NASCAR brings out the ringers as Cup Sequence phases first street course race of the season at COTA

NASCAR’s return to the street programs at all times brings out the ringers.

Sunday’s race on the Circuit of the Americas might be first of 5 this season on street or road programs, and would be the 2024 Cup Sequence debut for final season’s New Zealand debutant Shane van Gisbergen.

And Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi, one of many high street racers on the earth, returns to a well-known race monitor, one constructed for System One the place he’s put in laps in each F1 and endurance racing.

Van Gisbergen’s profile on one among his social media pages merely reads “Race Every little thing,” and he might be placing in numerous work in Austin for Kaulig Racing. He’ll drive Saturday’s Xfinity sequence race earlier than the primary of his seven scheduled Cup races this yr.

“I adore it,” Van Gisbergen stated Friday of his season thus far within the Xfinity sequence. “It’s one thing completely different each week. I’m studying a lot.”

Van Gisbergen surprised NASCAR when he gained his debut race on the Chicago road course race final July, then completed tenth on the street course on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway a couple of weeks later.

That success launched the 34-year-old former three-time Australian Supercars champion into chasing a full-time profession in NASCAR with a growth program deal driving for Trackhouse Racing.

His first 4 races on ovals in Xfinity produced a high three end in Atlanta and a high 10 in Phoenix. And now comes a street course the place he’s already thought-about among the many favorites to win.

“I used to be extra excited concerning the ovals, as a result of it was studying. I do know I’ll be good at these (street) tracks,” van Gisbergen stated. “I’ve received no excuses to not do effectively at these.”

Van Gisbergen raced COTA within the Supercars in 2013, however the course was abbreviated and didn’t ship the vehicles across the whole monitor.

Final yr’s Chicago race win got here in damp situations on a road course that performed to his Supercars expertise. At COTA he’ll be surrounded by drivers who’ve already raced the monitor the previous three years.

Cup Sequence chief Kyle Larson and Ty Gibbs (third) are additionally racing Xfinity on Saturday to get much more apply on a monitor that options drastic elevation adjustments, switchback corners and s-curves. Chase Elliott, who ranks first amongst lively drivers with seven street coarse wins, together with COTA in 2021, is trying to finish a 39-race winless drought.

Final yr’s race winner Tyler Reddick is one other a type of street course wizards who’ve already gained at COTA. Three of Reddick’s 5 profession victories have come on street programs.

Reddick gained final yr in triple additional time by holding the lead over a number of a number of restarts.

“The best way you run quick laps right here is executing on all 20 corners,” Reddick stated. “It’s some of the enjoyable laps, automobile versus monitor, that now we have, due to the corners.”

Kobayashi, 37, is a two-time World Endurance Champion and gained the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021. He might be racing Sunday for 23XI Racing.

Kobayashi stated he expects to be higher ready than his first NASCAR race final yr when he completed thirty third in Indianapolis. He was the primary Japanese driver to run a Cup race in 20 years.

“I feel I discovered quite a bit about the way you deal with the automobile and the way the race goes, and the way the race weekend goes,” Kobayashi stated. “I feel the second time I can handle myself higher, and I’m placing within the preparation now. I’ve spent various time within the simulator. We’ll see.”

As an F1 driver, Kobayashi began 75 races from 2009-2014, with one podium end on the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix. His solely F1 race at COTA was a 14th place end in 2012. Between F1 and WEC, he has raced the circuit 5 occasions previous to this week.

“I feel Indy, it was my first time ever racing there. However (Austin), I’ve extra expertise, so undoubtedly trying ahead to the race,” Kobayashi stated.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing