The trip to EchoPark Speedway featured some trips through the grass for Shane van Gisbergen, but he rebounded and scored his best Cup Series finish on an oval track.
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The New Zealand native crossed the finish line in sixth place while Tyler Reddick won in double overtime. He joined Trackhouse Racing teammate Ross Chastain in the top 10 as Chastain finished third overall.
That smile at the end 😃 https://t.co/oWbgRQPWqr pic.twitter.com/K3ZfRMvPxr
— Trackhouse Racing (@TeamTrackhouse) February 23, 2026
Rookie Connor Zilisch failed to finish the race after being collected by a multi-car crash with under 50 laps remaining.
Van Gisbergen kept the No. 97 Chevrolet clean during the first stage and he put himself in contention for five or six points at the end of stage 2. However, he completed the stage sliding through the grass due to an unexpected incident.
As van Gisbergen drove along the bottom of the track, defending champion Kyle Larson moved from up by the wall all the way to the bottom of the track. He slammed into the No. 97 and sent it off the track. NASCAR still credited van Gisbergen with one stage point.
It initially appeared that Larson had attempted to block a run and mistimed his move. However, his interview after exiting the infield care center provided a different perspective.
"I just messed up," Larson said. "I knew the No. 45 (Reddick) was inside of me at one point of the corner, but I got clear of him. I didn't quite realize that the No. 97 (van Gisbergen) had gotten inside of him.
"So once I was clear, I just wanted to cut distance and short-cut my way to the stage finish. The No. 97 was out of my mirror. I just hung a quick left and ran right into him. There was nothing anyone else did wrong, it was all on me."
The second trip through the grass occurred approximately 30 laps after the first. Van Gisbergen worked his way back to the top 10 before suddenly spinning in front of Austin Cindric.
He went through the grass and then ended up on pit road. He avoided damaging his car but told the team over the radio that he had just built too loose during the run.
"I thought I was a Kubota for a moment," van Gisbergen joked to reporter Steven Taranto after the race.
This incident dropped the three-time Supercars champion further back in the pack, but he still had time to recover. He did just that as he steadily maneuvered up to ninth place before the first overtime attempt. He then worked his way to sixth by the end of double overtime.
Two races into the 2026 season, the Trackhouse Racing driver remains in contention for a spot in The Chase. He leaves EchoPark Speedway 16th in points and in a tie with Chase Briscoe.
This is not a particularly safe spot, but he next heads to Circuit of the Americas. Considering that he won five road course races last season, he will be the favorite at the Texas track.
