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Shane van Gisbergen drives the No. 97 Red Bull Chevrolet during NASCAR Cup Series activity at Naval Base Coronado ahead of the inaugural Anduril 250 in San Diego.
Van Gisbergen’s lap of 2:14.788 was enough to secure pole position for NASCAR’s inaugural Cup Series race at Naval Base Coronado, adding another chapter to what has become one of the most dominant road-course stretches in recent NASCAR history. This marks his sixth career pole in the Cup Series.
The Trackhouse Racing driver entered the weekend as the favorite and immediately backed up that status on the 3.4-mile, 16-turn circuit.
Carson Hocevar continued his impressive 2026 season by qualifying second with a lap of 2:14.944, giving Chevrolet a sweep of the front row for Sunday’s Anduril 250.
Ryan Blaney will start third, followed by Zane Smith and Todd Gilliland. Daniel Suarez, Ryan Preece, Connor Zilisch, Michael McDowell and Austin Hill rounded out the top 10.
Several of NASCAR’s traditional road-course contenders also showed speed, with McDowell and Zilisch both securing top-10 starting spots.
Reddick’s Late Incident Creates New Championship Concern
One of the biggest storylines from qualifying came in the closing moments of the session when Cup Series points leader Tyler Reddick made contact with the wall.
While the incident came after Reddick had already posted a qualifying lap, it was nevertheless a concerning development for the current championship leader heading into Sunday’s race.
The timing is notable given the increasingly tight battle atop the Cup Series standings. Denny Hamlin has continued to chip away at Reddick’s advantage in recent weeks, and any trouble this weekend could further tighten the championship picture as the regular season enters its final stretch.
Christopher Bell also endured a difficult qualifying session and will start 37th after posting a lap of 2:23.639.
Among the other notable starters, Chase Elliott qualified 30th, Austin Cindric will roll off 31st, and Jimmie Johnson qualified 36th for his return to Cup competition.
Top 10 Qualifying Results
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Carson Hocevar
- Ryan Blaney
- Zane Smith
- Todd Gilliland
- Daniel Suarez
- Ryan Preece
- Connor Zilisch
- Michael McDowell
- Austin Hill
Maggie MacKenzie Maggie MacKenzie covers NASCAR for Heavy.com. She previously worked for NASCAR.com, where she reported, wrote, and edited race-weekend coverage and traveled to key events throughout the season. She has more than ten years of experience in sports media and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. More about Maggie MacKenzie