NASCAR Cup Series driver switches cars for Las Vegas race

As a seasoned gamer of NASCAR races, I’ve seen my fair share of ups and downs, twists and turns on the track. The story of Shane van Gisbergen is one that has caught my attention this year. From his pole position at the Charlotte Roval to his season-best finish of second place at Watkins Glen International, it’s been quite a ride!

This weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Shane van Gisbergen, a full-time driver in the Xfinity Series, will be participating in his seventh out of nine NASCAR Cup Series races for Kaulig Racing, following his participation in six of the last eight events.

Last Sunday afternoon at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Kaulig Racing ran three vehicles for the fifth time this year. On each of the four earlier instances, they brought out the No. 13 Chevrolet for A.J. Allmendinger, with van Gisbergen piloting the chartered No. 16 car alongside full-time driver Daniel Hemric in the No. 31 vehicle.

In the Charlotte Roval, the team transferred van Gisbergen into the No. 13 car, a move that had previously been Allmendinger’s seat last year when he was racing full-time in the Cup Series. On Sunday, it was Allmendinger who got behind the wheel of the No. 16 car once more. Van Gisbergen secured the pole position and ended up finishing seventh, while Allmendinger qualified third and concluded the race in sixth place.

At Las Vegas, Matt Kaulig’s team will be dropping back to two cars.

Van Gisbergen will once again take control of car number 16, the same Chevrolet he piloted during his initial nine races of the 2024 season, for this coming Sunday’s 267-lap event held on a four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) racetrack located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

His best performance this season was coming in second at Watkins Glen International. His latest race ended in 15th position at Talladega Superspeedway, setting a new career record for him on an oval track.

Among all drivers, Allmendinger, who additionally races full-time in the Xfinity Series, has piloted the No. 16 car in more contests this year than van Gisbergen, having taken the wheel on eleven occasions.

This year, four other drivers have taken turns driving the No. 16 Chevrolet. Derek Kraus and Ty Dillon each drove it on five separate occasions, while Josh Williams, a teammate of van Gisbergen and Allmendinger in the Xfinity Series, has driven it twice.

Tune in to NBC live from Las Vegas Motor Speedway this Sunday, October 20th at 2:30 p.m. ET for the South Point 400! Don’t forget to sign up for a free trial of FuboTV now to catch all the action!

2024-10-17 13:32

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