Van Gisbergen Earns All-Star Open Pole At Wilkesboro

Shane Van Gisbergen used his road course racing prowess to earn his first career oval Busch Light Pole Award for the NASCAR All-Star Open at North Carolina’s North Wilkesboro Speedway. (Scotte Sprinkle/Race Face Digital photo)

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – Shane Van Gisbergen used his road course racing prowess to earn his first career oval Busch Light Pole Award for the NASCAR All-Star Open exhibition race at North Carolina’s North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Van Gisbergen out-braked everyone to build a gap at pit entrance and accelerated better than his competition exiting pit road. The three lap run by the No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, which included a four-tire pit stop, was a blistering 88.685 seconds (76.112 mph).

It marked the first time that the Trackhouse Racing driver has participated in the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race weekend. Although he was eligible for the event last year, he did not participate, having focused on his NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign.

“I think we finally got all things right in qualifying, coming in was pretty good, my lap was pretty good, the pit crew guys were insane,” Van Gisbergen said. “Thanks to WeatherTech, the Trackhouse pit crew. We’re up front and I’ve never started up front for an oval so I don’t know what to do there, I have to learn the rules and see how we go.”

Joining Van Gisbergen on the front row is fellow Team Chevy driver Carson Hocevar. The Spire Motorsports driver was the only driver to come close to matching the Kiwi at pit entrance.

Noah Gragson, Michael McDowell, and Ryan Preece rounded out the top-five.

Completing the top 10 were Zane Smith, Justin Haley, John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Gibbs, and Ty Dillon.

Spire’s No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet team had the fastest pit stop at 12.587 seconds, not only amongst the open teams, but overall. That was despite driver McDowell stopping short in his pit box.

Issues plagued many of the open team pit crews. 

Erik Jones’ rear tire changer slipped and fell coming around to change the right rear tire on the Legacy Motor Club Toyota Camry XSE, slowing his stop.

23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace was penalized for speeding on his pit entrance. Adding insult to injury, the front tire changer on the No. 23 Logitech Toyota pit crew caught the hose on the right front fender, slowing the stop.

A dropped lug nut on the qualifying run for Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger left him towards the bottom of the lineup. Allmendinger’s No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet received an additional 10 second penalty after he drove through too many pit boxes.

Todd Gilliland’s No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford was penalized 10 seconds for pitting outside of the box after a lug nut fell off of its left rear tire. He was penalized another 10 seconds for speeding on pit road.