Shane Van Gisbergen started proceedings perfectly at Circuit of the Americas in the NASCAR Cup Series, topping the two 20-minute Practice sessions, before Qualifying sixth for tomorrow’s 95-lap race.
Van Gisbergen immediately asserted his pace in Practice One, topping the timesheets with a blistering 1:38.855—a full 0.289 seconds faster than Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman. Eighteen-year-old Connor Zilisch impressed with a third-place finish in the sister Trackhouse Racing Camaro.
This pace continued in Practice Two. Van Gisbergen further solidified his advantage, posting a 1:38.846—a remarkable 0.588 seconds ahead of William Byron in second place. His performance wasn’t just about single-lap speed; analysis revealed he consistently held the best 5 and 10-lap averages during the first session. While he appeared to use older tires for much of the second session, a final mock qualifying run secured him the top spot once again.
Post-practice interviews found van Gisbergen confidently reporting a well-balanced and competitive car. He did, however, mention experiencing a brake bias issue midway through his first run. The #88 car consistently displayed excellent speed over extended stints, further illustrating his team’s strong setup.
Qualifying saw the field divided into two groups. Van Gisbergen, competing in Group 1, secured the second-fastest time with a 1:38.52, a mere 0.04 seconds shy of his Trackhouse Racing teammate, Daniel Suárez, who topped the session.
Group 2 proved even more competitive, with Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace leading the charge for Toyota. Reddick’s time, four-tenths faster than Suárez’s Group 1 best, underscored the intense battle for pole. Chase Elliott and Carson Hocevar rounded out the top four, all surpassing the Group 1 benchmark.
This ultimately positioned the Trackhouse Racing teammates, Suárez and Van Gisbergen, in fifth and sixth place overall. Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain and Todd Gilliland would round out the Top Ten.
The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at COTA starts at 9:30 AM NZT tomorrow morning. You can watch the race live and free on ThreeNow.
Header Image: Shane van Gisbergen Facebook
