Shane van Gisbergen doesn’t believe he’s a shoo-in to win Sunday’s Anduril 250 at San Diego Street Course. The road course ringer said he isn’t overlooking his competition.
SVG has reigned supreme at road courses and street tracks. His heel-toe driving sets him apart from the rest of the field, while his win record bolsters his reputation.
With seven wins on such tracks, it’s hard to argue against him being a firm favorite, but the Trackhouse driver does not appreciate such a label.
In a press conference on Friday, he said (via X/Steven Taranto),
“I feel like it disrespects my competition. I hold my competition at a really high level. So I feel like I’ve spent the last little while talking myself down because I know that there’s 10 guys probably that can win on pure pace.
“And in NASCAR, so much stuff can happen with strategies and stages that there’s even more guys who can win. So I don’t think it’s gonna be easy, that’s for sure,” van Gisbergen added.
Circuit of the Americas remains the only road course that Shane van Gisbergen hasn’t conquered. The No. 97 driver failed to win in three of his starts there.
The New Zealander enters new territory with the San Diego Street Course, a 16-turn 3.4-mile circuit with elevation changes and narrow turns. Friday’s Truck race was the inaugural event at the track, recording seven cautions and 16 lead changes among six drivers.
Notably, Layne Riggs called himself ‘Layne van Riggsbergen’ after winning the race in an overtime thriller.
“It looks very difficult”: Shane van Gisbergen on the Qualcomm Circuit
The Qualcomm Circuit is the second-longest track on the NASCAR calendar, behind COTA’s 3.41-mile length. It’s also one of the most challenging ones on the schedule. Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron said it took him almost an hour to memorize the track, while Chase Briscoe explained how he had to change his driving style for every corner.
The circuit has wide-open straights with passing opportunities, 90-degree turns, and a steep downhill descent right after Turn 1.
Shane van Gisbergen shared his thoughts on the track, saying (via Speedway Digest),
“It seems to be evolving, getting faster and faster. Obviously it’s bumpy, which everyone seems to be commenting on. And then the risk versus reward looks off the charts, seeing even the guy doing the pole lap there crashed across the line. And then Justin (Marks) having an issue, as well. It looks very difficult.”
Kyle Larson topped Friday’s practice at San Diego, while Shane van Gisbergen came in eighth. However, SVG posted the fastest five-lap average among the field.
His Trackhouse Racing teammate and fellow road course specialist, Connor Zilisch, found himself among the top-5 in single-lap pace. The 19-year-old is still searching for his maiden top-10 finish.
In other news, former F1 driver Kevin Magnussen is making his NASCAR debut with Trackhouse Racing’s No.91 entry at San Diego.
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