Shane van Gisbergen has begun his 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign by qualifying for the Clash at Bowman Gray 200-lap feature directly from his heat.
The three-time Xfinity Series race winner will line up 10th for the main event, a non-championship round at Bowman Gray Stadium, a quarter-mile asphalt flat oval, which lived up to it’s ‘Madhouse’ title during Sunday’s four heats.
Thirty-nine full-time Cup Series drivers are in attendance at NASCAR’s pre-season hit out, with the feature to include only 23 competitors.
The field was split into four heats, based on practice times, with the top five from each 25-lap heat progressing to The Clash.
Van Gisbergen finished third in Heat 2, behind heat winner Chris Buescher and runner-up Chase Briscoe and ahead of other qualifiers Bubba Wallace and teammate Daniel Suarez, to earn his place in the main event.
NASCAR star Kyle Larson was among those to miss out from Heat 2 and will be forced to race in the last-chance qualifier, where two spots in the finale are up for grabs. Should he fail, his hopes of advancement rely on the fate of 2024 NASCAR runner-up Ryan Blaney, who, if he fails to progress from the Last Chance Qualifier, will receive a berth for a provisional entry as the highest-ranked competitor not to qualify.
Shoule Blaney succeed in the Last Chance Qualifier, and Larson does not, Larson will take the provisional. If both qualify, the provisional will go to Ty Gibbs.
Heat 1 winner Chase Elliott will start the feature from pole, following a chaotic first outing which saw former champion Kyle Busch warned for running on the rear bumper of Justin Haley under caution. Haley had earlier spun Busch, leading to the latter trailing him under yellow, rubbing on the rear of the Spire Motorsports’ entry.
Joining Elliott in progressing from Heat 1 was Brad Keselowski, Noah Gragson, Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain.
Advancing from Heat 3 in addition to winner Denny Hamlin were reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano, William Byron, Carson Hocevar and Alex Bowman.
Joining winner Tyler Reddick from Heat 4 were Christopher Bell, Ryan Preece, Austin Cindric and Todd Gilliland.
Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon, Josh Berry, Justin Haley, Ryan Blaney Zane Smith, Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, Cody Ware, Garrett Smithley, Ty Gibbs, Riley Herbst, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Burt Myers, Tim Brown, Michael McDowell, A.J. Allmendinger, John-Hunter Nemechek, and Cole Custer are those who will feature in the 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier.
The 200-lap Clash at Bowman Gray begins at 2.00 pm NZST on Monday and will be streamed live on Three Now.
Header Image: Trackhouse Racing Facebook
