It was a learning curve for the 3x Supercars champion Shane Van Gisbergen. After enthralling the NASCAR world with his performance in the inaugural street race in Chicago, the Kiwi driver bagged a seat for the 2024 season with Trackhouse Racing, after signing a developmental program with the team. Owing to this, Van Gisbergen made his full-time debut in the Xfinity Series at Daytona. Driving for Kaulig Racing, the driver finished at a solid 12th place. However, post-race, the driver did not shy away from lashing out at the drivers after being entwined in the wrecks caused by them. In an interview with motorsports journalist Matt Weaver, SVG pondered upon what went south and how he can elude it in next week’s race at Atlanta.

Shane Van Gisbergen cuts a sorry figure as he dissects debut run

It was a silent game of being patient as the dark clouds and incessant rains forced the Xfinity race to be postponed for more than forty-eight hours. However, with the silver lining on the horizon, the race finally materialized after the Daytona 500. It’s safe to say that Shane Van Gisbergen was in high spirits, as the driver did not allow the delay to take a toll on his much-awaited NASCAR debut. After notching a favorable position in the qualifying and starting fifth in the race, the Bathurst winner was ready to unfurl his racing dexterity on the iconic tri-oval track of NASCAR.

However, it is easier said than done, as the #97 Chevrolet driver faced major hiccups and was involved in three different incidents, among which two of the incidents involved Jeb Burton. Although the driver was able to dodge the big wreck caused by Daniel Suarez and Josh Williams, it was not long before he was caught in the crossfire during a lap 37 crash.

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Shedding light on what he could have done better and how some crashes that affected his run, SVG said, “I made one error with the 27, getting up and misjudging how quickly inside drafted them back and spun him out, so that was a shame to make that error. The rest of them, we just got involved in other people’s messes. It was messy. But the pit crew did an awesome job.”

The driver in his post-race interview with Matt Weaver also talked about his feeling of going into his first race as a debutant. He said, “Everything was just wow. It was much more fun than the ARCA race, wondering what it was gonna be like. Once I settled in, I really enjoyed the flow of it. Took me a while to stop reacting to the loose end and just let the car flow.”

Reflecting on his lack of experience on superspeedways, he said, “This style of racing is still racing, but it’s not any kind of racing I have been used to. But it’s a skill I need to learn. There are six superspeedways a year. I need to get better at it, understand it, and just keep focusing on it.”

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However, it was not just the Kiwi who had to submit to heartbreak during a debut run. Hailie Deegan, driving for AM Racing as a Xfinity Series debutante, suffered a similar fate as a crash involving Daniel Suarez collected her. And the #15 driver didn’t mince words when dissecting her run.

Hailie Deegan heaves her frustration after her Daytona run comes to an early closure

The incident occurred on Lap 23 of the race when Suarez suffered a hit from Jeremy Clements and shoved the Trackhouse Racing driver to the outside wall. As a result of the major hit, Deegan was caught in the ruckus that eventually ended her night in Daytona. Apparently frustrated by the performance and reflecting on how she’s yet to tame the Daytona International Speedway, Deegan expressed, “I’ve had a bad relationship with Daytona ever since my first Truck race here. It’s been hard for me. I’ve never been able to conquer or at least figure out what the right way is. Do you hang back, should you go, where is the danger zone?”

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Nevertheless, with the first race done and dusted, the attention shifts to the upcoming race in Atlanta. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead of these rookie drivers in the second race of the season and whether they are able to alter their fate.