SVG SURVIVES THE GRASS “THE BIG ONE” AND THE GRID TO SECURE 6TH

February 23, 2026
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SVG Survives the Grass, “The Big One,” and the Grid to Secure Sixth at EchoPark

Shane van Gisbergen faced an uphill battle from the very beginning at the EchoPark Speedway 400, starting 28th after rain washed out the qualifying session. The Trackhouse Racing driver kept his nose clean through a quiet Stage 1, steadily logging the first 60 laps inside the top 20.

As the race transitioned into Stage 2, SVG turned up the heat. Carving through the field, he climbed 12 spots to run as high as seventh, joining a formidable Trackhouse pack alongside teammates Ross Chastain and Connor Zilisch.

The push for crucial Stage 2 points, however, brought high drama. As SVG made his move, Kyle Larson threw a late block but misjudged the gap, spinning across the Kiwi’s nose. The incident sent Larson hard into the wall and forced SVG on a wild evasive detour through the infield grass. Refusing to lift, van Gisbergen dramatically crossed the start/finish line off-track, miraculously salvaging a 10th-place finish to lock in his stage points.

The chaotic end to the second stage meant SVG restarted Stage 3 back in 18th place. Wasting no time, he immediately went on the offensive, fighting his way back up to 12th by the midpoint of the final stage. But the track had another surprise in store. On Lap 199, the No. 97 got loose exiting Turn 4, sending van Gisbergen spinning back into the grass for a second time. Showcasing his signature car control, he kept the machine off the wall, escaping without damage to keep his charge alive.

Just as the race was winding down, absolute chaos erupted. With only four laps to go, a massive 11-car pileup “The Big One” was triggered by William Byron, bringing out the yellow flag. While cars wrecked everywhere around him, SVG masterfully navigated the carnage, emerging completely unscathed.

Starting 10th on the final restart, van Gisbergen capitalized on his prime track position, surging forward in the closing laps to bring the No. 97 Chevrolet home for a hard-fought, top-10 finish in sixth place.

“Pretty wild day. Jumping in without driving the car all weekend. We were loose to start the race, but my team did a great job working to improve my Red Bull Chevrolet. To start Stage 2, we were much more competitive and, in the race, almost got some good stage points but had some contact, so that’s a shame. We were like a yo-yo, going up and down through the pack (laughs). But lots of potential and a great result in sixth and had fun out there too!” said SVG.

NASCAR now head to Circuit of the America’s March 2

TrackHouse Racing race report:

Ross Chastain led Trackhouse Racing with a third-place finish in the NASCAR Cup Series Race at EchoPark Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Van Gisbergen finished sixth while Zilisch was credited with 30th-place finish after an accident.
Saturday’s qualifying event was cancelled due to weather. The Trackhouse Racing Chevrolets started based off metrics, Chastain 21st, van Gisbergen 28th and Zilisch 31st.
In Stage 1, Zilisch charged to the front of the pack, where he raced in the top 10 for most of the stage, grabbing stage points with a ninth-place finish. Chastain reported his Wendy’s Chevrolet was tightening up. In the final 10 laps, he navigated his way to the top 15 before ending the stage in 14th. Van Gisbergen quickly gained some spots before the handling of his No. 97 Red Bull Chevrolet affected the long run, and he fought to maintain position and finished the stage 34th.
Early in Stage 2, Zilisch raced into the top 5 and was able to maintain top 10 track position. The No. 97 team continued to work on van Gisbergen’s Chevrolet before he broke into the top 10 on lap 115. Late in the stage, all three Trackhouse entries raced in the top 10, before Zilisch’s No. 88 Chevrolet became ill-handling moving him to the middle of the pack. Even with a tight-handling Wendy’s Chevrolet, Chastain reached as high as the second position before he brushed the outside wall on lap 149. Fortunately, he was able to maintain top 15 track position and recovered to finish the stage in 10th. Van Gisbergen was in contention for stage points, before contact was made with another competitor coming to the green-white checkered flag.
In the final stage, the No.1 team took advantage of pit stops to work on the handling and Chastain maneuvered his way through the field. He survived two overtime attempts and a thrilling finish to score a third-place result. Van Gisbergen started 25th before making a fast charge to the front. Van Gisbergen found himself in fourth place on the final lap of overtime, before recording a sixth-place finish, his career best oval finish in a Cup Series race. Unfortunately for Zilisch, his race was cut short when he was swept up in the aftermath of a multi-car accident on the frontstretch on lap 223. He was credited with a 30th-place finish in the final rundown.

The NASCAR Cup Series will return to action next Sunday, March 1 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.

By Matthew Paul – Velocity Magazine NASCAR reporter

Photos: Trackhouse Racing & SVG FB

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