The two Chevrolet drivers shared the front row for what would be the final restart of Race 14 of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with van Gisbergen looking for a move on the inside of Turn 2.
“I had to make some moves through the field,” he recounted, after banking the points for a Stage 1 win and then a strategy miscue in Stage 2.
“I had some really awesome racing with people, and a lot of fun doing it, and then [at] that last restart, I was just making a hole no matter what.
“It felt like a pretty cool move, and hopefully it was good to watch, but that was just hard racing, you know?
“So, pretty stoked to come away with it.”
Asked if his move at Sonoma was ‘fair game’ in light of that stoush, the Kaulig Racing pilot replied, “Hundred percent.”
When drawn into elaborating on their latest clash, van Gisbergen said he was not necessarily out to get Hill, but that it was simply a result of him seizing an opportunity which had presented itself.
Put to him that Hill is now within his rights to make a hole when he needs one, the Supercars champion said, “I don’t know, I hate racing and thinking like that but, to me, we’ve both taken a race win off each other now.
“I don’t know, I didn’t go into the corner planning to take him out. Like, I wasn’t going to hit him off the track but I was going to try and pass him and I did everything I could.
“When he kept choosing the left on restarts, I thought, ‘Ooh, that’s surprising,’ because I chose the left on the first restart and it was a mistake, and if I had the opportunity again, I would have chosen right every time.
“As soon as he chose left, I knew, ‘Okay, this is a good opportunity to hang around the outside and force my way into the inside at Turn 2.’
“I didn’t take him out properly, I just made a hole and got through.”
Elbows were out on the final restart. pic.twitter.com/2FTLXV3G0S
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 9, 2024
At one point, it looked as though van Gisbergen would not be able to stick with him during the final stage when the voltage in the #97 Camaro dropped.
The Kiwi put his hand up for that drama, admitted, “The voltage was my fault.
“We have sort of eight switches in a row with the brake fans and stuff, and I’ve just flicked them all up, and the eighth switch is the alternator.
“So, that was my fault thinking they all had to be up, and then luckily I caught it before the car started missing and dying.
“As soon as I flipped the switch the other way, it was fine.”
Van Gisbergen was already locked into the Xfinity Playoffs with his win a weekend earlier at Portland, but is now also 10th on points as 12 drivers vie for a berth in post-season title contention.
The field returns to oval racing next weekend (June 14-16, local time), at Iowa Speedway.
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