Shane van Gisbergen’s attempt to make a mark in the NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ended abruptly in a dramatic crash during the South Point 400. The New Zealand racer, aiming to strengthen his standing in the pivotal Round of 8 Playoff event, saw his promising run curtailed after a late-race wreck dashed hopes for his best oval finish yet, placing the focus keyword Shane van Gisbergen NASCAR Las Vegas at the heart of Sunday’s storyline.
Opening Stages See Early Jockeying and Tough Breaks
The field took the green flag with pole-winner Denny Hamlin alongside Chase Briscoe, with several notable contenders such as Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, and Ty Gibbs among the front pack. Shane van Gisbergen demonstrated his qualifying prowess by placing his No. 88 Trackhouse Chevrolet in 13th position—the highest among his Trackhouse teammates, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez, who started 15th and 17th.
At the start, Briscoe moved ahead, while Hamlin found himself defending second place from Bell. Despite a difficult launch that saw van Gisbergen drop from 13th to 19th, he regained his footing and climbed to 17th by Lap 7.
“All bets are off! The Round of 8 starts right now!We are underway at @LVMotorSpeedway, live on @USANetwork! pic.twitter.com/8eFl80oyzP”
— NASCAR (@NASCAR), October 12, 2025
By the 22nd lap, Briscoe had built a lead of 1.4 seconds, and van Gisbergen communicated that his car’s balance was an ongoing challenge, specifically in Turns 3 and 4, reporting it was
“not bad, but affecting throttle commitment through Turns 3 and 4.”
Van Gisbergen managed to pass Michael McDowell for 15th place by Lap 25, even as Chastain’s car issues sent him tumbling back to 33rd. Daniel Suárez hovered close behind in 16th.
Pit stops between Laps 34 and 36 shuffled positions, and once green-flag servicing cycled through, van Gisbergen emerged in 18th. The race saw its first caution nine laps before the end of Stage 1 after Ryan Blaney crashed due to a left-front tire puncture.
“Huge playoff implications on Lap 72! @Blaney has trouble and gets into the wall. pic.twitter.com/MoCg5bEGHx”
— NASCAR (@NASCAR), October 12, 2025
Blaney’s radio message summed up his ordeal:
“The steering isn’t working, everything feels broken,”
revealing the severity of the damage.
Pit stops under caution propelled William Byron to the stage lead, trailed by Larson and Briscoe while van Gisbergen restarted 15th. Byron eventually captured the Stage 1 win after a short green-flag run, with van Gisbergen finishing a strong 12th, advancing steadily through the chaos.
Van Gisbergen Gains Ground and Faces Handling Issues in Middle Segment
Stage 2 began with Byron and Larson battling for the front, and it was Larson who surged ahead. Van Gisbergen pressed forward, overtaking Chris Buescher for 11th, then passing Christopher Bell to break into the top ten. Early green-flag running allowed NASCAR’s playoff contenders to settle in, and a new pit cycle commenced around Lap 115. After pit stops, van Gisbergen found himself in eighth ahead of Logano and Buescher.
Kyle Larson dominated the stage from the front, but as the run wore on, van Gisbergen began to struggle, losing ground as Logano overtook him for ninth. Nearing the end of Stage 2, a lack of rear grip forced van Gisbergen to lift off the throttle, with Alex Bowman and Carson Hocevar passing him down to 11th.
“losing rear grip and having to lift on entry.”
— Van Gisbergen, driver
Larson went on to win Stage 2, with Reddick, Byron, Hamlin, Briscoe, and Bell making up the top finishers. Van Gisbergen radioed his team:
“Just lost the rear tyres toward the end there. Sorry about that — the car’s really good though, it’s awesome.”
Bold Pits and Tragedy in Final Stage for Trackhouse
The last stage commenced with Byron and Larson up front once more, but it was Larson who seized the lead as chaos continued deeper in the field. Van Gisbergen, restarting ninth, quickly slipped down the order after an air-pressure adjustment left his car feeling unpredictable. He candidly told his crew,
“Way too big of a change, completely different race car.”
Once the team reverted the setup, the Kiwi found more speed, moving up to 15th after green-flag pit services with 50 laps remaining. At the front, Byron had a slender lead over Larson.
With a little over 25 laps to go, a major incident dramatically altered the complexion of the race. Byron, a frontrunner all afternoon, collided with Ty Dillon—who had slowed to enter pit road—destroying both vehicles and instigating a critical caution period.
“Big trouble for the No. 24 of @WilliamByron! pic.twitter.com/I2fncPZeWW”
— NASCAR (@NASCAR), October 13, 2025
Seizing opportunity, Trackhouse opted for a bold two-tire pit stop for van Gisbergen, launching him into fifth for the restart with 23 laps left, lining up just behind Briscoe, Logano, Keselowski, and Larson.
The next restart was disastrous. As the green flew, contact from Ty Gibbs spun van Gisbergen, setting off a chain reaction crash that severely damaged his Chevrolet and forced him out of contention as several cars were collected.
“There’s contact on the restart, and multiple cars go spinning. pic.twitter.com/L8hV6gV8SN”
— NASCAR (@NASCAR), October 13, 2025
The heavy hits to both sides of his car sealed van Gisbergen’s fate, bringing a premature end to a promising day that could have seen his best performance on a NASCAR oval to date.
Race Concludes with Hamlin’s Victory Amid Fallout
Following the restart carnage, attention turned to the race up front. With fourteen laps remaining, Briscoe led Logano and Larson. The closing circuits evolved into a fierce three-way contest as Denny Hamlin roared back into the fray. In a dramatic turn, Hamlin overtook Briscoe with four laps left and held off a rapid late attack from Larson to claim his 60th NASCAR Cup Series victory and a guaranteed spot in the Championship 4.
“MOVE HAMLIN TO THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/Qq1Wbm75BW”
— NASCAR (@NASCAR), October 13, 2025
Larson finished second, Bell was third, Briscoe fourth, and Tyler Reddick rounded out the top five. For van Gisbergen, whose composure and pace stood out before the wreck, the Las Vegas event ended in frustration and disappointment, underscoring the fine margins at play in NASCAR playoffs.
Looking Ahead as the NASCAR Playoffs Intensify
The NASCAR Playoffs continue their high-stakes run, with Hamlin, Larson, Bell, and Briscoe all collecting crucial points at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Shane van Gisbergen will aim to recover and capitalize at Talladega Superspeedway, set for Monday, October 20, at 7am NZST. The drama and unpredictability of Las Vegas underline the difficulty and challenge of NASCAR’s postseason, offering little room for error but ample opportunity for heroics—and heartbreak.
All bets are off! The Round of 8 starts right now!
We are underway at @LVMotorSpeedway, live on @USANetwork! pic.twitter.com/8eFl80oyzP
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 12, 2025
Huge playoff implications on Lap 72! @Blaney has trouble and gets into the wall. pic.twitter.com/MoCg5bEGHx
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 12, 2025
The inside row stacks up!
Larson capitalizes, and takes the lead! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/gANXdwYvQc
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 12, 2025
Big trouble for the No. 24 of @WilliamByron! pic.twitter.com/I2fncPZeWW
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 13, 2025
There's contact on the restart, and multiple cars go spinning. pic.twitter.com/L8hV6gV8SN
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 13, 2025
MOVE HAMLIN TO THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/Qq1Wbm75BW
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 13, 2025
