NASCAR imposes $5,000 fine on Shane van Gisbergen's team for Kansas rule violation

NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie Shane van Gisbergen secured a solid eighth-place finish in the playoff opener at Kansas Speedway. However, his crew chief, Kevin Walter, was hit with a $5,000 fine following the post-race inspection.

Van Gisbergen started 22nd on the grid for the Kansas Lottery 300 last weekend and rallied to an eighth-place finish in his #97 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. However, according to a penalties report from NASCAR, the #97 team was guilty of a loose lug nut during the post-race inspection, resulting in a $5,000 fine for the crew chief.

JR Motorsports driver Brandon Jones' crew chief, Adam Wall, also received a $5,000 fine for the same loose lug nut infraction. Jones finished sixth at the checkered flag after a solid race but is not competing for the championship having failed to advance into the playoffs.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Aric Almirola spoiled the NASCAR Xfinity playoff party at Kansas by taking the victory while Shane van Gisbergen scored 29 points. The Kiwi driver now enters the second playoff race sitting sixth in the standings, holding an eight-point cushion above the cutline.

Van Gisbergen has recorded three wins this season so far. The Xfinity Series now heads to Talladega Superspeedway, where the #97 Chevy driver finished 22nd earlier this season. The Charlotte Roval marks the cut-off race for the first round, giving the 35-year-old an opportunity to win the race and advance to the next round.

---

Shane van Gisbergen describes NASCAR playoffs as "crazy" but "cool"

Shane van Gisbergen, 3x Supercars champion, admitted that he didn’t fully understand the workings of the NASCAR playoffs until about a week before the Xfinity playoff opener at Kansas Speedway.

Van Gisbergen has participated in various racing series and reckoned that NASCAR has the "most overcomplicated" method of crowning a champion. Despite finding the playoff system to be complex, he acknowledged that it's "crazy" but ultimately great for the viewers.

"I studied it [last Monday] trying to understand how it works. The playoff system is crazy. It’s the most overcomplicated racing series I’ve been a part of, but I think it’s pretty cool. It’s great for the fans,” Van Gisbergen told Autoweek.

"One of my sponsors put out an article explaining the playoffs and how that all works. I had no idea how it works. It’s so complicated. So, I shared that on my pages and there’s people saying, ‘Oh, thanks, I didn’t know that’s how it worked.’ Everyone was reading it, learning with me. So, that’s pretty cool," he added.

Shane van Gisbergen has managed to advance into the playoffs in his rookie Xfinity campaign. The Round of 8 will present a huge challenge for the #97 Chevy driver as he will have to perform well on the ovals to advance to the season finale.