"Put myself in a bad spot": Shane van Gisbergen "gutted" after devastating turnaround at Talladega

Shane van Gisbergen reflected on his disappointing Talladega run after suffering a blow in the final stage. The Kaulig Racing driver got wrecked while re-entering the superspeedway from the inside line, initiating a big stack-up.

The United Rentals 250 marked the second playoff race and witnessed Sammy Smith clinch the win after surging from a 27th-place start. On the other hand, Van Gisbergen, who had way better qualifying and kicked off his run from eighth place, succumbed to his third DNF this season.

The fateful incident occurred on Lap 75. After rival Dean Thompson's nudge sent the #97 Chevy driver over the yellow line, van Gisbergen steered to return to the field. However, to avoid losing track position, Thompson accelerated, and as a result, wrecked Shaun Van Gisbergen's right rear.

The three-time Xfinity Series race winner spun upwards into the pack, collecting Austin Hill, Josh Williams, Jordan Anderson, Taylor Gray, and David Starr. The moment marked his final lap and the championship contender finished 35th. Meanwhile, Hill and Starr were able to resume their 98-lap event.

After the saddening turnaround, Shane van Gisbergen reflected on his "gutted" run. He said (via Skewcar).

"Just got pushed out of line, put myself in a bad spot. I thought I saved it and then there must have been some other stuff happening and got caught up in it. So, that sucked," he said (0:16).

"I really wanted to do well today, so gutted for Kaulig Racing," he added (0:58).

The New Zealander is below the playoff cutline, with a 10-point deficit heading into the next race at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.

A look at Shane van Gisbergen's dominant road course stats ahead of the Charlotte Roval battle

Before stepping into America's most-watched racing series, the 35-year-old showcased his supremacy in the Supercars championship. He tamed the road courses and bagged three titles- in 2016, 2021, and 2022.

Last year, Shane van Gisbergen surprised many after acing his debut Cup Series race at the Chicago Street Course for Trackhouse Racing. His dominant entry in NASCAR's Premier Level prompted Kaulig Racing to ink a full-time deal with the driver for the 2024 Xfinity Series season.

Shane van Gisbergen has won three races this year and all were from road courses. He registered his maiden Xfinity triumph at the Portland International Raceway and bagged his second consecutive win at Sonoma Raceway. His last victory, thus far, has come on the Chicago Street Circuit. Moreover, in his recent Cup Series stint at Watkins Glen, he missed the mark by 0.979 seconds after losing the final lap battle to Chris Buescher, finishing second.

The #97 Chevy driver's next race is at Charlotte Motor Speedway's road course, and considering his dominant string of performance on the non-ovals, Shane van Gisbergen is at high odds of resurrecting from the playoff bubble.