Shane van Gisbergen Dominates at Sonoma, Claims Third Cup Win
Sonoma, CA – Shane van Gisbergen reasserted his status as a road course specialist by securing victory in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, following a second-place finish on Saturday in the Xfinity Series. This win marks van Gisbergen’s third consecutive triumph on road courses and his third of the season, solidifying his position as a formidable contender in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Starting from pole, van Gisbergen led a record-breaking 97 laps, surpassing Jeff Gordon’s previous mark of 92 laps led by a winner at Sonoma. With this victory, he becomes the fastest driver to achieve four Cup wins, requiring only 34 races—an achievement last matched by Parnelli Jones in 1967.
“We had an amazing car,” said van Gisbergen. “Chase Briscoe, what a great racer and gave me respect… It was pretty tense, but amazing.” The New Zealander, driving the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, showcased exceptional skill despite navigating multiple late-race cautions and restarts.
Van Gisbergen’s win solidifies his place in the Playoff standings, currently positioned third with 17 Playoff points. He crossed the finish line 1.128 seconds ahead of Chase Briscoe, who expressed pride in his consistent performance: “I thought there was one restart I was maybe going to get clear of him… but truthfully, even if I cleared him, he was probably going to pass me back.”
Chase Elliott, who began the race in 14th position after opting for fresher tires, secured a third-place finish, while Michael McDowell and Christopher Bell rounded out the top five. Elliott mentioned, “It was nice to be on offense and give ourselves a shot… but I just couldn’t get going like we needed to there at the end.”
In the context of the NASCAR Cup In-Season Challenge, Ty Dillon advanced to the semifinals, finishing 17th after bumping Alex Bowman. Dillon will face John Hunter Nemechek in next Sunday’s semifinals at Dover Motor Speedway.
The race, which featured six cautions over 17 laps, concluded with William Byron, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch completing the top ten.
Sonoma Race Results:
- Shane van Gisbergen
- Chase Briscoe
- Chase Elliott
- Michael McDowell
- Christopher Bell
- Tyler Reddick
- Ty Gibbs
- Ryan Preece
- William Byron
- Joey Logano
- Kyle Busch
Van Gisbergen’s triumph at Sonoma continues his spectacular entry into the NASCAR landscape, raising anticipation for his future performances in upcoming races.
