Shane van Gisbergen showcased his skills during the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray, initially finding himself in the lower half of the pack. Throughout the early stages, he engaged in skirmishes with Austin Cindric and former Trackhouse teammate Daniel Suarez.
In a moment of frustration, van Gisbergen spun Cindric out, expressing his irritation over the radio, stating, “People just kept running into me and I got sick of it.” Regarding Suarez, he commented, “It’s the third time the #7’s got me… Guess he’s excited he’s not my teammate; he can hit me now.”
As tensions rose among several competitors on the narrow quarter-mile track, an unexpected weather change caught everyone off guard during the mid-race break. Rain and sleet began to fall, with temperatures barely above freezing, prompting NASCAR to instruct teams to switch to wet-weather tires.
Restarting in 15th place, van Gisbergen quickly adapted to the challenging track conditions, skillfully maneuvering through the chaos and ultimately seizing the lead of the race. He commanded the track for 15 laps, engaging in a fierce battle with Ryan Preece, the eventual race winner.
However, as the track began to dry, his lead started to diminish. Despite maintaining a strong second position with less than 40 laps remaining, disaster struck when Chase Briscoe collided with his left-rear, causing van Gisbergen to spin out during one of the race’s record 17 caution flags.
Following that incident, he was unable to recover and ultimately crossed the finish line in 20th place with his damaged No. 97 Chevrolet, marking a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise remarkable performance.
After the race, van Gisbergen reflected on his experience, stating, “It was a good bit of fun. There were moments of brilliance and moments that weren’t. It was cool to get to the front. We were just trying to search for the grip. The wet weather conditions were very different than what I’ve raced in Supercars, just with the way the corners are and the way the rubber lays down. But then it started to come back up again and dry up. It was pretty wild.”
He concluded, “But all-in-all, happy with our run and it’s a good way to start the season for this No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team.” The championship season officially kicks off next week with the 68th running of the Daytona 500, as van Gisbergen embarks on his second full-time season in the Cup Series.
