Shane van Gisbergen entered the 2025 NASCAR Cup playoffs aware of the challenges ahead, but he hoped to deliver a strong performance for his No. 88 team at Darlington Raceway. Instead, the race turned into a difficult 500-mile effort, hampered by poor car balance and bad timing, deepening his ongoing Shane van Gisbergen playoff struggle.
From early on, van Gisbergen voiced frustrations about his car’s handling. Despite staging an aggressive move to snag the free pass at the end of the first stage, his excitement was short-lived as the race progressed.
A Risky Strategy Falls Short in Final Stage
During the final segment of the race, van Gisbergen chose an aggressive, one-stop pit strategy, diverging from the majority of playoff competitors who relied on two stops. He pushed his tires further than any other playoff contender, hoping a caution would fall within an advantageous window to boost his track position. Unfortunately, when the caution flag did appear, it caught him trapped off the lead lap, negating any potential benefit from his gamble.
Reflecting on the situation after the race, van Gisbergen said,
“The caution came out at the wrong time, but we just had nothing anyway,”
and added,
“Whatever was different from yesterday, the car was horrible. They tried everything they could, but we couldn’t make it better, and I couldn’t find a way to make speed.”
—Shane van Gisbergen, NASCAR driver
Significant Drop in Standings Heightens Pressure
Van Gisbergen finished 32nd, a fall of 12 places compared to his last outing at Darlington, placing him perilously close to the playoff elimination cutoff. Before the race, he held a 16-point buffer over the cutline, but that cushion has now shrunk significantly to just three points ahead of reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano.
Van Gisbergen expressed his frustration candidly, reflecting on the early race struggles:
“I was losing my sh*t inside the car,”
he laughed, continuing,
“It’s a shame. I had reasonable hopes. We ran good here in the spring, and our cars are getting better. I just felt helpless out there.”
—Shane van Gisbergen, NASCAR driver
Upcoming Tracks Present New Challenges for Van Gisbergen
Looking ahead, the New Zealander now faces a tough path to stay above the playoff cutline. The next race at WWT Raceway will mark his first time competing on that track, adding uncertainty to his playoff bid. The Round of 16 will conclude at Bristol Motor Speedway, where the bottom four drivers in the standings will be eliminated from championship contention.
With the playoff margin thinning and a three-time series champion right behind him in points, van Gisbergen’s ability to advance hinges on overcoming unfamiliar tracks and improving performance quickly. His team must resolve the car’s balance issues and deliver stronger results in the upcoming races to avoid an early exit from the playoffs.
