The 34-year-old New Zealander is making his NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend, driving a third entry for the Trackhouse Racing team.
Trackhouse won just last weekend at Nashville, and two of the team's four victories have come on road courses. They have fast cars, and that combined with Van Gisbergen's natural skill makes for a dangerous combination - even if he is a rookie in the category.
Add to that the fact that the Chicago Street Course is new for all drivers, and it's no wonder he appeared near the top of the speed charts on Saturday.
The NASCAR debutant was the fastest driver in the only practice session on Saturday and continued to be a threat into qualifying. He advanced into the final round, despite a minor setback when Chase Elliott crashed behind him, forcing the Kiwi to abandon his first flying lap.
In the pole round, he shot up to the top of the charts, but the Toyota drivers of Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick managed to best him on their final run. Even still, he will roll off third on the grid as the highest-qualifying Chevrolet driver.
He ended up just 0.153s shy of pole, and despite being a potential threat for the win, the NASCAR regulars have been very welcoming of SVG.
Source: Autosport