Van Gisbergen, a three-time Supercars champion, handed chief Justin Allgaier with three of 75 laps remaining and held on to win Saturday’s Xfinity Sequence race at Portland Worldwide Raceway.
Allgaier had dominated a lot of the race on the 1.97-mile, 12-turn street course, profitable each phases and led a race-high 46 laps. He led the way in which to start out the ultimate stage whereas a gradual pit cease left van Gisbergen combating from behind.
Van Gisbergen moved into second with 13 laps to go however appeared like he would come up one spot brief till a late-race multi-car crash introduced out a warning and arrange the ultimate restart with 4 laps to go. He edged Allgaier by 0.941 seconds on the checkered flag.
Watch: Shane van Gisbergen storms to Portland win for first Xfinity victory
The win is Van Gisbergen’s first within the collection in 13 begins and locks him into the 2024 playoffs.
Van Gisbergen did a wild, lap-long burnout after his win after which autographed a rugby ball and kicked it into the entrance grandstands.
“Firstly, I need to make an apology to Sam Mayer for the primary nook (of the race). I simply mucked up there, very sorry,” van Gisbergen mentioned. “What a day. It was actually cool. We had some nice racing. I have to get higher on my restarts.
“It was simply actually cool racing. I really like these automobiles.”
Final July, van Gisbergen turned the primary driver in additional than 60 years to win a Cup race in his debut when he took victory within the inaugural Chicago Avenue Race driving for Trackhouse Racing.
The victory served because the instigator for the 35-year-old Kiwi to maneuver to NASCAR competitors this season, the place he’s racing full-time in Xfinity and part-time in Cup, each with Kaulig Racing.
Sammy Smith completed third, A.J. Allmendinger rallied from the rear of the sector to complete fourth and former IndyCar driver Ed Jones rounded out the highest 5.
Finishing the highest 10 had been Cole Custer, Josh Williams, Parker Kligerman, Parker Retzlaff and Riley Herbst.
Stage 1
With van Gisbergen’s choice to pit earlier than the break, Allgaier inherited the lead and held off Herbst by 0.667 seconds to earn the Stage 1 win. Sheldon Creed was third, Josh Bilicki fourth and Kligerman fifth.
Sam Mayer, who began on the pole, misplaced the lead within the first flip of the primary lap when he received spun by van Gisbergen and fell again to twenty seventh place. He rallied to twelfth on the finish of the stage.
Stage 2
A final lap warning for the stopped automobile of Matt DiBenedetto locked in Allgaier’s Stage 2 win over Creed. Bilicki was third, Custer fourth and van Gisbergen rounded out the highest 5 regardless of operating off track twice.
Stage 3
Through the break between Phases 2 and three, the lead lap automobiles all pit underneath the modified pit procedures with Allgaier first off pit street. Van Gisbergen had a gradual cease and misplaced 5 positions.
The race returned to inexperienced with 20 laps remaining as Allgaier led Creed and Bilicki. Van Gisbergen restarted tenth.
Creed powered into the lead on the restart as the sector entered Turns 1 and a pair of however Allgaier almost replicated the transfer to reclaim the highest spot one lap later.
Van Gisbergen labored his approach round Creed to maneuver into the runner-up place with 13 laps to go however remained about 2.6 seconds behind the chief.
Hailie Deegan misplaced a tire on the observe which compelled NASCAR to throw warning for particles. That arrange a restart with 9 laps remaining and Allgaier out entrance of van Gisbergen and Mayer.
A six-car pile-up in Flip 12 on lap 68 knocked out contenders Chandler Smith and Brandon Jones, whose automobile received buried within the tire barrier. Creed was penalized on the earlier restart which left Allgaier forward of van Gisbergen and Mayer on the restart with 4 laps to go.
