NASCAR Cup race at COTA comes at right time for Shane van Gisbergen
After a ninth-place finish in the Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium to begin February, the rest of the month was miserable for the Trackhouse Racing driver.
At Daytona, van Gisbergen went to a backup car for the 500 after his car was damaged in his qualifying race. He finished 33rd in the 500 after damage from an early incident. Last weekend at Atlanta, van Gisbergen was in position for a top-15 finish before he was collected in a last-lap crash and placed 23rd.
The result is that van Gisbergen enters Sunday's Cup race at Circuit of the Americas (3:30 p.m. ET on Fox) 34th in the points.
COTA Austin weekend schedule, TV info for NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series
The top two national series will race a new layout for the first road course of the season.
Nate Ryan,
Nate Ryan,
This weekend is the first of five road courses in the Cup regular season that could pave the way for him to make the playoffs.
The three-time Australian Supercars champion has excelled on NASCAR's road courses since winning in his Cup debut in 2023 at the Chicago Street Race.
'I just had, I guess, a jump on them at Chicago,' van Gisbergen said of Cup drivers. 'I had, obviously, a great car, great team, but I was used to the street circuits.'
Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup teams heading into COTA weekend
Ross Chastain has the best average finish at COTA among active drivers but could face a challenge from teammate Shane van Gisbergen.
Dustin Long,
Dustin Long,
Van Gisbergen has made 11 road course starts between Cup and Xfinity, winning four times — one Cup race and three Xfinity races last year.
He nearly won at Watkins Glen last year, finishing second to Chris Buescher after a dramatic final lap. Van Gisbergen described the racing as 'epic.'
'The guys here are just so talented,' van Gisbergen said of the Cup drivers. 'When you race every week, you're going to to get so good at it. I just see the prep and the level here, it's just so high.'
How Austin Cindric got Kyle Larson's number after Atlanta crash and how he moved on from disappointment
The Team Penske driver tends to avoid fraternizing with his Cup Series peers.
Nate Ryan,
Nate Ryan,
NASCAR will race on a different COTA course this weekend. Cup and Xfinity no longer will run the 3.41-mile course. Instead, both series will run on the track's National course, which is 1 mile shorter. The change, along with the increase in laps from 68 to 95 for the Cup race, is meant to give fans in the stadium area more laps to see the action.
'We don't lose any passing spots,' van Gisbergen said of the change to the track. 'I think it's probably a good thing, a shorter track.'
For all the attention on van Gisbergen's success on road courses, his focus throughout the season is elsewhere.
'I just want to be someone who you think of an oval like that,' he said. 'I really want to get better at ovals and every week be a contender, not just five times a year.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 minutes ago
- USA Today
Meet Team USA's six automatic qualifiers for the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black
Half the U.S. team for the 2025 Ryder Cup is set, and half is still to come. Team U.S.A. Captain Keegan Bradley knows six of the players on his 12-man team in search of regaining the Cup next month at Bethpage Black. The BMW Championship was the final qualifying event for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Bradley will make his six captain's picks after next week's Tour Championship. Let's take a closer look at the top six players in Ryder Cup points who locked up their spot on the American team. Six automatic qualifiers for U.S. Ryder Cup team 2025 Scheffler, the world No. 1, clinched his spot on the team two months ago. That speaks volumes to how well he has played the last two years during the qualifying period. Scheffler collected two more majors this season, winning the PGA Championship in May and British Open in July. This will mark his third straight Ryder Cup appearance. The 29-year-old Texan has a career record of 2-2-3. 'Representing the United States at the Ryder Cup has been one of the greatest honors of my career, and I look forward to doing so for a third time this September,' Scheffler said in a press release in June announcing he had qualified for the team. 'I will do whatever it takes to help our team reclaim the Cup and cannot wait to play in front of the passionate New York spectators at Bethpage Black.' Spaun, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is the biggest surprise of the six automatic qualifiers. He was ranked No. 112 in the world after his final start of 2024 but entered the week at No. 6 after a pair of runner-up finishes, a T-3 and, of course, his second career win at Oakmont in June. Spaun, 34, will be making his first appearance at the Ryder Cup. It's a good thing that Schauffele earned points for his two major wins last season because otherwise he'd be hoping for a captain's pick to Keegan Bradley's team. Schauffele, 32, struggled this season, missing the top 30 and Tour Championship for the first time this season. He was injured early this season and never had his 'A game.' Schauffele, wo is still ranked No. 3 in the world, will be making his third straight appearance on Team USA. He has a 4-4 all-time record going 3-1 at Whistling Straits but 1-3 last time in Rome. The former Georgia Bulldog golfer is set to make his first appearance on Team USA for the Ryder Cup. Henley gained valuable experience playing in the Presidents Cup in Montreal. He teamed with Scottie Scheffler to great success and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them as partners again at Bethpage. Henley, 36, moved into the top 6 in the U.S. points standings after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, his fifth career PGA Tour title, in March. Henley, ranked No. 5 in the world, surpassed $40 million in career earnings this season. He also finished T-2 at the Travelers Championship in June among nine top-10 finishes. English, another former Georgia Bulldog golfer, returns to the U.S. squad after missing out in 2023. English had a record of 1-2 in 2021 at Whistling Straits. English, 36, won in January at the Farmers Insurance Open and only Scottie Scheffler beat him at the PGA Championship and British Open. English, No. 7 in the world, notched 10 top 25s and made the cut in 18 of 20 starts this season. The 2024 U.S. Open champion hung on for the sixth and final automatic spot. It is all the more impressive considering that DeChambeau, 31, only could earn points during the majors. In addition to his victory at Pinehurst No. 2, DeChambeau has recorded five more top 10s in the majors, including a pair of runner-up finishes at the PGA Championship. DeChambeau, No. 17 in the world, will be making his third Ryder Cup appearance. He has a 2-3-1 lifetime record. He was a pick in 2018 and had an 0-3 mark. In 2021, he made the team and went 2-0-1.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bowman: 'Stressful' week coming up before Daytona
Alex Bowman discusses his second-place finish in the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, sharing what he did well, why he is proud of his team and how he will prepare for next week's race at Daytona International Speedway.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Who will clinch last two playoff spots at Daytona?
Austin Dillon became the 14th race winner to earn a spot in the 16-driver Cup playoffs field. The regular season concludes Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, where the last two playoff drivers will be confirmed.
