These NASCAR Xfinity Road Course Specialists Are Each Other’s Biggest Fans

In Shane Van Gisbergen’s first full-time season in NASCAR, the New Zealander has joined Kaulig Racing teammate A.J. Allmendinger as the favorite whenever there is a road course on the schedule, but that hasn’t resulted in an intense rivalry between the two.

Instead, Allmendinger views it as a learning experience in a “weird dynamic” since Allmendinger is driving fulltime in the Cup Series next year for Kaulig while Van Gisbergen will be with Trackhouse Racing.

“I respect him so much,” Allmendinger says about Van Gisbergen. “He’s a super nice teammate or really person. It makes it a lot of fun to race with him. He’s definitely pushing me, and I enjoy that part of it. It can be frustrating at times. He shows that even if the cars aren’t happy, he’s able to win with it.

“He’s really good at rolling corner speed. At Sonoma, following him, I tried to drive exactly like he was doing, and I just didn’t have lateral grip.”

This weekend at the Charlotte Roval, Allmendinger and Van Gisbergen are racing in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series events, and, ironically, in the betting department, Las Vegas has the two drivers as the favorites in both races.

In the Xfinity Series, both competitors are vying for a berth in the Round of 8 in the playoffs. They enter Saturday’s Drive for the Cure 250 with Allmendinger seven points above the cutline, while Van Gisbergen is 10 points below. Allmendinger is undefeated on the 2.28-mile road course, having won four consecutive Xfinity races and one Cup event.

This weekend’s races are the first for Van Gisbergen on the course that combines part of the 1.5-mile speedway’s oval with a road course that winds its way through the infield. However, he’s won three of the Xfinity Series’ five road/street courses this year, and he tested on the Roval last year before making his victorious debut in the Chicago Street Course race.

Even though the Charlotte course has been reconfigured since last year, Van Gisbergen has driven it on Chevrolet’s simulator.

“It’s not like anything I’ve ever driven before,” Van Gisbergen says. “It’s an odd track. There’s curbs and I don’t know how well these cars take the curbs. We don’t really run on tracks with big curbs like that. It will be interesting to feel that and learn how much I can take and use, and how to pass. There’s a lot to learn. There’s plenty of opportunities to pass at that track, which is good.”

Allmendinger admits he has struggled this year on every road course in his Xfinity Series car.

“Shane is super good,” Allmendinger says. “Some of that with what he does using the clutch and kind of skipping gears, but more able to heel-toe, use the clutch. I think in the Xfinity car it gives him more of an advantage.

“When Shane and I talk about the cars, I think we feel fairly close to the same of what we fight. He’s just worked through it better and, obviously, he’s had really good success.”