In the final laps of the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen, Shane van Gisbergen made a crucial error that cost him the win, allowing Chris Buescher to seize the opportunity and claim his first victory of the NASCAR season.
Van Gisbergen made contact with the wall through the esses, giving Buescher the chance to pass. Both drivers exchanged bumps, leading to an exciting finish at the line.
During The Teardown, Jeff Gluck highlighted what he believed was the turning point: the final restart in overtime. SVG made an aggressive move to take the lead early on but might have overthought his strategy.
“To me, it was all about the final restart. SVG made a key decision to take the lead right away, even getting physical to do it,” Gluck noted. “In the Xfinity race, he had the same mindset, thinking, ‘Everyone loses their cool at the end, so I’ll do the same.’
He fully embraced the NASCAR approach but knew if he didn’t pull away, the guy behind would return the favor. That’s just how things work here.”
Gluck continued, “Buescher said they may have rubbed a bit, but I don’t think he would’ve taken out SVG or done anything drastic. That’s not how Buescher races. But SVG’s decision to push so hard might’ve caused him to make an unforced error, even though Buescher was putting on the pressure.”
Van Gisbergen, considered NASCAR’s top road course driver, showed strength throughout the race, climbing his way to the front. However, after his bump-and-run move, he may have gotten too caught up in the moment.
Considering his previous run-ins with drivers like Austin Hill, it’s understandable why SVG raced so hard. A driver like Hill could have retaliated, even at the cost of both drivers’ chances. Buescher, however, races more fairly, though the possibility of being taken out still looms in NASCAR.
