Shane van Gisbergen makes his animosity crystal clear after JGR rival’s move ruined his Phoenix prospects: “It’s a shame"

Shane van Gisbergen was vying for his first sin of the year but an 11-car pile-up is what ended the day early for the NASCAR Cup Series rookie. The mess formed when Justin Haley made contact with Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe.

Gisbergen started the race 29th and struggled on yellow tires throughout the opening stage. His teammates, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez, finished the stage 14th and 28th, respectively.

During a post-race interview (quoted by Speedway Digest), Gisbergen reflected on the multi-car wreck that ended his day in Stage 2. He said:

“They were racing four-wide. I hoped over a wheel and there wasn't much I could do. I tried to pull it up and got a bit loose. We were getting better and better as the race went on. I felt like the No. 88 WeatherTech Chevy was getting better, too. It's a shame we're still not out there learning."

Shane van Gisbergen was slammed with his first DNF of the season at Phoenix. He sits 22nd in the drivers' standings with 69 points. The former Supercars champion bagged one top-10, leading 25 laps, in his previous three starts.

“Elite drivers can drive anything”- Denny Hamlin lauds Shane van Gisbergen’s standout performance at Atlanta

A few weeks ago, NASCAR hosted this year’s annual Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Shane van Gisbergen entered 29th and steadily gained spots as the race was underway.

Unfortunately, Gisbergen got caught up in a last-lap wreck, which had him limping to a P23 finish. But by then, he had done enough to impress Joe Gibbs Racing driver and series veteran Denny Hamlin.

In an episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin said:

“I thought he just did a phenomenal job. Just with the little experience that he has doing that, he was holding a pretty damn steady line. I was behind him quite a bit.”

Gisbergen had run just eight Cup Series races on NASCAR’s ovals for Kaulig Racing before moving to the Series full-time in 2025. Reflecting on the same, Hamlin added:

“My father once told me, elite drivers can drive anything and they will find a way to adapt to racing the machine that they’re in…I think he’s just an elite level athlete that he’ll be able to do it all.”

Shane van Gisbergen’s next race is scheduled for Sunday, March 16. Named Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube, the 267-lap feature will be held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from 3:30 pm ET onwards. Fans can watch the race on Fox Sports 1 or listen to radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.