After a multi-car accident on a restart at Lap 31, the battle for the victory in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado is wide-open, with pre-race favorites Shane Van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch in the garage with severe damage.
The incident started from the front row, when Austin Hill locked up the rear brakes on his No. 33 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Camaro and pushed Connor Zilisch up the racetrack into the barrier on the driver’s left.
With the field bunched up so tightly on the restart, several drivers running in proximity to the race leaders, Hill and Zilisch, were also collected in the accident, including Michael McDowell, Ty Gibbs, Daniel Suarez, and several others.
Of the cars involved in the accident, only Austin Hill, Connor Zilisch, and Shane Van Gisbergen had to bring their vehicles to the garage. Since driving back to the work area, the Trackhouse Racing teammates have been deemed out of the race, while Richard Childress Racing continues to work on the No. 33.
“It’s just unfortunate to end the day like that for both Red Bull Chevrolet’s with Shane [Van Gisbergen] and I. We had a really fast car today. We got out front, and it felt really good, but that’s how it goes sometimes,” said Connor Zilisch. “I had a lot of fun leading my first career Cup Series laps. Just super proud of this entire No. 88 team, but hate to see the day end this short. When you have a chance to go win a race, and you’re in a position to do so, but get put in a position like that, it’s extremely tough.”
It’s the fourth DNF in the last five NASCAR Cup Series events for rookie Connor Zilisch, which has dropped the Mooresville, North Carolina-native from 32nd to 34th (and maybe even 35th) in NASCAR Cup Series points.
As for Shane Van Gisbergen, who came into the race barely above the cutline for “The Chase”, the No. 97 is going to lose some massive ground, as the final run to the post-season begins after Sonoma.
The incident was very similar to a huge wreck in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series event on Saturday, where Sam Mayer crashed hard into the Turn 1 barrier and collected more than half of the field, including 23 cars.
