Van Gisbergen on pole for inaugural Coronado NASCAR
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- Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing) claimed pole for the inaugural race on Naval Base Coronado's 16-turn, 3.4-mile street course with a 2:14.788 lap, easily ahead of Carson Hocevar in second
- Ryan Blaney qualified third and Zane Smith fourth, with six of the top 10 starters winless this season — a desperation factor mixed with heavy tire wear that drivers predicted will produce chaos over Sunday's 75 laps
- Van Gisbergen said he 'left a lot of time on the table' after scraping the wall, calling himself the weak link despite earning his sixth career pole and second this season; he won from pole at Watkins Glen two months ago
- Denny Hamlin will start 26th chasing a fourth straight victory in the No. 11 Toyota, Chase Elliott qualified 30th, and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson rolled off 36th in his second and final start of the season at his hometown race
- No Toyota qualified in the top 10 for the first time since last March, leaving several heavy hitters to come from the back
- Van Gisbergen is chasing his eighth Cup road/street course win, which would break a tie with Elliott for the most among active drivers; he has won seven of his 14 Cup starts on those circuit types
Why it matters: Tire degradation is expected to be massive over 75 laps, and six of the top 10 starters are winless — a mix that points to a chaotic debut where van Gisbergen's road-course dominance (7 wins in 14 Cup starts) makes him the heavy favorite to convert pole into his eighth street/road course victory and sole possession of the active record.
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