On lap 32, the NASCAR Cup race in San Diego changed dramatically as the field tried to make it through Turn 1.
Connor Zilisch and Austin Hill were on the front row, but Hill missed the apex of Turn 1, pushing up the track. Both cars slammed the wall, and with Shane van Gisbergen directly behind them, he crashed as well.
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“Sorry guys, locked up the rear brakes,” said Hill, who won Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly race.
Both Trackhouse cars were completely destroyed, and Hill sustained big damage as well. Others involved with varying levels of damage: Daniel Suarez, Ryan Blaney, Michael McDowell, Riley Herbst, John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Gibbs.
The race was immediately red-flagged, with NASCAR forced to make repairs to the outside wall in Turn 1. It took about ten minutes before the race returned to yellow-flag conditions.
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SVG feels ‘filthy’ after early exit
SVG was clearly agitated with Hill after the wreck, before driving his demolished No. 97 Chevrolet back to the garage. Outside the infield care center, he refused to comment on the incident itself, and told the media to “ask the next guys.”
Van Gisbergen said it was “unreal fast once the track kind of rubbered up … a real shame.”
On how disappointed he was after to leave her with no trophy and almost no points, SVG replied: “I’m filthy.”
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Looking ahead, he has another road course next week as he attempts to rebound from a tough ending in San Diego. “Luckily we got a good one next week,” noted SVG, “but unfortunately we’ll be in Group 1 (qualifying) again, which makes it tougher. Just gotta go and execute.”
Zilisch reacts
For Zilisch, this is now his sixth DNF of the 2026 season, and happened while leading laps for the very first time in his NASCAR Cup career.
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“I felt like I was giving Austin space, and the next thing I know I was in the wall,” remarked Zilisch. “Really unfortunate, hate to end both days for both Shane and I, the Red Bull Chevrolets. We had a really fast car today. Got out front, felt really good, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”
On Hill’s mistake, Zilisch noted that he gave the No. 33 RCR Chevy “plenty of room,” but like his Trackhouse teammate, didn’t say much more beyond that. When asked if it was just one of those racing deals, Zilisch replied: “It was a little more egregious than that.”
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