The three-time Supercars champion has just three races remaining in the NASCAR Xfinity Series before the playoffs begin and will be part of the Round of 12 thanks to his win at Portland Raceway.
In the first round of the playoffs, there is just one road course-style race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ‘Roval’ where he stands a good chance of winning.
However, beyond the Round of 12, there are no road courses.
Van Gisbergen will happily admit he has a long way to go to match some of the more experienced heads who have raced on ovals all their life.
Qualifying has been a sore spot for van Gisbergen. With little to no practice at most events, it has meant learning on the fly in-race for the most part.
“I’m quite conservative and build up to things, which is kind of just the way our racing is [in Supercars],” van Gisbergen told Speedcafe.
“[In Supercars] we have a lot more practice, a lot more laps. You can ease yourself into things. Here [in NASCAR], you get a 20-minute practice and one set of tyres, and the tyres only last two laps.
“By the time I’ve got the track figured out and comfortable to push, my grip drops. Then qualifying comes around and I’ve got to find two seconds. I find one, but not two, so you start off the back.
“I just take my time – and it’s good because I’ve been finishing races, getting results, and normally by Stage 3 I’m pretty competitive.
“It’s a good thing and a bad thing. I’m getting results and bringing cars back straight, but now that we’ve got a few wins and we’re in a pretty good playoff spot with points – it’s not like I’m going to intentionally go out and crash – but I can go and find some limits a bit more.”
Read the rest of Simon Chapman’s article here.
(Image: SpeedCafe)
