“I think it is going to be fun to do something different,” said Shane Van Gisbergen, talking about NASCAR’s All-Star race. His 2025 Cup Series season—35th in standings with 138 points, just one top-10 finish, and an average finish of 26.8 is a worrying trend as a NASCAR rookie. But the New Zealand driver, behind the wheel of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, finally gave his fans a reason to cheer louder than ever.
Ovals have been a struggle, with his best prior start being 17th at Talladega in 2024. But his last outing showed he’s learning fast. He had said before, “The format looks pretty cool with qualifying involving the pit crew. It’s pretty awesome that I’m a top-five driver in fan votes, thanks to all my supporters! Hoping we can race for a million dollars on Sunday.” Well, that hope had turned into a dream-like reality. At North Wilkesboro Speedway, SVG snagged the pole position for the All-Star Open! However, SVG faces a rocky road ahead.
Shane Van Gisbergen has finally conquered his qualifying ghosts
The All-Star race is steeped in NASCAR history, and SVG just took a step towards adding his name to the legacy. Back in 1985, Darrell Waltrip won the first-ever “The Winston” with a $200,000 prize, passing ‘Handsome’ Harry Gant late and holding on despite his engine blowing at the checkered flag—then he doubled up by winning the Coca-Cola 600 the next day. In 1987, Dale Earnhardt’s “Pass in the Grass” became iconic when he slid through the infield to keep pace with Bill Elliott and Geoff Bodine, winning with eight laps left. The 1989 race saw Rusty Wallace spin Waltrip to take the victory, leading to a post-race brawl and Waltrip’s fiery words. Now, SVG has a chance to add his name to this list of iconic moments, and he’s already halfway there!
It was a day of heart-pounding action, teamwork, and history in the making at one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks. This wasn’t your typical qualifying session. Drivers had to run a full lap at speed on the 0.625-mile oval, then dive onto pit road for a mandatory four-tire stop on the second lap, before finishing up with a final lap. The total time from start to finish determined their spot in the lineup.
SVG absolutely crushed it, clocking in at 1:28.684 seconds. He outran a tough field, with Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar taking second, followed by Noah Gragson in third, Michael McDowell in fourth, and Ryan Preece rounding out the top five. “Yeah, I think we finally got all the things right,” said van Gisbergen, who had never even seen this track before today. “Qualifying has been a weakness. My lap was pretty good, coming in was good, pit stop guys were insane, so really good for them. Thanks to WeatherTech, thanks to the Trackhouse pit crew, and we’re up front for tomorrow.”
How about the No. 88?! @shanevg97 is fastest in Open qualifying.
And the @TeamTrackhouse pit crew are having some fun! pic.twitter.com/ZzkKiYahmv
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 16, 2025
SVG is a road course king—remember his 2023 Chicago win on his Cup Series debut? There’s no doubting his road course talent, but ovals have been a challenge, and this pole at a track he’d never seen before is a huge step forward. “I’ve never started at the front for an oval, so I don’t know what to do there. I’ll have to learn the rules and see how we go,” said SVG. For fans, the stakes are clear: the top two finishers in Sunday’s 100-lap Open race will punch their ticket to the $1 million All-Star Race, with a third spot up for grabs through fan voting, where Shane’s already a top-five favorite.
So, what’s next? Shane’s got a real shot at making the All-Star Race, either by finishing in the top two on Sunday or through the fan vote, where he’s a favorite alongside Hocevar. With practice time short and the weight of history at North Wilkesboro, this pole is not only a statement but also a much-needed boost in confidence for the Kiwi after a tumultuous Cup season so far.
SVG is aware of his Cup Series woes
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