Shane van Gisbergen achieved a landmark victory in the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, overcoming handling challenges to claim the pole position and win the Toyota/Save Mart 350. This win marked his third consecutive road or street course victory and extended his record as the winningest foreign-born driver in the series.
After finishing second in Stage 1, van Gisbergen capitalized on short pit stops to maintain track position and took the Stage 2 win. He navigated through three caution periods and late-race restarts to secure the overall victory, moving up to third in the current Playoff standings with 17 playoff points.
Managing Grip Problems to Maintain Control During the Race
Van Gisbergen revealed in a post-race interview that his #88 Chevrolet ZL1 struggled with rear grip issues during qualifying, but improved significantly during the race itself. The difference in handling was notable early on, giving him more confidence on the track as the event progressed.
“As soon as I took off—five laps in—I’m like, ‘Ah, this thing’s night and day better.'” —Shane van Gisbergen
“Yesterday we were fast, but it was so loose… we still struggled with the rears, but night and day better than yesterday.” —Shane van Gisbergen
“I was complaining in the first stage, but Stephen and Josh kept telling me others were saying the same stuff. So, you just had to tell yourself everyone’s got the same issues and try to manage it the best you could.” —Shane van Gisbergen
Understanding NASCAR’s Unique Challenges Compared to Other Motorsports
Van Gisbergen drew comparisons between NASCAR and Supercars, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of NASCAR races. Despite having one of the fastest cars on track, winning is difficult due to factors like restarts and race strategy, which require careful execution.
“These races are really hard to win,”
van Gisbergen said.
“Even though we had the fastest car today, it’s very rare in NASCAR for the fastest car to win the race. There’s so much stuff that happens—those late-race restarts. Just to execute, make the most of it… Really, really cool.” —Shane van Gisbergen
“It ranks up there. These races are really hard to win, but luckily, a great car, great team, makes a big difference.” —Shane van Gisbergen
Breaking Multiple NASCAR Records with a Historic Performance
Despite some handling difficulties and several intense restarts, van Gisbergen set two new NASCAR records previously held by Jeff Gordon. His achievement of starting from pole and winning three consecutive road or street course races matched Gordon’s feat from the late 1990s. Moreover, van Gisbergen led a race-best 97 laps at Sonoma, surpassing Gordon’s 92 laps led in 2004. He also became the fastest driver to claim four Cup Series wins since Parnelli Jones accomplished the feat in 1967.
Looking Ahead: Van Gisbergen’s Next Challenge at Dover Motor Speedway
With this victory in hand, Shane van Gisbergen now turns his attention to the upcoming AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 on July 20 at Dover Motor Speedway. The race offers another opportunity to solidify his standing as a championship contender, with six regular-season events remaining before the playoffs intensify.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What happened to Shane van Gisbergen, Adelaide?
A. Sadly, Van Gisbergen’s last races didn’t go as perfectly as people hoped. On Saturday, he hit Will Brown’s crashed car at Turn 4 on the first lap. On Sunday, braking problems prevented him from completing the race.
Q. Is Shane van Gisbergen still with Jessica Dane?
A. Shane van Gisbergen is dating Jessica Dane. They revealed they were together in 2022, but had started dating before that. Jessica is the daughter of Roland Dane, who founded Triple Eight Race Engineering and is well-known in Australian motorsport.