Shane van Gisbergen, driver for the Spire Motorsports team, has made history by positioning himself at the front of the starting grid in his second race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at an oval, thus achieving his first pole in this type of circuit.
Despite having been at the front in another oval, North Wilkesboro, during the All-Star Weekend 2025, this is the first time he has achieved this in a regular race. In Richmond, he set an impressive time of 23.168 seconds, placing him ahead of Kaden Honeycutt, who finished second with a difference of only 0.014 seconds. Chandler Smith occupies the third position, while Grant Enfinger and Nick Leitz complete the top five.
Van Gisbergen did not hide his satisfaction after securing the pole. ‘Thanks to the Spire team, it has been incredible. We had a good week, and they helped me feel comfortable. I am excited for the race, and let’s see how it goes,’ declared the driver.
With only five appearances in the Truck Series and a third position in his last race at North Wilkesboro, the Australian has demonstrated that he can quickly adapt to the circuits and oval tracks, which has helped him grow as a NASCAR driver.
This performance also places him alongside names like Daniel Suarez and Marcos Ambrose as the only drivers born outside the United States who have achieved poles in all three national NASCAR categories.
The race was initially scheduled for Friday night but has been postponed due to adverse weather conditions. Now, the competition will start after 12 noon (EST) on Saturday. Furthermore, with Christopher Bell’s withdrawal, Van Gisbergen will be the only driver attempting to complete the 650 laps in both categories on the same day.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
