"Not quite consistent": Shane van Gisbergen reflects on his 'didn't come off' Homestead-Miami weekend despite having the momentum

NASCAR driver Shane van Gisbergen recently reflected on his performance in the AMEX Credit Card 300 playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Van Gisbergen made it to the 2024 playoffs, however, he did not advance to the Round of 8.

Van Gisbergen pilots the #97 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing, competing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. A three-time Australian Supercars champion, van Gisbergen made a strong debut by winning in Chicago, showcasing his skill on road courses. Beyond NASCAR, he demonstrated his versatility with a top-five finish at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, cementing his versatility and top-tier talent across several motorsport disciplines.

Starting in P25 at Homestead, Van Gisbergen faced a challenging 1.5-mile oval, an unfamiliar track type for the New Zealand driver known for road course dominance. Despite his ongoing adaptation to oval racing, he managed a respectable P17 finish. Afterward, the three-time Australian Supercars champion shared his thoughts on the experience, reflecting on his performance(via X):

"Had a go with strategy but it didn’t come off. Had momentum in the race with speed but not quite consistent enough over a run. Awesome track!".

In his rookie full-time season, the 35-year-old has shown promise and displayed his skill and experience as a motorsports athlete. Despite not advancing to the Round of 8, Shane van Gisbergen has secured 3 race wins, seven top-five finishes, and three pole positions in the 2024 Xfinity Series campaign. Moreover, the Kiwi also secured pole position in the Cup Series race at the Charlotte ROVAL, despite knowing of his elimination from the Xfinity playoffs.

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Shane van Gisbergen comments on playoff exit after risky pitstop decision at Charlotte

Shane van Gisbergen swept pole positions in both the Xfinity and Cup Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Van Gisbergen was in a winner-takes-all situation to continue his playoff run, however, despite a P3 finish, a tricky pit road decision led to his exit from the title chase.

The caution flag came out with 22 laps to go at Charlotte. Taking advantage of the yellow, several drivers went to pit road, but the Kaulig Racing driver was asked to stay on the track. Reflecting on his performance at the ROVAL, he said:

"You're obviously in pain cause you wanted to get through but you know, I guess last week really hurt us, and then yeah making that call at the end, bit different to others but whether we won or not it, um yeah, it's a tough one but proud of the WeatherTech Kaulig Racing team. We had really good speed, but not quite there,"

On being asked about the late pit road decision, the Kaulig racing driver added:

"It is what it is you know, there's always going to be some fast cars battling, #48 [Parker Kligerman]ogot through really good, who knows but in reality, it comes down to last week" [via Frontstretch]

However, the New Zealand native has secured a full-time move to the Cup Series in the 2025 campaign. He will pilot the #88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, filling in their recently purchased third charter.