When it comes to Nascar’s street track in the center of Chicago, there is Shane van Gisbergen, and then there is everyone.
Van Gisbergen has won the post for the Grant Park of Sunday 165. The 36-year-old New Zealander revolved a round at 88,338 km / h on a difficult course of 2.2 miles that was set-up on Saturday by temperatures in the 90s Fahrenheit.
“The exercise was not that great for us, but when we went out for the qualification, the car felt really good,” Van Gisbergen said. “We have delivered two reasonably good laps.”
The Trackhouse Racing Driver is accompanied by Michael McDowell, who took the second lock at 87,879 km / h. Carson Hocevar (87.824 MPH), Tyler Reddick (87.779 MPH) and Chase Brisco (87.734 MPH) complete the top five.
McDowell is one of the three drivers who finished in the top 10 in the first two races in the center of Chicago.
“Our car is in the game,” he said. “Tomorrow will be a mixed bag with potential in and out again. So many variables to go outside and navigate.”
Van Gisbergen, three-time champion in the supercars of Australia, was also on the post for the Xfinity Series race on Saturday.
“I learned a lot this morning in the Xfinity Series car, and that just gives you a great leg for the cup car,” he said. “I think it’s great to use both cars, it certainly helps.”
Only two years ago Van Gisbergen ran to a historic victory in a rainy first edition of Nascar’s Downtown Chicago experiment. He made the best out of his extensive street racing experience and became the first driver to win his Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford in the second qualifying race in Daytona in 1963.
He won Chicago’s Xfinity Series last year and the first phase in the cup race before he was eliminated by a crash.
Katherine Legge became the first woman to qualify for the cup race in the center of Chicago when she ran a round of 85,744 km / h and corey Heim beat the field.
“We would have been a lot faster, I think, if I hadn’t left the wall,” said Legge. “I gave my crew a lot of work, but we had to keep on pushing it to put it in the show. I am really proud of this team and I am really looking forward to being raised tomorrow.”
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