Van Gisbergen scores front row start at COTA

Shane van Gisbergen has used his Supercars skills to qualify an impressive second for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at COTA this weekend.

Van Gisbergen’s time of 132.499s was enough to secure a front row in his fifth race of the second tier series.

The only driver to beat the Kiwi was NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who went four tenths faster.

Other Cup Series stars Ty Gibbs, and AJ Allmendinger could not beat the three-time Supercars champion.

Van Gisbergen revealed he has spent countless hours in the simulator to prepare for the Focused Health 250.

“It’s been pretty cool preparation this week, very different again to be turning right,” he said prior to qualifying.

Shane Van Gisbergen flying around the Circuit of the Americas. Photo by Gavin Baker / LAT Images

“It’s pretty exciting. I’m sick of the simulator and ready to drive a real car, but I’m just excited to see what it feels like. 

“The Xfinity car is going to be a big challenge, and then the Cup car kind of feels a bit more normal. But yeah, I’m going to have to relearn it again.

“I did a little bit at Trackhouse on the static simulator, just going back-and-forth, mainly on the gear shifting. 

“Just going from sequential back to the H-Pattern, just to not make mistakes. 

“We’ve seen guys do that in the past. But I think the gears and the shift points are quite different, so there should have any problem there, but yeah, it’s not going to be easy.”

Being the first road course of the Xfinity Series season, COTA was always going to be earmarked as one of van Gisbergen’s biggest chances of success.

However, his rookie campaign has already exceeded the Kiwi’s expectations.

On Daytona debut van Gisbergen recovered from some moments to finish a solid 12th, while an impressive fuel-saving drive saw him score a sensational third in race two at Atlanta.

The #97 suffered overheating dramas at Las Vegas but bounced back to finish sixth last time out at Phoenix to sit 14th in the championship and second rookie behind the fast Jesse Love.

“I’m excited. The season has been going well, so far,” van Gisbergen reflected.

“The results are pretty above where I thought I’d be, so yeah it’s been pleasantly surprising. 

“I’m just really enjoying myself.”

Unlike almost the entire NASCAR Xfinity Series calendar, van Gisbergen has previous experience at COTA.

Supercars visited the American Formula 1 circuit back in 2013 and staged four 100km races around a shortened and twisty layout.

After a tough first race, SVG then racing the #97 Tekno Autosports VF Commodore raced the remainder of the weekend up the front finishing fifth twice before securing third in the finale to stand on the podium.

Van Gisbergen believes the circuit will be a lot more slippery than when the Supercars stateside 11 years ago.

“We raced here in 2013. At the last bit of the esses, where there’s a double-right, we turned left and did like a little chicane with a jump and joined the back straight, so I missed those corners out the back,” SVG reflected.

“But really, the surface is very weathered in a lot of corners. It looks a lot more slippery now than it did back then, apart from obviously the parts where they just resealed. 

“It’s going to be interesting to feel what it’s like, but I think these cars will drive very differently to the Supercars then.

“When we came here, we did four sprint races. I think they were 20 laps, or something like that, of the short tracks, so that’s the biggest thing… the race length. 

“I think Sunday’s race is probably three or three-and-a-half hours. That’s probably the toughest thing.

“And then the stages, understanding that.. deciding, in Xfinity especially, when to go for stage points or when to pit. That’s kind of new to me, as well. 

“Understanding how that works. I think that kind of rules the race and where you end up placing. 

“I have a lot to learn and understand that, but yeah, probably just driving, try to follow someone and learn how much track you can use.”

Van Gisbergen will chase a maiden NASCAR Xfinity Series win at COTA from 08.00 AEDT Sunday morning.

Image: Motorsport Images

NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 qualifying results

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