Shane van Gisbergen continued his reign as NASCAR’s premier road-course specialist on Saturday, capturing the Busch Light Pole for the inaugural Anduril 250 at the challenging Qualcomm Circuit on Naval Base Coronado.

The Trackhouse Racing driver turned a lap at 90.809 mph in his No. 97 Chevrolet to secure his sixth career Cup Series pole — and his first at the new San Diego street course. It was a statement performance on a track that tested every driver’s adaptability during the series’ first visit to the 3.4-mile, 16-turn layout.

Van Gisbergen, who has now won the last four Cup races he started from the pole, heads into Sunday’s 4 p.m. ET race (Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN, SiriusXM) as the clear favorite on a venue where tire management and track evolution are expected to play massive roles.

Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #97 Red Bull Chevrolet, drives during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado on June 19, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
A Brutal First Lap on an Unforgiving Track

Qualifying proved as demanding as van Gisbergen predicted. With the session serving as many drivers’ first serious laps on the freshly prepped surface, the New Zealander admitted he “made a meal of it” early in his run through the opening sequence of corners.

“I’ve said it a couple of times — it’s your first lap of the day, and there’s three, four, five corners you’re probably going through for the first time of the day as your qualifying lap starts,” van Gisbergen said. “Yeah, I made a meal of it, but I guess the rest of the lap was pretty decent and made the time back.”

His car had shown only average long-run pace in Friday practice, where Kyle Larson topped the charts. But overnight adjustments paid off, and van Gisbergen delivered when it mattered most.

Front-Row Sweep for Chevrolet

Carson Hocevar delivered the surprise of the session, putting the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet on the outside of the front row. It marked the 23-year-old’s best road-course qualifying effort to date and gave Chevrolet its third front-row sweep of the 2026 season.

The second row featured Ryan Blaney in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford and Zane Smith in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford. Todd Gilliland and Daniel Suárez rounded out the top six.

Other notable starters included:
– Ryan Preece (7th) and Connor Zilisch (8th)
– Kyle Larson (14th) — the Hendrick Motorsports driver who led practice
– Tyler Reddick (17th) — who spun and brushed the wall on his second run
– Denny Hamlin (25th)
– Kevin Magnussen (21st) — making his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the No. 91 Trackhouse Chevrolet
– Christopher Bell (37th) — nursing a broken wrist from Michigan and facing a potential game-time decision
– Jimmie Johnson (37th) — competing in his hometown aboard the No. 84 Legacy Motor Club Toyota

Tire Strategy Will Decide Sunday’s Race

Both van Gisbergen and Blaney emphasized that Sunday’s race will be a strategic battle rather than a pure speed contest. With significant tire degradation expected on the abrasive street-course surface, crew chiefs and strategists will face difficult decisions.

“It’s going to be a bit of a gamble and a lottery, I think, with the tires,” van Gisbergen said. “It’s going to be hard for the crew chiefs and strategists to get it right tomorrow, for sure.”

Blaney, who called himself an “average road racer” who works hard to improve, echoed the sentiment:

“Tire degradation is going to be massive, so it’s going to be who can manage rears better. Just a cool event… Manage rear tires and don’t hit any concrete. I hope I can do those two things, and we might have a shot.”

A Special Weekend on the Base

The Cup Series’ arrival at Naval Base Coronado capped an exciting doubleheader weekend. Just 24 hours earlier, Austin Hill delivered a dramatic last-lap victory in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 on the same layout — an emotional win for Richard Childress Racing in the wake of Kyle Busch’s passing.

The military base setting has added a unique atmosphere, with drivers and fans alike praising the cool venue and passionate crowd.

Championship Picture

Tyler Reddick enters the weekend leading the Cup standings. Denny Hamlin sits just 19 points behind and arrives on a three-race winning streak. While qualifying position won’t decide the championship, a strong run from the front row could prove crucial as the season heads deeper into summer.

Van Gisbergen’s pole adds another chapter to his remarkable road-course resume. On a brand-new track where experience and adaptability separated the field, the Trackhouse star once again proved why he is the driver to beat when the asphalt turns twisty.

The green flag drops Sunday at 4 p.m. ET. Expect tire strategy, track evolution, and plenty of action on a layout that has already delivered drama this weekend.

San Diego Cp Series Qualifying Results

Pos
No.
Driver
Team
Time
Speed

1
97
Shane Van Gisbergen
Red Bull Chevrolet
134.788
90.809

2
77
Carson Hocevar
Spectrum Chevrolet
134.944
90.704

3
12
Ryan Blaney
Wurth Ford
135.048
90.634

4
38
Zane Smith
Hard Rock Casino Tejon/Hard Rock Cafe Ford
135.391
90.405

5
34
Todd Gilliland
Grillo’s Pickles Ford
135.395
90.402

6
7
Daniel Suarez
Freeway Insurance Chevrolet
135.433
90.377

7
60
Ryan Preece
Ralphs/Scott 1000 Ford
135.483
90.343

8
88
Connor Zilisch #
Red Bull Chevrolet
135.883
90.077

9
71
Michael McDowell
Defense Unicorns Chevrolet
135.928
90.048

10
33
Austin Hill(i)
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet
135.959
90.027

11
54
Ty Gibbs
Monster Energy Toyota
136.150
89.901

12
23
Bubba Wallace
Xfinity Toyota
136.319
89.789

13
67
Corey Heim(i)
Mobil 1/O’Reilly Auto Parts Toyota
136.325
89.785

14
5
Kyle Larson
HendrickCars.com Chevrolet
136.355
89.766

15
16
AJ Allmendinger
Celsius Chevrolet
136.537
89.646

16
17
Chris Buescher
Body Guard Ford
136.631
89.584

17
45
Tyler Reddick
Pala Casino Toyota
136.665
89.562

18
3
Austin Dillon
Boot Barn Chevrolet
136.936
89.385

19
22
Joey Logano
Shell Pennzoil Ford
137.045
89.314

20
48
Alex Bowman
Ally Chevrolet
137.069
89.298

21
91
Kevin Magnussen
Qualcomm Chevrolet
137.271
89.167

22
19
Chase Briscoe
Bass Pro Shops Toyota
137.285
89.158

23
1
Ross Chastain
Kubota Veterans Honor Chevrolet
137.374
89.100

24
35
Riley Herbst
Monster Energy Toyota
137.807
88.820

25
41
Cole Custer
Texas A&M Chevrolet
137.837
88.801

26
11
Denny Hamlin
Bob’s Discount Furniture Toyota
137.874
88.777

27
24
William Byron
Anduril Chevrolet
137.973
88.713

28
42
John Hunter Nemechek
DriveValue.com Toyota
138.104
88.629

29
6
Brad Keselowski
BuildSubmarines.com Ford
138.116
88.621

30
9
Chase Elliott
NAPA Gold Filters Chevrolet
138.124
88.616

31
2
Austin Cindric
Menards/Cardell Cabinetry Ford
138.895
88.124

32
4
Noah Gragson
Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford
139.126
87.978

33
47
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Sycuan Casino and Resort Chevrolet
139.253
87.898

34
10
Ty Dillon
The Fallen Outdoors Chevrolet
139.717
87.606

35
21
Josh Berry
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford
139.912
87.484

36
84
Jimmie Johnson
Carvana Toyota
142.358
85.980

37
20
Christopher Bell
Craftsman Racing For A Miracle Toyota
143.639
85.214

38
43
Erik Jones
Dollar Tree Toyota
171.329
71.441

39
51
Cody Ware
Rocket Doctor Chevrolet
205.743
59.492