Shane van Gisbergen snaps a third‑place podium at North Wilkesboro Speedway
Shane van Gisbergen finished third in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro, turning a 19th‑place start into a podium finish. The New Zealander’s fourth Truck start and third oval outing saw him tighten the race in the final stint.
The finish matches van Gisbergen’s best oval results in any NASCAR division, echoing a third place in the 2024 O’Reilly race at Atlanta and the 2024 Watkins Glen road‑course event. “Just time and experience, working with good people,” he said, praising crew chief Bono Manion and thanking Spire, Nations Guard and Chevy.
He drove the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, alongside Cup teammates Chase Elliot and Carson Hocevar. During the final stage, van Gisbergen began 11th with 100 laps of green‑flag racing and moved from the bottom line, overtaking reigning champion Corey Heim and teammate Chase Elliot.
With 55 laps still to race, the driver entered the top five and made aggressive inside passes, dislodging Christian Eckes for third. However, he could not catch the Front Row Motorsports pair ahead.
Chandler Smith won by an 8.4‑second margin over FRM’s Layne Riggs. Van Gisbergen sat two seconds behind Riggs, free of pressure, and was the highest‑finishing Spire truck.
The New Zealand driver’s oval aptitude improved sharply since his 19th‑place debut at Irp. He will return to North Wilkesboro for the Cup race Sunday evening, with practice and qualifying set after the Truck competition.
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