AUSTIN， Texas (AP) Shane van Gisbergen was so dominant on road courses last season than many had looked at NASCARs first road race of 2026 like it was already settled: SVG in a runaway.
Hold on. Tyler Reddicks pursuit of racing history may yet have a say in that.
Reddick earned pole position for Sundays race at the Circuit of the Americas as the winner of the Daytona 500 and again last week at Atlanta looks to become the first driver to win the first three races of the season.
Van Gisbergen won five of six road races last season， and Sundays race has been teed up as a fight between New Zealands road wizard and his 19-year-old Trackhouse rookie teammate， Connor Zilisch.
But Reddick has history at COTA he won a triple-overtime crash-fest here in 2023 and has the confidence of a driver who has no plans to surrender races to anyone for now. His win here in 2023 was his first with Michael Jordans 23XI Racing.
It helps the chances certainly， Reddick said of Sundays pole position. Starting up front is huge.
But that was earned with speed over one lap. Beating van Gisbergens road course mastery over the 95 laps of a full race is something else indeed.
I just need to get as much of a head start on him as I can and try to stay ahead of him all day， Reddick said.
{jz:field.toptypename/}Van Gisbergen will start from 13th and hes chasing his own history. A sixth consecutive road course win would tie Jeff Gordons record set from 1997 to 2000 and leave him two shy of Gordons career record of nine.
As dominant as he was on road courses last season， van Gisbergen didnt win at COTA， a racetrack originally built for Formula 1. Hed been expected to fight for pole but was well off the pace Saturday.
Zilisch will start 25th and still figures to contend for the victory despite a difficult qualifying session. He made an impressive and fiery Cup Series debut at COTA last year when he charged through the field in the second stage before a late wreck knocked him out.
With Connor， its exciting. (Hes) a pretty cool talent coming into this level now， in the same equipment， van Gisbergen said. Its going to be good.
Zilisch said he learned a lot from racing last year against SVG in the second-tier OReilly series， where he won four road course races last season. Zilisch won pole position for Saturdays undercard race with van Gisbergen right next to him.
Van Gisbergen won a head-to-head battle between the drivers in the OReilly series in Chicago last year when he pushed Zilisch into the wall on the final restart. A week later， Zilisch got the best of SVG in another tussle to win at Sonoma.
I feel like Ive been able to run with him in those， Zilisch said. I feel like personally I can do it. But putting an entire race together， being consistent and not making mistakes ... I feel like I have the speed to do， it but I feel like I have to run a perfect race to be able to beat him. I think everybodys realized how difficult that is.
Keselowski keeping Hand on hand
Brad Keselowski plans to race Sunday as he continues recovery from a broken right leg. He raced in Daytona and Atlanta， but the road course in Austin is a different physical strain. Hell have sports-car ace Joey Hand available to step in if needed.
Its going to take a lot for that to happen， Keselowski said. Ill have to be either really slow， or really in pain ... Im a race car driver， thats what I do.
Odds and ends
Van Gisbergen is the betting favorite (+100) to win the race， according to BetMGM Sportsbook ... Sunday will be the debut of the new horsepower boost for road courses this season， a bump from 670 to 750， a change several drivers said should create more passing.
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AP auto racing:
得克萨斯州奥斯汀（好意思联社）——谢恩·范·吉斯伯根在上赛季的公路赛说念上发扬如斯强势，以致于很多东说念主认为2026年NASCAR的首场公路赛也曾毫无悬念：范·吉斯伯根将简约夺冠。
别急。泰勒·雷迪克（Tyler Reddick）对赛车历史的追求豪迈还能对此产生影响。
算作戴通纳500大赛的冠军得主，雷迪克（Reddick）上周在亚特兰大再次夺冠后，如今又在好意思国赛说念（Circuit of the Americas）斩获周日正赛的杆位，有望成为本赛季首位达成开局三连冠的车手。
范吉斯伯根在上赛季六场公路赛中赢得了五场顺利，而周日的比赛被设定为新西兰公路赛魔法师与他19岁的Trackhouse车队少壮队友康纳·皆利施之间的对决。
但雷迪克（Reddick）在好意思洲赛说念（COTA）有着光芒历史——他曾在2023年这里赢得了一场三加时的撞车混战，并展现出车手独到的自信，现在尚无向任何东说念主让出比赛的计算。2023年这场顺利是他在迈克尔·乔丹（Michael Jordan）旗下23XI车队赢得的首冠。
“这虽然加多了契机，”雷迪克在谈到周日的杆位时说说念，“从前边发车相配病笃。”
但这仅仅单圈速率的顺利。要思在长达95圈的正赛中打败范吉斯伯根对赛说念无与伦比的掌控力，那悉数是另一趟事。
雷迪克暗示：“我只需要尽可能霸占先机，并竭力保捏一整天的朝上上风。”
范吉斯伯根将从第13位发车，他正在追赶我方的历史。若能在公路赛说念达成六连胜，他将追平杰夫·戈登1997至2000年间创下的记录，并距离戈登生存九胜的记录仅差两场。
尽管范吉斯伯根在上赛季的公路赛说念上发扬强势，但他并未在专为一级方程式缔造的奥斯汀赛说念上夺冠。周六的排位赛中，他正本被拜托厚望争夺杆位，却最终远远过期于朝上车手。
皆利希（Zilisch）将从第25位发车，尽管排位赛发扬欠安，他仍有望争夺冠军。旧年在好意思洲赛说念（COTA）的杯赛首秀中，他发扬惊艳且充满姿色——在第二阶段比赛中沿路超车，可惜终末阶段因撞车事故退赛。
范吉斯伯根暗示：“与康纳和解令东说念主清脆。他以相同的装备晋升到这个级别，MILAN SPORTS是个止境出色的天才车手。往常会相配精彩。”
皆利施暗示，旧年他在二级赛事奥莱利系列赛中与SVG（范吉斯伯根）同场竞技时获益良多，并在上个赛季赢得了四场公路赛说念比赛。本周六的垫场赛中，皆利施夺得杆位发车履历，范吉斯伯根紧随后来。
旧年在芝加哥举行的O'Reilly系列赛中，范吉斯伯根在终末一圈重启时将皆利希逼至墙边，赢得了这场车手间的正面较量。一周后，皆利希在索诺玛的另一场激战中反败为胜，打败了范吉斯伯根。
皆利希（Zilisch）暗示："我合计在这些比赛中，我有才能与他并驾皆驱。从个东说念主角度而言，我认为我方能作念到。但要将整场比赛完满串联起来，保捏踏实且不犯浪漫......我照实具备所需的速率，但必须跑出一场毫无差错的比赛才能治服他。我思民众都也曾领略到这有多勤勉。"
凯瑟劳斯基与汉德联袂和解
布拉德·凯瑟洛夫斯基筹备在本周日参赛，现在他仍在从右腿骨折中归附。尽管他已插足了代托纳和亚特兰大站的比赛，但奥斯汀的公路赛说念对体魄的条目迥乎不同。如有需要，他将有赛车好手乔伊·汉德算作替补东说念主选。
“要让这种情况发生可扼制易，”凯瑟洛夫斯基说说念。“除非我开得稀奇慢，或者疼得受不了……我关联词赛车手，这即是我的职责。”
碎裂物品
据BetMGM博彩公司数据走漏，范吉斯伯根（Van Gisbergen）以+100赔率成为本场比赛的投注热点……周日赛事将初度启用本赛季新增的公路赛说念马力晋升决策，能源输出从670匹增至750匹，多位车腕暗示这一转换有望加多超车契机。
好意思联社赛车新闻：
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