Shane Van Gisbergen triumphs at Sonoma Raceway for his third 2025 NASCAR Cup Sequence victory within the Toyota Save Mart 350.
SONOMA, Calif. – On Sunday, Shane Van Gisbergen proved that it’s inconceivable to maintain a highway course celebrity down for greater than a quick interlude.
Shane Van Gisbergen Triumphs at Sonoma
After ending second to Connor Zilisch in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Sequence race, Van Gisbergen was again on the high on a nice Sunday afternoon in wine nation. Van Gisbergen was victorious within the Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.
As is his customized of late, the New Zealander reached a trio of milestones, profitable his third straight highway/avenue course race from the pole place to equal Jeff Gordon’s feat from 1998 and 1999.
The victory was Van Gisbergen’s third of the season in his first journey across the 1.99-mile, 12-turn circuit in a NASCAR Cup Sequence automobile. SVG gained for the fourth time in 34 begins, changing into the quickest to 4 wins since Parnelli Jones gained at Riverside in 1967 in his thirty first Cup begin.
His 97 laps led are essentially the most by a Sonoma winner, eclipsing Jeff Gordon’s high-water mark of 92 set in 2004.
“We had an incredible automobile,” Van Gisbergen mentioned. “Chase Briscoe, what an incredible racer and gave me respect. Jumped the final (restart) a little bit bit, and it was fairly tense, however wonderful. So stoked for Pink Bull, Trackhouse, Chevy. I consider we had a extremely enjoyable weekend right here, some nice races, and I hope everybody loved that.”
The Finest Street Course Racer in NASCAR Historical past
The winner of 81 Australian Supercars races on the best way to a few championships within the collection, Van Gisbergen, is already being touted as maybe one of the best highway course racer in NASCAR historical past.
“I had an incredible time in Australia, after which to return right here and the final couple weeks or years truly has been a dream come true,” mentioned the 36-year-old driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. “I’ve actually loved my time in NASCAR. Thanks, everybody for making me really feel so welcome. I hope I’m right here for a very long time to return.”
Van Gisbergen gained the second stage regardless of short-pitting to protect observe place. He advances to 3rd on the Cup Sequence Playoff grid with 17 playoff factors. Van Gisbergen was 1.128 seconds forward of Chase Briscoe on the checkered flag. However the win was removed from assured with the chaos of the ultimate 15 laps.
SVG needed to survive three cautions and subsequent restarts within the late phases of the race to seal the win. Cody Ware’s No. 51 Ford jettisoned a tire and prompted a yellow on lap 97. Consequently, a big group of drivers on higher tires chased those that stayed on the observe (together with the race winner).
Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott are Pleased with Their Effort
Briscoe certified second and completed the place he felt he deserved.
“The one alternative I had was on the restarts,” Briscoe mentioned. “I by no means performed basketball towards Michael Jordan in his prime, however I really feel like that’s most likely what it was like. That man is unbelievable on highway programs. He’s simply so good. He’s actually raised the bar on this whole collection.
“Happy with the hassle. I believed there was one restart I used to be perhaps going to get away from him, however honestly, even when I cleared him, he was most likely going to go me again by the top of the lap. Yeah, happy with the hassle. We had been a second-place automobile all day and clearly ended up second with it.”
“It was good to be on offense and provides ourselves a shot,” Elliott mentioned. “I want I might have made it occur there. I used to be making an attempt, however I simply couldn’t get going like we would have liked to there on the finish.”
Chase Elliott pitted on lap 97 for brisker tires and got here dwelling third after restarting 14th on lap 100. Michael McDowell was on the identical technique as Elliott. MicDowell climbed to fourth on the end, whereas Christopher Bell held fifth on older tires.
Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, William Byron, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch accomplished the highest ten in a race that featured six cautions for 17 laps.
In-Season Problem Spherical 4 Qualifiers
The motion on the ultimate few laps was attributable partly to battles inside the NASCAR Cup In-Season Problem. Sonoma was the third spherical on Sunday. thirty second seed Ty Dillon bumped the No. 48 Chevrolet of Alex Bowman out of the best way on the ultimate lap to complete seventeenth. Bowman completed nineteenth and saved Dillon’s hopes for the $1-million prize alive.
Dillon will face John Hunter Nemechek subsequent Sunday within the semifinals at Dover Motor Speedway. Nemechek completed one spot forward of LEGACY Motor Membership teammate Erik Jones (twenty eighth and twenty ninth) to advance to the fourth spherical.
“It was a tough couple of laps there.” Dillon acknowledged. “Alex and I race actually clear. I advised him, ‘Man, if it wasn’t for the million dolloars, I most likely wouldn’t have completed that.’ however, I needed to. It’s been an unimaginable run for this No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet crew. We’ve labored so onerous for this chance…
“We’re going to offer all of it we’ve acquired at Dover; put stress on the fellows. I believe you’ve seen via this that our crew doesn’t stop. I noticed the No. 48 there on the finish, and I knew it was our alternative to race onerous and go get him. Simply happy with this crew’s effort.”
Ty Gibbs moved into the match semifinals with a seventh-place end to Zane Smith’s twenty seventh. Tyler Reddick ousted Ryan Preece with a sixth-place run to Preece’s twelfth. Gibbs and Reddick will face off on the Monster Mile for a visit to the finals.
William Byron now holds a 14-point benefit over second-place Chase Elliott. Finishing the highest 5 are Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, and Denny Hamlin.
Shane Van Gisbergen, with three wins, is a part of the 16-driver playoff area. Austin Cindric and Josh Berry have put themselves into the playoffs as nicely with one victory apiece.
Whereas Bubba Wallace sits three factors above the cutline, Ryan Preece is three factors under the road.
Subsequent Up
Spherical 4 of the In-Season Problem continues subsequent week at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday, July twentieth. The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 begins at 2 pm ET on TNT, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and HBO Max. Denny Hamlin is the defending winner.
