SHANE VAN GISBERGEN HITS THE WALL FOR FIRST DNF OF 2026 NASCAR SEASON

Shane van Gisbergen’s streak of consistent momentum came to a harsh end at the high-speed Michigan International Speedway. Navigating a chaotic, wreck-filled FireKeepers Casino 400, van Gisbergen battled severe car handling issues and pit-lane penalties all afternoon before ultimately being swept into a multi-car pileup during the final stage.

Race: FireKeepers Casino 400
Track: Michigan International Speedway (2.0-mile oval)
Date: June 7, 2026
Driver: Shane van Gisbergen (SVG)
Car: No. 97 SafetyCulture Chevrolet Camaro (Trackhouse Racing) S
tart Position: 30th
Finish Position: 30th (DNF)

The crash caused terminal front-end damage, triggering oil pressure issues that handed SVG his very first DNF (Did Not Finish) of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Stage 1: The Balance Struggle

Starting from 30th on the grid, van Gisbergen showed immediate aggression on the massive 2-mile oval. He sliced through the field early to climb as high as 21st by Lap 2. However, the positive momentum was short-lived as a long green-flag run exposed severe handling issues. Fighting an increasingly loose and uncooperative race car, SVG lost ground as the tires wore down, sliding to 31st by the time the first green-checkered flag flew.

Stage 2: Communication & Pit Lane Woes

The second segment turned into a grueling test of patience. SVG radioed crew chief Stephen Doran to report that the car was borderline “undriveable,” making it incredibly difficult to provide productive feedback. To make matters worse, a safety violation on pit road during the stage break forced the No. 97 to restart from the absolute rear of the field. Despite fighting heavy mid-pack dirty air, SVG capitalized on an incident-heavy segment—including a multi-car wreck on Lap 82—to salvage a 22nd-place finish in Stage 2.

Stage 3: The Red Flag & Terminal Wreck

The final stage devolved into complete survival of the fittest. The field was brought to a grinding halt on Lap 148 when Chase Elliott lost control and speared heavily into Christopher Bell, causing a massive impact that required a 20-minute red flag to repair the circuit’s SAFER barrier.

Shortly after the Lap 154 restart, disaster struck the Kiwi. Running mid-pack, a chain-reaction collision unfolded right in front of him when Michael McDowell made contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., completely blocking the high line of the track. With absolutely nowhere to go, van Gisbergen plowed straight into Noah Gragson’s car. Smoke quickly billowed from the No. 97 SafetyCulture Chevy, forcing SVG to retire to the apron with critical oil pressure damage. He was officially credited with a 30th-place finish.

“Unfortunate day for our SafetyCulture team. Just struggled with the balance of the car all day. It’s a shame to have this kind of day after building such great momentum the last couple of weeks. But we’ll continue to learn from this and be ready for Pocono.” — Shane van Gisbergen

Next Up: The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the “Tricky Triangle” on Sunday, June 14, for the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway.

TRACKHOUSE REPORT:

• Van Gisbergen started 30th for the 200 lap race at Michigan. Van Gisbergen jumped into the top 20 early at the start of the race, before battling the handling of his SafetyCulture Chevrolet and struggling to maintain position. He finished the first stage, 31st. At the stage break, the No. 97 team opted to come to pit road to make adjustments to the car and van Gisbergen started Stage 2, 34th. Van Gisbergen continued to struggle with a tight race car but was able to make good track position when the caution flew on lap 82 for a multiple car incident. Van Gisbergen restarted the stage 24th and was able to hold on to position as he reported the handling of his Chevrolet had gotten better. He finished Stage 2, 22nd. To start the final stage, van Gisbergen had to start at the tail end of the field due to a pit road penalty at the stage break. Van Gisbergen worked to gain track position back, but on lap 154 he was involved in a multi-car accident that ended his day. He was credited with a 30th-place finish.

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