Racing Insights: Who will conquer complex Qualcomm Circuit?

As NASCAR Cup Series drivers prepare for the next two weeks of left-and-right turns, many expect to see Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen atop the leaderboard, with the No. 97 Chevrolet being the favorite to land in Victory Lane.

After taking his sixth career Cup Series pole Saturday in qualifying, SVG is on the right path to regaining some momentum after back-to-back finishes of 30th or worse. Other drivers hope to generate their own momentum with a good result in Sunday’s Anduril 250 at Qualcomm Circuit on Naval Base Coronado (4 p.m. ET, Prime Video, HBO Max, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

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Given the challenging nature of the 3.4-mile street course near San Diego, California, could the 75-lap street showdown be a race of attrition? Here’s a look at other drivers to keep an eye on and the full projected results for Sunday’s Cup Series race.

DRIVERS TO WATCH:

CONNOR ZILISCH: Entering the 17th race of the 2026 season, Zilisch is still looking for his first career top 10 in the Cup Series. Last month at Watkins Glen International, the Trackhouse Racing rookie nearly earned that breakthrough result at the premier level until a flat tire late in the race relegated him to 20th. Given his seven wins and nine top fives on road courses in 10 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races, many expect to see Zilisch’s road-course prowess translate to the Cup level at some point. After qualifying eighth for the Anduril 250, the No. 88 Chevrolet driver will certainly be in the mix and join teammate Shane van Gisbergen as one of the favorites.

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MICHAEL MCDOWELL: In the last seven road-course races in the Cup Series, McDowell has five top-five finishes, including a runner-up finish last month at Watkins Glen. During the Next Gen era, the driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet has nine top fives and 15 top 10s on road courses. Given his road-course strength and how he has demonstrated his ability to keep up with Shane van Gisbergen at times, do not be surprised if McDowell is in the mix late Sunday afternoon after qualifying ninth.

KEVIN MAGNUSSEN: The long-time Formula One veteran becomes the fourth driver to participate in Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 program, joining the likes of van Gisbergen, Kimi Räikkönen and Hélio Castroneves. Magnussen’s respectable 21st-place qualifying effort shows that the No. 91 Chevrolet has plenty of potential to be competitive in his Cup Series debut. In 2010, his father, Jan Magnussen, made a one-off Cup start with Phoenix Racing and finished 12th in his only NASCAR contest at Sonoma Raceway. But given the younger Magnussen’s years of experience racing on street courses in F1 and additional starts driving heavier vehicles in sports car racing, expect Project 91’s newest driver to turn heads if he can avoid potential street-course carnage.

MORE: San Diego photos

FULL PROJECTED RESULTS FOR ANDURIL 250 (4 p.m. ET, Prime Video)