Shane van Gisbergen Gets One Back at Sonoma, Says He’s Still Evolving
- Crystal Clay
- 5 minutes ago
- 3 min read
by Crystal Clay
SONOMA, Calif. — A year ago, Connor Zilisch summed up the challenge of racing Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma Raceway in a single sentence.
“You have to be perfect to beat Shane.”
Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race added another chapter to that story.
Zilisch overcame a start at the back of the pack, a pit-road speeding penalty and two charges through traffic to finish second. But even one of the most impressive recovery drives of the season wasn’t enough to catch van Gisbergen, who led 66 of 79 laps and delivered another methodical road-course victory in the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250.
“I think I saved enough (fuel) early,” van Gisbergen said. “Sorry it wasn’t the most exciting—I guess boring’s good when you’re the one leading.
“What an amazing car, to lead like that. The car was so good the whole race. It’s great to get another one for these guys.”
The victory marked van Gisbergen’s second NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win at Sonoma Raceway and the sixth of his career, with all six coming on road or street courses.
When the celebrations began, one of the first drivers to congratulate him was Zilisch, the same driver who beat him at Sonoma one year ago.
“It was a bit of déjà vu, but the opposite,” van Gisbergen told Racing Refresh. “We had the same, opposite last year. Yeah, cool to get one back.”
Van Gisbergen also credited the strength of JR Motorsports, whose No. 9 Chevrolet proved untouchable for much of the afternoon.
“They’re just good,” he said. “Every week, all four or five cars, however many are running, all have a chance to win. So pretty special to get to drive one and just execute all day.”
Although the final margin appeared comfortable, the race unfolded differently than van Gisbergen expected. Asked by Racing Refresh what surprised him most, van Gisbergen pointed to the variety of pit strategies throughout the field.
“Probably how many people went off strategy,” he said. “I thought more people would short the stages with us, but a few of the good cars stayed out and took points. So I guess they’re racing for their championship.
“They were kind of mixed up behind us all day. That didn’t play out how I thought it would.”
The strategic divergence ultimately worked in van Gisbergen’s favor. After short-pitting before the end of Stage 2, he regained control following the stage break and spent the final 30-lap green-flag run balancing fuel conservation with maintaining a comfortable advantage over Zilisch.
Despite another dominant road-course performance, van Gisbergen doesn’t believe the rest of the field is standing still.
Asked by Racing Refresh whether he feels the gap between himself and the competition is closing, he acknowledged both realities.
“I think it’s a bit of both,” he said. “I certainly feel everyone’s really good, and they always have been, but I’m learning too. I’m learning what I want from the O’Reilly car and also my Cup car. I’m developing that to be more to my style as well.
“So, yeah, hopefully I’m improving as well as they’re catching up, I guess.”
It’s an important distinction. While NASCAR’s road-course aces continue to improve, van Gisbergen believes he is evolving alongside them; refining both his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Cup Series cars to better suit his driving style rather than relying solely on the experience that made him a three-time Australian Supercars champion.
Behind van Gisbergen, Zilisch’s runner-up finish capped a remarkable recovery after starting at the rear because of an unapproved adjustment and later serving a pass-through penalty for speeding on pit road. Brent Crews finished third for Joe Gibbs Racing, followed by Anthony Alfredo and Parker Retzlaff.
The race featured eight lead changes among six drivers and four cautions for 11 laps, though the final stage ran caution-free as van Gisbergen controlled the pace from the front.
A year after Zilisch proved it was possible to beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma, Saturday offered a different reminder. As the rest of the field continues to improve, van Gisbergen believes he’s improving too. And that’s what continues to set him apart.
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