Connor Zilisch’s father responded jokingly to Trackhouse Racing’s post celebrating Shane van Gisbergen’s consecutive wins, playfully hoping the Kiwi driver wouldn’t continue his streak. This exchange follows the intense racing showdown between Zilisch and van Gisbergen at the Chicago street race last weekend, where high stakes and aggressive moves defined the closing laps.
During the Chicago event, van Gisbergen pushed Zilisch off at turn one on lap 49 of 50, forcing the 18-year-old to brush the wall and surrender the lead. Starting from 35th position, Zilisch finished second while van Gisbergen, driving JR Motorsports’ part-time #9 Chevrolet, secured the victory from pole position after leading 27 of the 50 laps in The Loop 110 (Xfinity Series).
“Hope not!” Connor Zilisch’s father wrote on X.
Trackhouse Racing’s recent post displayed van Gisbergen’s car for the upcoming Sonoma Raceway event and remarked on his impressive back-to-back wins. The Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma will feature 39 cars, including van Gisbergen’s #9 Chevy and Riley Herbst’s #19 Toyota from Joe Gibbs Racing. Scheduled for July 12 at 4:30 p.m. ET, the road course race will be broadcast live on The CW Network.
Connor Zilisch races full-time for JR Motorsports, while van Gisbergen primarily competes in the Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing. The three-time Supercars champion also won the Cup race in Chicago over the weekend, completing a sweep and intensifying their budding rivalry.
Connor Zilisch Reflects on Chicago Duel with Shane van Gisbergen
Zilisch showed no resentment over van Gisbergen’s forceful pass during the restart in Chicago but acknowledged he would have handled the situation differently had he anticipated the Kiwi’s aggressive style. Zilisch initially took the outside line, expecting to be side-by-side with van Gisbergen into turn one, aiming for the inside approach on turn two.
However, van Gisbergen made his move earlier than Zilisch expected, taking control before the corner’s brake zone and forcing Zilisch off the preferred line.
“Just before the brake zone, I got called to clear and I didn’t take it because I wanted to be on the inside for turn two, expecting us to exit turn one, side-by-side. And if I knew that I wouldn’t have exited turn one, side-by-side, and he was going to take it and clear himself, I would have blocked and protected the inside line more.”
“So yeah. I definitely would have done it differently, knowing what his plan was. But that’s racing, and it wasn’t dirty. It was just aggressive and something I’ll take note of,” he added.
After missing one race due to a back injury at Texas Motor Speedway, Zilisch is currently fifth overall in the series standings. The rookie driver has accumulated two wins, seven top-five finishes, and nine top-10 results through 17 starts this season.
The Rising Rivalry’s Impact on Upcoming Sonoma Race
The mounting competition between Zilisch and van Gisbergen brings fresh excitement to the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway. With both drivers demonstrating skill and determination—and van Gisbergen aiming to extend his winning streak—fans can expect a tense and highly contested road course race.
This rivalry highlights the emerging talents and seasoned experience within the NASCAR landscape. Zilisch’s promising rookie season and van Gisbergen’s established Cup Series success set the stage for intense battles in the races ahead, shaping championship implications and fan anticipation in equal measure.