One after another NASCAR Cup Series, drivers smirked and/or laughed when asked who should be considered the “favorite” for Sunday’s Inaugural Anduril 250 on San Diego’s iconic Naval Base Coronado (4 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Trackhouse Racing driver Shane Van Gisbergen – a multi-time Australian SuperCars Series champion and winner of six of the last seven NASAR Cup Series road course races — was the name on everyone’s tongue, and he wasted little time claiming the top position on the speed chart in Friday’s 50-minute opening practice on the 3.4-mile, 16-turn course around the base.
In the final five minutes of the session, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson ultimately turned in the fastest lap of the day (89.612 mph) in the No. 5 Chevrolet with Front Row Motorsports’ Todd Gilliland, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs, Trackhouse Racing rookie Connor Zilisch and Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar rounding out the top-five in speed.
Van Gisbergen – who has won the last two inaugural road races (at Chicago, 2023 and Mexico City, 2025) – was eighth quickest.
“Not too bad,’’ Van Gisbergen said of his eight-lap run, noting that the team had a bit of a communication problem calling him into the pits during the session.
“Surprising how much [tire] fall off there was, I felt like I was slow but I guess everyone else was too.’’
Larson was also surprised at the speeds Friday, guessing that in some cases laps were between eight and 10-seconds slower than drivers turned in the sim in preparation. And, he said, a solid start position will likely be pivotal on race day.
“It’s crucial everywhere but a place here like this track I would think it would be extra important,’’ Larson said. “The tire wear is also extreme, I think we’re cording tires in three or four laps. … hopefully the track will lay some more rubber.’’
Busch Light Pole Qualifying is set for 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday (Amazon Prime, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
