Brown mid-pack, Perkins shines, van Gisbergen dominates Chicago qualifying
Will Brown qualifies 19th for NASCAR Cup Series cameo
Shane van Gisbergen claims second pole of 2025 by half a second
Kiwi also on pole for Xfinity Series race later this morning, Jack Perkins fifth
Reigning Repco Supercars Championship winner Will Brown has safely qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series' Grant Park 165 in Chicago, whilst former rival Shane van Gisbergen was in ominous form.
Brown was one of five Open cars that had to qualify for the 40-car grid on speed with 41 cars entered, and the 27-year-old was among the first group of cars to roll out on track for qualifying.
The 41 cars were split into two groups, with times combined to form the grid for the 75-lap race tomorrow morning Australian time.
Brown looked like a sure bet to make the field having finished 12th in practice just minutes before qualifying began, and was the fastest of the Open cars to qualify 19th in the field in his #13 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet.
The only Open car to miss the field was Toyota driver Corey Heim, who won last weekend's Truck Series race at the Lime Rock Park road course, the same race that Cam Waters finished in fifth.
Van Gisbergen was also one of the cars out in Group 1 in his #88 Trackhouse Chevrolet, and the Kiwi laid down a serious marker at a 1:29.656s, six tenths up on Toyota's Chase Briscoe at the end of the first 20-minute session.
As it turned out, the 36-year-old was the only driver to set a sub-90 second lap time despite track evolution, claiming his second career Cup Series pole by just under half a second from Ford's Michael McDowell.
"It's crazy hot, so I appreciate everyone sitting out in the sun, but had a really good time, the car was really good," said van Gisbergen on Motor Racing Network's radio coverage post-session.
"It wasn't perfect in practice, but the guys here did a great job tuning it up, so stoked to get pole, especially by that much, I'm a pretty lucky boy to drive some great cars today."
Van Gisbergen also claimed pole for this morning's 50 lap Xfinity Series race in his first of three starts in JR Motorsports' #9 Chevrolet, whilst Jack Perkins starred in his last-minute call-up.
An 80-time Supercars race winner, van Gisbergen went on to win the Xfinity race this morning, despite a poorly timed caution dropping him to 19th inside the final 20 laps.
Perkins took his #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to a fine fifth on the grid, and was the top Supra in qualifying, but was taken out of contention on Lap 6 of 50 when he was tipped into the tyre wall.
The NASCAR Cup Series race begins at 4:25am AEST tomorrow morning.
