Shane van Gisbergen will make his second NASCAR Cup Series start at Pocono Raceway located in Pennsylvania, competing in the Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA.
Last year, van Gisbergen persevered in his first trip to Pocono’s “Tricky Triangle” in a Cup car, overcoming two spins and finishing 31st.
“I don’t think I’m there yet,” commented SVG. “Like I still have a lot to learn, I’ve got a long way to go, but it’s definitely nice to show glimpses and show that I am learning.
“I just match myself to my teammates. Ross (Chastain) and Connor (Zilisch) are exceptional drivers and being able to be around them, ahead of them, or close to them a lot of the time, is really good steps for me. Ross is a really good benchmark. It’s been really cool to step up and continue building off of the progress.”
Van Gisbergen enters this weekend at Pocono 14th in the Cup Series driver standings, 23 points above 16th-place, the final spot in The Chase.
“I think it’s always just time and always learning stuff throughout the race and learning the flow of the race better,” said SVG on his biggest improvements in oval racing. “And then the further up front you are, the better people race you, as well, so that’s always nice. It’s a real dogfight in the back, so getting away from that is a nice break. I think it really shows the importance of qualifying, getting up front, making no mistakes, and you can stay out there all day.”
The 160-laps (400miles) Great American Getaway 400 gets underway at 3pm Sunday 14 June local time (7am Monday morning NZ time).
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