Trackhouse star Shane van Gisbergen delivers honest take on racing around '35 other maniacs' ahead of Daytona 500 debut 

NASCAR driver Shane van Gisbergen recently shared that he finds practice and single-car qualifying runs a bit dull. The Kiwi NASCAR Cup Series rookie is set to make his Daytona 500 debut this week. However, before the main race on Sunday, van Gisbergen had to participate in a 50-minute practice session and a round of qualifying.

In a clip from a SiriusXM NASCAR Radio episode, the Trackhouse Racing driver, who qualified 30th on Wednesday night, shared his thoughts on the pre-race sessions at the Daytona International Speedway.

"Yeah, the practice and qualifying stuff's boring. It's amazing you just drive around one-handed blocking the end...You're flicking switches and trying different things and you just look at the lap time, you can't really tell. But when you're in the race, you going a 3-4 seconds a lap quicker and you got 35 other maniacs around ya. That's when it's epic," Shane van Gisbergen said.

Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell also made a similar comment about practice for the Daytona 500 (as shared by NASCAR reporter Chris Knight).

"It just didn’t feel necessary," Bell said.

The qualifying sessions determine the race grid, where the fastest drivers start in the front row. Other races do not have single-car qualifying like the Daytona 500.

'I feel like everything is new' - Shane van Gisbergen on NASCAR Cup Series rookie year

Shane Van Gisbergen won his first Cup Series race in Chicago two years ago with Trackhouse Racing. He ran full-time in the Xfinity Series last season with Kaulig Racing and won three races.

The three-time Supercars champion will now take on a full Cup season, driving the No. 88 car for Trackhouse Racing. He will debut at the 'Great American Race' with teammates Helio Castroneves from Brazil, Daniel Suárez from Mexico, and Ross Chastain from Florida.

Van Gisbergen, who has had 14 starts in the Cup Series in two years, talked about his first full-time season during the Daytona 500 media day.

"I feel like a rookie. I feel like everything is new. I feel like I have a lot to learn and improve on and prove myself there. Probably similar to what I thought back then, said van Gisbergen (via speedwaydigest.com)

He also commented on the Daytona 500 and said:

"The race is obviously still massive, but it's not massive where I'm from. I guess it's like the Bathurst, Le Mans 24. Watching the pre-race stuff last year, being here to spectate the race was awesome. Watching the pre-race stuff last year, being here to spectate the race was awesome. You see the scale of it," he added.

The Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, February 16 with the Dual races on Thursday night.