Shane Van Gisbergen experienced a frightening flight to Mexico when his plane abruptly “launched itself” before takeoff, forcing the journey to be aborted for safety reasons. To ensure he arrived in time for Friday’s practice sessions at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the Australian driver had to catch an early morning flight instead.
Most drivers were expected to land in Mexico City on Thursday, June 12, but several aircraft faced mechanical problems that delayed flights and left teams stranded in Charlotte, North Carolina. One plane reportedly emitted a loud noise during takeoff, while another encountered engine difficulties, contributing to widespread scheduling disruptions. Before Friday’s sessions, Van Gisbergen detailed the tense moments from his disrupted travel.
“Yeah, it wasn’t fun. Yesterday was a long day. But yeah, pretty scary when the plane launched itself on take-off. But yeah, they stopped and were just trying to get another plane. And then it was first thing this morning, so early start this morning. I think we got up at 3:30 am at home and got an early flight down here,” he said via Speedwaydigest.
As a former Australian Supercars champion with a strong ability on road courses, Van Gisbergen applied his skills well during Friday’s practice. He remained within the top-10 drivers consistently and ended both sessions in that range, highlighting his comfort on the challenging Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit.
Van Gisbergen Prepares for an Upcoming Stretch of Road Courses
Entering his first full-time season in the Cup Series, Shane Van Gisbergen has struggled on ovals, recording only one top-10 finish in 15 starts. However, his sixth-place result at the Circuit of The Americas, a road course, underscores the contrast in his performance. With the Viva Mexico 250 marking the beginning of a series of road course events, Van Gisbergen is optimistic about leveraging his strengths.
Discussing his readiness for Sunday’s race, the driver revealed his circumstances during track preparation.
“Unfortunately, I missed the track walk this morning, so the first look will be on the drive around. But yeah, it looks great. Should be some good racing. Nice to have a little break from the ovals for me, even though we’ve been getting a lot better the last few weeks. We’ve got a good run of road courses coming up. Time for us to start getting some good results,” he said via Speedway Digest.
Recently, Van Gisbergen showed promise when he secured pole position for the All-Star Open race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. While he led for 54 laps during that event, he was unable to finish inside the top-10. His latest outing was at Michigan International Speedway, finishing 18th among 36 cars. Piloting the #88 Chevy for Trackhouse Racing, Van Gisbergen currently holds 33rd place in the driver standings with 192 points and an average finish position of 25.
Racing fans can tune in to watch the Viva Mexico 250 on Sunday, June 15, starting at 3 PM ET on Prime Video, as Van Gisbergen aims to build momentum on his favored road courses.
