Shane van Gisbergen’s San Diego weekend ended in frustration after a restart crash blamed on Austin Hill.
Van Gisbergen’s Post‑Race Recap
In a brief video on his YouTube channel, Van Gisbergen admitted the weekend “still pretty shitty” and referenced Hill as the “spud” behind the wrecks that cost him valuable track position.
He added, “Two weeks in a row, taken out by the same spud. It sucked.” The driver also hinted at a quick reset, noting that he and the Red Bull crew were in Los Angeles breaking in the athlete center before heading to Sonoma.
Restart Chaos at the San Diego Speedway
During the race‑ending restart, Hill missed the front‑row apex, ran wide, and slammed into Connor Zilisch, sending both cars into the wall. Van Gisbergen, directly behind Zilisch, caught the ensuing crash and was caught up in the melee as his car damaged.
Shortly after the incident, Van Gisbergen reportedly reversed his steering to block Hill’s damaged vehicle as it tried to pull away from the incident zone.
Pocono – A Precedent for Conflict
Only a week earlier, Hill was again central to a high‑speed collision at Pocono. While battling Josh Berry, Hill’s car drifted up Turn 4, forcing a three‑wide finishline snap that spilled Van Gisbergen and several other competitors into the wall.
That crash had a similar outcome: van Gisbergen’s team suffered a loss of position that pushed him out of the cut‑off for the Chase, leaving him five points behind.
Road Course Rumble at Sonoma
Van Gisbergen and Hill will meet twice at Sonoma—once in the O’Reilly Cup race Saturday and again in the Cup race Sunday. Their past battles include a notable showdown in 2024, where Van Gisbergen’s hard push helped him secure a win, only for Hill to voice displeasure post‑race.
The two drivers, both chasing a spot in the final road‑course battle of the 2026 season, will likely choose a new headline as they head toward Sonoma’s tight turns and banked turns.
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