeared to be the #27 Chevrolet of Burton again.

On that occasion, they had checked up after Jeremy Clements (#51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet) drifted across the nose of Parker Retzlaff (#31 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet), skewed sideways, and knocked himself and Leland Honeyman (#42 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet) into a spin.

The #97 Chevrolet was wearing the scars of another hit but, for the second time of the night, Kaulig repaired it and released van Gisbergen one lap behind the leaders.

He sat 26th for the Lap 110 restart, the only driver one lap down, as Herbst got the jump and led the field away.

However, the #98 Ford was then penalised for a restart breach and ordered to serve a pass-through.

Before he had a chance, the ninth Caution of the night came due to a tangle just behind the front row of three.

Van Gisbergen was able to avoid the mess on that occasion and inherited 20th position, as well as another free pass.

Meanwhile, Herbst did take that pass-through under Caution and Jordan Anderson assumed the lead in the #32 Anderson Chevrolet.

The final restart came with three laps to go and Chandler Smith (#81 JGR Toyota) led from the inside lane before Anderson got ahead.

However, he got too far ahead and Austin Hill (#21 RCR Chevrolet), with some drafting help, took the lead with a touch over two laps to go.

On the last lap, Sieg was turned around from near the head of the field but the race stayed green for the run to the finish line.

Hill had made a break by then and took victory, while van Gisbergen got through and finished 12th in just his second superspeedway race, having qualified fifth.

The 2024 NASCAR season continues in Atlanta next weekend.

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