Shane van Gisbergen looked well on his way to adding another signature NASCAR victory to his growing résumé.
Instead, the favorite’s dominant weekend came to a sudden and dramatic end Sunday when a massive multi-car crash triggered the first red flag in NASCAR Cup Series history at Naval Base Coronado.
Van Gisbergen was among nine drivers collected in a Lap 32 incident that brought out the fourth caution of the day and halted NASCAR’s inaugural San Diego Cup Series race.
SVG AND ZILISCH ARE INVOLVED!
The crash involved Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch, Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suarez, Austin Hill, Riley Herbst, John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Gibbs, and Michael McDowell.
The incident unfolded shortly after a restart as drivers battled aggressively for position on the tight San Diego street circuit. What had been shaping up as a showdown between several of the race’s fastest cars quickly turned into one of the biggest accidents of the afternoon.
For van Gisbergen, the wreck was a stunning reversal of fortune.
The New Zealander entered race day as the overwhelming favorite after winning the pole position Saturday. He led the field to green and spent much of the weekend proving once again why he is considered one of the best road and street course racers in the world.
Instead of celebrating a victory in NASCAR’s first-ever Cup Series race in San Diego, van Gisbergen watched his hopes disappear in a pileup that eliminated several contenders.
The Accident Dramatically Reshaped The Race
Connor Zilisch, another driver viewed as a legitimate threat for the win, was also swept up in the incident. Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suarez, Ty Gibbs, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek, Riley Herbst, and Austin Hill were likewise listed by NASCAR as involved.
Officials displayed the red flag as safety crews worked to clear damaged cars and debris from the course.
The caution marked the fourth interruption of the afternoon, but it was by far the most significant. Multiple frontrunners were removed from contention, instantly changing the outlook for the battle to become the inaugural winner of NASCAR’s historic San Diego event.
Van Gisbergen’s crash will likely be remembered as one of the defining moments of the race. After dominating practice, qualifying on the pole, and entering Sunday as the driver to beat, his quest for victory ended in one of the day’s biggest accidents.
Shane van Gisbergen’s Dominant San Diego Weekend Ends in Massive Crash