Shane Van Gisbergen Tops NASCAR All Star Qualifying at North Wilkesboro

“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

Shane van Gisbergen’s first full season in the NASCAR Cup Series has been an emotional rollercoaster, and the Kiwi road racing legend is feeling every bump. A third of the way through the grueling 36-race schedule, the Trackhouse Racing driver sits a heartbreaking 35th out of 36 full-time competitors, only ahead of Rick Ware Racing’s Cody Ware. The stats sting: an average finish of 30th on ovals and a qualifying position of 29.5, making him the second-worst qualifier among full-timers.

“I need to be a bit better with car placement and getting up to speed quicker. It’s so difficult when you only have 15-20 minutes of practice, then straight into qualifying. It’s hard to get up to speed on these places I haven’t been before. It will take time, and I’m not trying to force it or get desperate. Just going to keep working and building,” said the Kiwi native, fully aware of what’s the need of the hour. His sixth-place finish at Circuit of The Americas was a reminder of his road course brilliance, honed as a three-time Australian Supercars champion. But ovals have been a different story. His best oval results—20th at Darlington and Kansas—feel like small victories.

Seven of his 11 oval races this season ended 29th or worse, with crashes at Phoenix and Las Vegas and a suspension failure at Bristol cutting race days short. “I thought I was making strides last season in Xfinity,” he said, the disappointment clear as he reflected on his three Xfinity wins and 12th-place finish in 2024. However, the spec cars used in the Cup Series are a completely different challenge, and Trackhouse Racing’s struggles don’t help either.

Teammates Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain are averaging 24th and 23rd in qualifying, and Chastain even let out a passionate rant about the speed of the cars after grinding out a 2nd place finish at Texas with no stage points. Reflecting on the qualifying woes, Chastain said, “Just the speed of the cars on Saturdays is just terrible. We’re just not confident, all three drivers.”

Talladega was a low point for SVG, starting dead last. “Certainly, Talladega was tough. We qualified 36th, and it’s easy flat the whole way around at that track, so it’s been difficult getting speed out of our cars too,” he admitted. Yet, there’s a spark of hope. He added, “I feel like we’re making steps, understanding each other, myself and Stephen (Doran) trying to get better. I don’t feel like it’s a lost cause or anything.”

SVG’s not blind to the challenge. The more sensitive Cup Series cars have been a tough adjustment from Xfinity, and new tracks add to the learning curve. For Shane, every lap is a battle—not just for points, but for his place in NASCAR’s relentless world. Do you think SVG will secure a spot for the All-Star race on Sunday? Let us know in the comments!

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