Gibbs Takes Sonoma Pole
Ty Gibbs Claims Sonoma Pole, Hocevar Second as Qualifying Heats Up for In-Season Challenge
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Key Points
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Ty Gibbs edged Carson Hocevar to the pole with a 1:14.829-second lap, just 0.025 seconds clear of Hocevar for the front row at Sonoma.
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The qualifying session featured a seven-minute debris stoppage late in the round, as drivers battled for track position, with Shane van Gisbergen leading Group A before finishing sixth after a late run and a 360-degree spin; Cody Ware also spun amid the drama.
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Bubba Wallace crashed into the Turn 10 wall in Group B, causing significant damage and forcing a stoppage during qualifying.
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The race weekend will open the In-Season Challenge, with Gibbs defending the title; current bracket features Gibbs versus Austin Dillon in the first round, as Dillon starts 30th.
Ty Gibbs stole the pole at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday, clocking a 1:14.829 lap to beat Carson Hocevar by just 0.025 seconds, according to Jayski. It is Gibbs' third Cup Series pole and his first on a road course — and it came only after he gambled on a late second run when most drivers had already parked.
The qualifying session was anything but clean. Shane van Gisbergen spun 360 degrees while trying to improve his time and fell to sixth. Bubba Wallace smashed the Turn 10 wall in Group B and will start from the rear. A seven-minute debris stoppage added to the chaos, Motorsport.com reported.
Gibbs Gambles on a Late Lap and Wins
Gibbs' pole almost didn't happen. His first timed run left him outside the top spot. Then he went back out late in the session — a move he called "super-weird" at Sonoma — and delivered a 1:14.829 at 95.738 mph, per Jayski. "The car is really fast this weekend," Gibbs said. It was enough to bump Hocevar, who had held the provisional pole and was already celebrating.
Hocevar, driving the No. 77 Spire Motorsports car, said his lap "didn't feel very good" — then learned he was P1. "I was like, 'Well, [shoot], I don't have to do another,'" he told SpeedwayMedia.com. He did not get a second run. Gibbs did. Less than 0.1 seconds separated the entire top six, making it one of the tightest qualifying sessions of the season.
SVG Spins, Wallace Crashes, Drama Fills the Session
Shane van Gisbergen came in as the pre-race favorite and was fastest in Group A with a 1:14.914. But a 360-degree spin on his final run knocked him back to sixth, Motorsport.com reported. It was a costly moment for the road-course specialist, who now faces a much tougher path through traffic on race day.
Bubba Wallace had it worse. He hit the Turn 10 wall hard during Group B, causing heavy damage to his No. 23 car. He will start at the rear of the field in a backup car, according to Athlon Sports. Christopher Bell, racing with a fractured left wrist, quietly qualified 14th rather than hand the car to a substitute driver, FanBuzz noted.
Youth Movement: Both Front-Row Starters Are 23 Years Old
Gibbs and Hocevar are both 23 years old. Outlets like FanBuzz and SPEED SPORT framed the front row as a "changing of the guard" on road courses — two young drivers beating out established Cup veterans and a proven road-course specialist in SVG. Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, and Ross Chastain round out the top five.
Analyst Dustin Albino at NASCAR.com noted that Sonoma's 2024 repave has created a "clean air" advantage for top qualifiers. Starting up front matters more than ever here. That makes Gibbs' pole — and Hocevar's front-row spot — worth more than just bragging rights heading into race day.
The In-Season Challenge Bracket Adds $1 Million in Stakes
Sunday's race opens the In-Season Challenge, a 32-driver bracket tournament now in its second year. Each round, the higher-finishing driver in a head-to-head pairing advances. The winner takes home $1 million, NASCAR.com reported. A fan with a perfect bracket wins another $1 million.
Gibbs, the defending champion and fifth seed, faces Austin Dillon in Round 1. Dillon starts 30th — a massive disadvantage. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace (13th seed) now faces Michael McDowell (20th seed) after starting from the rear due to his crash. Tyler Reddick enters as the No. 1 seed, per SpeedwayMedia.com. The race goes green Sunday at 12:30 PM PT on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
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