Van Gisbergen qualified 28th in the 36-truck field on Friday at the 0.686-miles short track. Before that, he had just 15 minutes of practice with NASCAR’s condensed schedule, completing 16 laps.
In the beginning of the race, he swiftly advanced and reached the 22nd position. As Stage 1 concluded, he managed to gain a few more places and was currently in 20th place.
In Stage 2, he experienced a slight setback, falling behind the race leader by one lap at one moment. Following a intense competition with Taylor Gray, he finished the second stage in 21st place, but most significantly, as the leading truck that was one lap behind.
He would be given a free pass, and he was allowed to return to the lead lap.
In the last phase, he managed to narrowly escape a collision with Dean Thompson’s wrecked truck in Turn 3, just a few moments before Spencer Boyd crashed into Thompson.
SVG’s truck crossed the finish line with minimal damage, securing the victory. Despite briefly reaching 15th place, he encountered difficulties with the vehicle’s handling, causing him to drop back and engage in a three-way competition for position.
He would secure a 19th position, successfully finishing 199 out of 200 laps.
“That was incredible, although I must admit, slightly disappointed. There are still 10 laps remaining, and I have finally fallen behind the leaders,” he expressed to Fox Sports 1. “However, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I had some thrilling races with fellow competitors, which was a lot of fun. I want to express my gratitude to Niece Motorsports, Worldwide Express, and the Trackhouse team for giving me this opportunity. I am truly living my dream.”
The experience was quite impressive. All individuals displayed respect. It was truly amazing.
Later on, he mentioned: “I have a great deal to acquire knowledge in. The speed was satisfactory in certain areas. I may have made an incorrect decision regarding the modifications, and we significantly declined during the final phase, but it was an incredibly enjoyable experience.”
Van Gisbergen is shifting his attention from the smaller track to the larger speedway as he gets ready for his second-ever NASCAR Cup Series race this weekend. He will be competing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
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