Shane van Gisbergen achieved his best oval track result at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Pennzoil 250, finishing in fourth place. In a post-race interview, the Kaulig Racing driver provided insights into the strategies that contributed to their success and discussed how he has been refining his communication with the team to better convey his needs regarding car adjustments. This impressive performance at Indianapolis comes second only to his fuel-saving third-place finish at Atlanta in his debut NASCAR Xfinity Series season. His recent result has elevated him to 13th place in the points standings.
Reflecting on his rapport with his team, van Gisbergen began the race in 23rd place and skillfully navigated through a chaotic 12-car pileup on the opening lap. He avoided disaster as Sammy Smith, racing alongside him in the #97 car, was hit and spun out by Sam Mayer. Seizing the opportunity, van Gisbergen moved into the top 10 and remained there through the first two stages, consistently staying within the top five. A late-race caution, caused by a significant three-car wreck on the back straight with 16 laps remaining, led him to make a strategic pit stop for fresh tires. This decision initially set him back to 13th place just before a restart with 11 laps to go, where Cole Custer took the lead followed by Herbst. However, van Gisbergen quickly fought his way back into the top five, closing the gap to the leader to just three seconds.
With four laps remaining, van Gisbergen overtook his teammate AJ Allmendinger, advancing to fourth place. Despite facing a four-second gap to the leading pack, which was intensifying for a thrilling finish, he maintained his position and ultimately secured fourth place, just ahead of Sheldon Creed.
During the practice session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, van Gisbergen, a three-time Xfinity Series race winner, recorded the 27th fastest time. Despite this modest start, he spent most of the race within the top ten, achieving a strong finish based on his skill and strategic decisions.
He attributed his success to the performance of his Xfinity car, highlighting how the car’s setup played a crucial role in his impressive finish. Having already secured a spot in the playoffs, van Gisbergen is well-positioned to compete for the Xfinity Rookie of the Year award. He currently sits in 13th place with 500 points, closely trailing Jesse Love, who is ranked 7th with 587 points following the Pennzoil 250 race.
