Shane van Gisbergen secured the NASCAR pole at the Chicago Street Course with an exceptionally fast qualifying lap, reinforcing his status as the frontrunner after his recent win in Mexico City. The event took place amid intense competition, with Michael McDowell joining van Gisbergen on the front row, nearly half a second behind the leader.
Van Gisbergen’s Commanding Performance in Qualifying
Van Gisbergen, driving the WeatherTech Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, set a blistering pace that no other driver could challenge. After an earlier session where reigning Supercars champion Will Brown took the early lead, van Gisbergen quickly overtook him and escalated the speed. Despite Chase Briscoe briefly setting a quicker lap, van Gisbergen responded by cutting more than six tenths of a second from that time, firmly taking pole position.
Reflecting on his achievement, van Gisbergen said,
“I think the guys did a great job. The WeatherTech Chevy is driving good. I’m a lucky boy. I got some great cars today — Xfinity pole and Cup pole. It’s pretty special. Yeah, looking forward to the race tomorrow. But what a tune-up … practice wasn’t that great but in qualifying, the car felt really good.”
—Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Behind him, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar from Spire Motorsports secured second and third places, respectively. Tyler Reddick grabbed fourth, while Chase Briscoe rounded out the top five. Completing the top ten were Kyle Busch, Ryan Preece, Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs, and Austin Dillon.
Qualifying Challenges and Incidents on the Track
The qualifying sessions included some tense moments, especially in Group B. Bubba Wallace spun just before the finish line and narrowly avoided a collision with Erik Jones. Later, Wallace spun again and impacted a tire barrier. Brad Keselowski also experienced a setback when he backed his car into the tires at Turn 7 but was able to continue with minor damage.
Meanwhile, Noah Gragson ended his session early after hitting the wall and breaking a toe-link but managed not to disrupt other drivers during his return to the pits. Even with such incidents, van Gisbergen’s lap time remained untouchable, with his closest teammates still trailing by nearly half a second.
Fierce Competition to Secure Race Entry
This race marked the first time in seven years, outside of the Daytona 500, that a driver failed to qualify. The battle for the final four grid spots was intense, with Will Brown, Katherine Legge, Corey Heim, Josh Bilicki, and Austin Hill vying for those positions.
Corey Heim, whose No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota suffered damage after hitting the wall and bending a toe-link, posted the slowest time during qualification. Despite returning to the track with a visibly compromised car and gaining some time, Heim remained the slowest overall.
Katherine Legge, a part-time Cup driver, edged past Heim in a surprising upset. After a first run that saw her make contact with the wall but avoid damage, Legge improved significantly on her second attempt, beating Heim by 0.138 seconds to clinch a race spot.
Notable Absences and Setbacks Among Top Drivers
Several prominent drivers were unable to participate fully in qualifying due to issues during practice. Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Chase Elliott missed the session after incidents earlier on the track. Additionally, Denny Hamlin did not post a time because of a blown engine suffered before qualifying began.
William Byron acknowledged his error, stating, “I’m just an idiot” for crashing out during Chicago Cup practice. —William Byron, NASCAR Cup
Denny Hamlin shared his frustration, saying he
“couldn’t even make a pace lap”
before suffering engine failure. —Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Cup
Implications for the Upcoming Race at Chicago
Van Gisbergen’s pole position sets a hopeful yet intense tone heading into the race, emphasizing the challenge for other drivers to keep pace. His dominance suggests he will be the driver to watch on the streets of Chicago, especially with the tough competition and incidents impacting some top contenders. The battle to make the race, combined with the absence of proven racers like Byron, Elliott, and Hamlin from qualifying, could lead to unpredictable race dynamics.
As the race unfolds, the performances on the Chicago Street Course will reveal whether van Gisbergen can continue his winning streak or if other competitors will rise to challenge the current leader.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why did Shane van Gisbergen quit Supercars?
A. Shane van Gisbergen believes his decision to leave Supercars for NASCAR was the right move. This year, he starts his first full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing. Before this, he spent 15 years racing in Supercars.
Q. Why did Shane van Gisbergen leave Supercars?
A. I’m stepping away from V8 Supercars for personal reasons that I’d prefer not to talk about publicly. I’m returning home to New Zealand and currently have no specific plans for what’s next.