The race is the first of its kind for the stock cars series and is only the second street course that NASCAR’s top division has raced at after the Chicago street race debuted in 2023.
The San Diego course is the longest on the NASCAR schedule at 5.5km and comprises 16 turns around the naval base.
Van Gisbergen saw the circuit taking shape two weeks prior to the event and likened it to Sebring – a former World War II training base, which is characterised by its bumpy surface.
“It’s going to be a really rough and technical course – a lot of unknowns,” said van Gisbergen.
“Thursday will be an important day, when we get on-site and can have a look around the track, get a feel for everything.
“The surface changes stood out to me the most. Some of it’s really nice, there is new tarmac there in Turn 2, and a couple of other places.
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“Then it’s really rough like Sebring with the big cracks and old asphalt.
“It’s going to be a real challenge to have a car that works all kind of surfaces and transitions to them.”
Van Gisbergen also drew comparisons with Sydney’s former Supercars street circuit around the Olympic Park, noting a lack of rhythm.
That put a particular emphasis on car compliance over the bumpy surface.
“It’s going to be very bumpy, so it’s all about the car then,” van Gisbergen explained.
“You’ve got to have good suspension set up, soft and compliant.
“It kind of reminds me of Homebush in some ways. It’s a street track I did around the Olympic Park there in Sydney.
“The straightaways into little tricky sections and corners, nothing really flows, it’s all one to the other.
“Then we will put a corner here and here. It’s odd but that makes it a really good challenge.
“Getting in a rhythm will be really tough but will be important.”
NASCAR’s partnership with simulation service iRacing has given competitors a chance to sample the circuit virtually.
Connor Zilisch, who drives the #88 car, tipped the racing to be chaotic – especially on restarts.
“I think iRacing is the best tool that we have,” said Zilisch.
“You get out there with some other cars and pretend to race each other, and that’s what I’ve been doing the most and seeing what I can learn on there because that’s the best tool we have.
“It’s been working well — iRacing has been doing a great job keeping up with the track updates and making it as realistic as possible.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenging track to race at. It’s technical, has places where it’s really wide and tightens up and that can always be a place for chaos, especially on restarts.
“There are going to be a lot of chaotic restarts into Turn 2. That corner is really wide on entry and tightens up a lot on exit.”
Ross Chastain, who will drive the #1 car, said he would be leaning on van Gisbergen to fast-track his progress.
“I’m going to learn from Shane a lot. I already am,” said Chastain.
“What kind of grip to track has, I don’t have a clue. They’re paving day by day so it’s pretty hard to predict what it’s going to be like ahead of time.
“Finding the limit of the tyre on a very chaotic surface like we’re expecting this to be is going to be interesting.
“Shane is a great driver to begin with, so I certainly don’t think it’s going to hurt him.”
Like Zilisch, Chastain said simulator work with van Gisbergen had been a big benefit in the build-up to the event
“We sit on the simulator one after the other and I’m able to see everything he does, everything he’s looking at, all his mental boxes that he checks, and then physically how he’s putting that into action in the car,” Chastain explained.
“I know how his car is built, and Connor is a great racer too. I’m lucky to be with the two best in San Diego, and then you add Kevin into the mix, so I’ll probably have access to the best road course data at-track.
“Now, I’m not saying I’ve been able to put that into lap time or finishing position, but I have all the tools there. Shane is an open book. I help him, I feel like, on the ovals, but he really helps me more on turning right.”
The top three NASCAR divisions will race at San Diego, beginning with the 50-lap Craftsman Truck Series Navy 250 on Saturday (AEST).
That will be followed by the 60-lap O’Reilly Auto Parts Series United Rentals Driven to Serve 250 on Sunday (AEST).
The NASCAR Cup Series will take in 75 laps on Monday (AEST) for the Anduril 250.
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