“I was just smiling the whole time”: Shane van Gisbergen reacts to his podium finish in only his second Xfinity start

NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie Shane van Gisbergen reflected on his impressive podium finish at Atalanta Superspeedway on Saturday.

Van Gisbergen made his full-time NASCAR move this season. The three-time Australian Supercars champion made his historic NASCAR debut last season by winning the Cup Series race on the Chicago Street Circuit.

As part of Trackhouse Racing's Project91 program, Shane van Gisbergen moved to the Xfinity Series, joining forces with Kaulig Racing. After finishing 12th in his first race in Daytona, the 34-year-old clinched a podium finish in only the second Xfinity race of his career.

The pivotal moment came when several cars ran out of fuel with just two laps remaining, prompting NASCAR to throw a caution. Sensing an opportunity, Van Gisbergen's No. 97 Kaulig Racing team brought him down the pit road for a splash of fuel, a decision that would prove crucial in the closing moments of the race.

Lining up eighth at the start of the two-lap overtime, Van Gisbergen wasted no time making his move. As more cars faltered due to fuel shortages on the restart, Van Gisbergen drove to third place before the checkered flag waved, ultimately securing a podium finish behind race winner Austin Hill.

Speaking to Peter Stratta, Shane van Gisbergen said after the race (via NASCAR.com):

"It was pretty wild. We come into pit, I thought we had saved a bit of fuel, but we still come anyway and obviously it was the right call. Yeah, what an awesome feeling running and then trying to block and follow those guys up front. I was just smiling the whole time, it was really cool."

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Shane van Gisbergen brands Atalanta race as "Daytona on steroids"

Addressing the chaos that ensued during the Xfinity Series race in Atalanta, the Kiwi driver said:

"It was pretty crazy. This is like Daytona on steroids but yeah, looking forward to next week. That's a core NASCAR track I guess."

He added:

"It’s just good to get a result and have a clean car, especially after last week when I got involved in so much stuff. So, to have a clean race, not make too many mistakes, and complete every lap, we learned a lot."

Even as he pursues his NASCAR dreams, Van Gisbergen's former Supercars team closely watched his progress. Amidst their own qualifying session for the Supercars season-opener at Mount Panorama, the Triple Eight Red Bull team cheered on their former teammate from afar. Speaking of his former team's support, Shane van Gisbergen said:

"Yeah well, I was up to 12:30 last night watching them get a 1-2 (finish). So, pretty special. I've still got a lot of mates back home, so it's awesome."