Daytona was roller coaster of a night for Shane van Gisbergen, and it ended in disappointment for the No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.
He watched Ryan Preece, Chris Buescher, and Kyle Larson all crash in front of him early in the running, clearing the way for SVG to earn his first-ever oval stage win and secure ten points.
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However, Preece pulled off a remarkable save and suffered minimal damage. Even while sliding, he crossed the line in eighth and scored three points. He added another nine in Stage 2, bringing his total to 12.
Van Gisbergen spent the final stint of the race knowing that he had a 29-point cushion, which meant that Preece would have to beat Van Gisbergen by at least 30 positions on track (as SVG would win the tiebreaker) to make the Chase … unless he won the race.
In a situation where Preece — who entered Saturday’s race 0-248 in Cup wins — captured the checkered flag, Van Gisbergen couldn’t afford to finish any worse than 11th.
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Well, that exact scenario played out in overtime, as Preece steered his No. 60 RFK Racing Ford to a dramatic race win while Van Gisbergen spun trying to avoid a last-lap crash. Even if he had skated through the melee, he still wasn’t going to finish high enough to salvage his Chase hopes.
The caution flag flew, and Preece was the victor. The only hope for Van Gisbergen at that point was if Austin Cindric had also crashed on the final lap, as Van Gisbergen was within four points of him after his earlier stage win. Unfortunately for him, Cindric made it through and finished sixth.
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SVG reflects on the 2026 season
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing
“It’s pretty fresh now,” said Van Gisbergen after climbing out of the car. “Congrats to the 60 [Preece]. But one night doesn’t sum up our year. I guess we haven’t been good enough. It’s been cool to be close. Yeah, shame we’re not in it.”
When asked to recap his season, which has featured a clear improvement on ovals and two road course wins, Van Gisbergen added: “Bits of it were good. As a team, obviously we struggled. I’m proud that I’ve been able to match my teammates on the ovals. I think I’ve stepped up this year. But yeah, obviously you want to be in that Chase, and didn’t make it.”
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Through the race, the team kept Van Gisbergen’s strategy conservative, including pitting from the lead pack for four tires and fuel in the final caution of the race, after worries they’d run out of fuel.
Preece later praised Van Gisbergen as one “hell of a race car driver,” and noted how he put all the pressure on the No. 60 team after winning the opening stage.
All three Trackhouse cars failed to make the Chase, which has not happened since they expanded into a multi-car operation in 2022.
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Read Also:
Ryan Preece praises SVG as one “hell of a race car driver” after ousting him from Chase
Ryan Preece earns huge win in Daytona thriller, eliminating Shane Van Gisbergen from the Chase
The complete NASCAR Cup 2026 Chase grid after points reset
Official race results: 2026 NASCAR Cup Daytona
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