Shane van Gisbergen’s playoff struggle deepened following a disappointing performance at the Southern 500 on Sunday at Darlington Raceway, putting his hopes of advancing in the NASCAR Cup Series at serious risk. Despite securing four wins during the regular season that initially offered him some breathing room, van Gisbergen now finds himself barely inside the playoff cutline as the Round of 16 continues.
Van Gisbergen’s path to the Round of 8 depends on making it through the current playoff stage, but after finishing 32nd at Darlington, the margin for error has significantly narrowed. His car issues during the race contributed to a night that ended far worse than expected, leaving a crucial playoff spot hanging by just a few points.
Playoff Standings Tighten After Darlington Setback
Van Gisbergen currently sits only three points above the playoff elimination line, entering the next race at Gateway, a track where he has no prior experience. This precarious position highlights how costly his performance at Darlington was, especially given the strong start he had during the regular season. Freddie Kraft, the spotter for Bubba Wallace, emphasized the critical nature of van Gisbergen‘s situation following the Southern 500.
“He couldn’t afford to have that night,”
Kraft said.
He was one of the guys who we talked about where he had a 16-point cushion or whatever it was coming in, and if he could run top 15 or top 20 every week, he could use that. … Wasn’t going to have as bad a day — he was going to run I think 25th maybe — I think he ended up 31st.
—Freddie Kraft, Bubba Wallace Spotter
Van Gisbergen’s night unraveled partly because of an ill-timed caution that forced an unexpected pit stop, affecting the race strategy and ultimately damaging his chances. This misfortune eliminated the potential for a more competitive finish and deepened his challenge moving forward.
He was going to run 20th to 25th, and then he pitted and got burned on a caution. They were just on a different strategy, and they got burned by that. That was really the end of their night.
—Freddie Kraft, Bubba Wallace Spotter
Concerns Raised by Industry Insiders About Playoff Prospects
TJ Majors, the spotter for Brad Keselowski, voiced concerns about van Gisbergen’s future in the playoffs during a recent podcast discussion. Majors noted the urgency of van Gisbergen’s situation, suggesting serious trouble looms if performance doesn’t improve quickly.
I’ll tell you who is in trouble already is SVG,
Majors said on Monday’s Door Bumper Clear podcast. —TJ Majors, Brad Keselowski Spotter
Van Gisbergen and his No. 88 Chevrolet team attempted different strategies to recover from a poor car setup and the ill-fated caution, but they were unable to regain competitive footing. Crew chief Stephen Doran tried multiple adjustments during the race weekend, but the team’s efforts could not translate into better performance.
It was a tough day for the No. 88 Chevrolet team,
van Gisbergen reflected after the race.
Our car was very different from yesterday. [Crew chief] Stephen [Doran] didn’t give up on tuning on it, but we just couldn’t make it better. We tried something different with strategy but got a caution at the wrong time and couldn’t rebound from it.
—Shane van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Next Steps: Focus Shifts to Gateway Race
There is no time for van Gisbergen to dwell on Sunday’s disappointment as the team now turns its full attention to Gateway Speedway, where they face the challenge of racing on an unfamiliar circuit. His narrow point lead means that every position counts, raising the stakes considerably.
The Southern 500 result has underscored just how unforgiving the NASCAR playoff format can be, particularly when unforeseen problems such as strategy mishaps and car performance issues arise. Van Gisbergen’s ability to regroup and adapt quickly will be critical to his playoff survival and potential advancement in the coming weeks.
