SHANE van Gisbergen has finished sixth in the latest NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta after being in line for a photo finish in an epic finish.
The Kiwi was battling with the leaders through a green-white-chequered-flag finish, placed fourth at the start of the last circuit; however, the Trackhouse Racing machine subsequently lost grip and several positions.
Ultimately, Ryan Blaney won the race after sweeping the stages, ahead of Christopher Bell and Carson Hocevar.
The three-time Supercars champion was originally placed P7, before gaining a place when Bubba Wallace was demoted for crossing the yellow line in the run to the finish line.
The result equals SVG’s Atlanta result from earlier this year and is one place behind his best oval finish, fifth at Nashville this season.
Despite the result, van Gisbergen has provisionally slipped to 15th in the standings.
“I’m still replaying it in my head, but we’ll take a sixth-place finish,” van Gisbergen said.
“We needed a great points day. Overall, it was an excellent day for this #97 SuperFile Chevrolet team.
“We were up front for most of the race. We didn’t get many stage points, but we got some.
“We’ll take that and move onto next weekend (at North Wilkesboro Speedway).”
From 12th at the initial race start, van Gisbergen initially moved forward, with the stint including a stretch when he ran close to rival Austin Hill.
While Blaney won the opening stage, SVG was placed 16th at lap 60/260 break, with the segment running green throughout.
After a long stop to take on board extra fuel, van Gisbergen restarted P18, with the intensity of the race picking up as weather closed in on the circuit.
Following a run in the top-10, SVG tapped the wall and was positioned 12th when the caution lights flashed on for lightning ahead of the heavens opening.
Following a delay of more than three hours and a round of pit stops under yellow, van Gisbergen resumed festivities from 15th.
In a wild run to the lap 160 stage break, van Gisbergen avoided a spin by Bubba Wallace through the quad-oval grass after contact with teammate Ty Gibbs, claiming a stage point in 10th.
At the front of the field, Blaney swept the stages.
Restarting from eighth, SVG placed fourth when a yellow blinked on for an AJ Allmendinger spin on lap 194.
Taking on four tyres in the pit stop, van Gisbergen lined up from 14th for the green flag and was 10th when the next caution fell with 29 laps remaining, following concurrent contact for Allmendinger and Blaney.
Taking on two tyres, SVG placed 11th for the subsequent green flag.
Next, Kyle Larson spun through the infield with van Gisbergen in sixth.
Van Gisbergen subsequently moved into fifth when a multi-car wreck involving Chase Briscoe, Riley Herbst and Kyle Larson set up an overtime finish.
On the last lap, van Gisbergen was shuffled fourth to seventh.
Next week, the NASCAR Cup Series continues at North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the short track hosting its first points-paying race in three decades.
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