Shane van Gisbergen Claims Victory at Sonoma, Extends Winning Streak
Shane van Gisbergen showcased his prowess once again, clinching victory at Sonoma Raceway and extending his winning streak to two consecutive races. This marks his third win in just five weeks, solidifying his status as a formidable competitor on road courses.
Leading an impressive 97 of 110 laps, the New Zealander started from pole position and maintained control throughout the race. With this win, van Gisbergen ties a NASCAR record held by Jeff Gordon for achieving three consecutive road course victories from the top starting spot.
Gordon's record dates back to the 1998-1999 seasons, but van Gisbergen's recent success has been nothing short of remarkable. His journey in NASCAR began with a stunning debut at the Chicago street course in 2023, where he emerged victorious, prompting his transition from Australian V8 Supercars to stock car racing with Trackhouse Racing.
His unique braking technique, honed in Australia, has left his oval specialist rivals struggling to keep pace. "SVG," as he is known, has injected new energy into Trackhouse Racing alongside teammate Ross Chastain, who also secured a victory earlier this summer at the Coca-Cola 600.
Van Gisbergen's rapid ascent is notable; he is now the fastest driver to achieve four Cup Series wins, accomplishing this feat in just 34 starts—an achievement last seen with Parnelli Jones in 1969.
"It means everything. That's why I race cars. I had an amazing time in Australia, and then to come here and the last couple weeks, or years, actually, has been a dream come true," van Gisbergen expressed. "I've really enjoyed my time in NASCAR. Thanks, everyone, for making me feel so welcome. I hope I'm here for a long time to come."
The Sonoma victory adds to Trackhouse Racing's impressive tally of four wins in eight weeks. Van Gisbergen also finished second in Saturday's Xfinity Series race after starting from pole.
Despite his dominance, van Gisbergen faced challenges during the race. After pitting from the lead with 27 laps remaining, he had to battle back to reclaim his position. A crucial pass of Michael McDowell with 19 laps left put him back in front, but two late cautions required him to navigate restarts skillfully to secure the win in his Chevrolet.
Chase Briscoe finished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and remarked on the difficulty of competing against van Gisbergen: "I've never played against Michael Jordan, but I imagine this was very similar," he said after struggling to overtake on the final restarts.
Chase Elliott followed closely behind in a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, while McDowell and Christopher Bell rounded out the top five.
The mid-season tournament that offers a $1 million prize is now down to four contenders. Alex Bowman finished 25th, eliminating Ty Dillon in 26th place. Tyler Reddick's 11th-place finish knocked out Ryan Preece (16th), while John Hunter Nemechek's performance led to teammate Erik Jones being eliminated as they finished 21st and 22nd respectively. Zane Smith's seventh-place finish also resulted in Ty Gibbs being cut from contention.
Bowman remains the highest-seeded driver still in the challenge, which debuted this year.
During the race, tensions flared between the crews of Brad Keselowski and Ty Gibbs after Gibbs drove through Keselowski's pit stall, narrowly avoiding crew members. The situation escalated into pushing and shoving before NASCAR intervened. Both crews received official warnings for their actions, although NASCAR determined that Gibbs did not act improperly.
The first caution of the race came after 61 laps when Ryan Blaney was forced off track due to contact with Chris Buescher. Just before NASCAR could deploy the yellow flag, Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin also spun out.
Ultimately, the race concluded with six cautions, including two in the final laps. The Cup Series will next head to Dover Motor Speedway in Delaware, where Denny Hamlin claimed victory last year.
