Blaney Shocks in Watkins Glen Qualifying, Securing Pole Position
In an exciting qualifying session at Watkins Glen International, Ryan Blaney secured the pole position for the Cup Series race. The driver surpassed Shane van Gisbergen by a minimal difference of three hundredths of a second, demonstrating his skill on the track. Blaney, driving the No. 12 Ford, set a time of 1 minute and 11.960 seconds, beating van Gisbergen’s time in the No. 88 Chevrolet, which recorded 1 minute and 11.993 seconds. This pole position represents a surprise for Blaney, who hasn’t had a remarkable history on this track, with only three top-ten finishes on the 2.45-mile circuit. Furthermore, the 2023 Cup champion is on a streak of 22 races without a top five on road courses.Van Gisbergen, seeking his fourth consecutive victory on road and street circuits, will start from second position, having won from pole in Mexico, Chicago and Sonoma.“What a great pole. I’m a pretty average road racer, and I work really hard to improve and try to find ways to get better. We have to find some race pace, but it’s good to have speed on a lap. It’s fun when you can start from the pole in a place where I’m not very good,” commented Blaney.
Ryan Blaney
Chase Briscoe, who had secured the pole in the last two weeks in Iowa and Indianapolis, qualified third in the Toyota No. 19, followed by the Chevrolet No. 1 of Ross Chastain and the Chevrolet No. 8 of Kyle Busch.“It’s incredible how close everything is on a road circuit. My laps were good, and there were probably a few things I could have fixed. A good start for tomorrow,” said van Gisbergen.
Shane van Gisbergen
