DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 11: Shane Van Gisbergen 97 TrackHouse Racing SuperFile Chevrolet is being interviewed during Media Day for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 11, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 11 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Media Day EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602111658500
DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 11: Shane Van Gisbergen 97 TrackHouse Racing SuperFile Chevrolet is being interviewed during Media Day for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 11, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 11 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Media Day EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602111658500
There is something in the Atlanta air that suits Shane van Gisbergen. After finishing P6 at the track earlier this year, his best oval finish at the time, SVG once again repeated the feat on Sunday in the Quaker State 400. But the Kiwi is still unsatisfied.
The Trackhouse Racing star wanted to go for more and extract better results, as he regretted a specific move he made during the race.
"Definitely the restart," SVG told the media after the race. "I thought I could have attached to the 45 better, and he came out and gave me some advice after."
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 12: Shane Van Gisbergen 97 TrackHouse Racing Super File Chevrolet races into the tri-oval during the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Quaker State 400 on July 12, 2026 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, GA. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: JUL 12 NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26071213184400
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 12: Shane Van Gisbergen 97 TrackHouse Racing Super File Chevrolet races into the tri-oval during the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Quaker State 400 on July 12, 2026 at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, GA. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: JUL 12 NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26071213184400
Having started the race from 12th place, SVG dropped down to 16th place by the end of Stage 1, but he improved to 10th place at the end of Stage 2. In the end, he came home in sixth place, ahead of Austin Dillon and behind Erik Jones.
"You know, it's just critical to do that, and I just missed it, so we probably could have got a better restart, and then off 2 on the last lap, Bell really came up. I don't know if I could have shot down below him or whatever. We kind of touched a lot, and that killed all my runs," he further added in the X video uploaded by Frontstretch.
SVG's sixth-place finish comes directly after his 25th-place finish at Chicagoland, where he had a tussle with Richard Childress Racing's Austin Hill. While the incident is past now, SVG has yet to forget it.
Shane van Gisbergen drops a verdict on Austin Hill
Shane van Gisbergen has a verdict for Austin Hill days after their incident at Chicagoland. According to him, he was always cool about the incidents, but did not get the same vibes from the other driver, and in this case, it was Austin Hill.
"To me, it’s at that point, but to him it’s not," SVG said six days after the incident, as quoted by NASCAR.com. "He’s that kind of personality that feels like he’s got to get the last laugh and the last one to strike – and he threatened that, I guess. It is what it is. I will try to race clean and do my own thing, but I guess he’s on his own agenda.”
Notably, the comments come after a series of incidents that reached a boiling point at Chicagoland. It all started at San Diego, and was followed at Sonoma. Ultimately, at Chicagoland, they made contact again, which led to Hill's DNF.
Hill, the full-time O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driver, and his team felt SVG intentionally wrecked him. However, NASCAR chose not to penalize him as the governing body felt there was not enough evidence to punish him.
You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!
Written by
Sabyasachi Biswas
Edited by
Suyashdeep Sason