Shane van Gisbergen is on top of the world at the moment. The 36-year-old swept last weekend in Chicago with pole-to-pole victories in the Xfinity and Cup Series while out-dueling young guns like Connor Zilisch and Ty Gibbs. Now, as we head to Sonoma, SVG is pulling double duty yet again, and as the reigning Xfinity Sonoma champion, too! So, it should be no surprise that he blistered his way to a pole-setting performance.

The JR Motorsports #97 took the top spot, but the #88 was not far behind. Qualifying right beside him was 18-year-old Connor Zilisch, who will look to be a thorn in SVG’s side after losing out on the final restart last Saturday in Chicago. But outside of his competition, SVG has other factors to take into consideration at Wine Country this weekend.

Adapting to new conditions and equipment

Shane van Gisbergen was back at the front of the grid on a hot afternoon at Sonoma Raceway following the qualifying session. The Kiwi put up a blistering 1:15.259 lap around the 1.99-mile road course at an average speed of 95.191 mph. And while he was all praise for JRM’s fast cars, he noted one variable that could prove tricky on Saturday.

Shane van Gisbergen told Kim Coon of the CW after his qualifying run, “Qualifying to be front row for our team, thank you to JR Motorsports, our car is really, really good. I was having fun out there.” While the result was positive, he noted that the track conditions posed a challenge: “I think it’s hotter than last year, so it’s slippery, but the car’s quite different than last year, so just trying to get used to that and how the car reacts.”

Well, when SVG drove to victory at Sonoma in the Xfinity Series in 2024, he was a full-time driver for Kaulig Racing. While his JRM #97 is still a Chevrolet, how it behaves on the scorching surface of Sonoma could be a deciding factor for SVG as he looks to defend his crown. Sonoma’s undulating elevation changes and technical corners become even more challenging as track temps soar and grip becomes a precious commodity.

Shane Van Gisbergen also pointed out that the differences between this year’s car and last year’s meant he had to recalibrate his approach. “Compared to what I had last year here, they’re quite a bit different, so just trying to get it a bit set in but feel good,” he explained. Despite the changes, his confidence remained steady. However, his teammate who joins him on the front row is seeking revenge.

JRM’s #88, Connor Zilisch, was outdueled by SVG at Chicago last week. On the final restart, SVG used Zilisch up as he cleared him into Turn 2 and took the lead as Zilisch was left chasing dust for the final laps. Zilisch said after finishing 2nd last week, “I should’ve been a little more aggressive there. I just thought he was going to race me a little cleaner.” 

Now, as we head to Sonoma, Zilisch had a stern message for Shane van Gisbergen. Zilisch didn’t sugarcoat it, as he felt that race was in the palm of his hands until SVG dialed his racing up to a level Zilisch had never seen before. And to be fair, most of NASCAR has not seen this level of road course prowess, which is why some are feeling he might just be the best road racer we’ve seen in our sport.

Justin Marks gives huge praise to SVG

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin labeled Shane van Gisbergen, “one of the sport’s greatest road course racers.” Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks also didn’t mince his words after SVG’s dominant Chicago run, giving his flowers to a driver who has defied all odds to dominate road racing in NASCAR.

SVG has now won 4 of his 5 Chicago Street races across the Xfinity and Cup Series. The Kiwi also has Xfinity wins at Sonoma and Portland, only adding to his stacked resume. Reflecting on this dominance, Marks said last week, “I don’t wanna jump the gun, but he’s the greatest road course stock car racer I’ve ever seen. When he’s done with this all, and walks away from the sport, I think he walks away as the best road course racer that this sport has ever seen.”

These are some strong claims, but they might have some truth in them. While legends of the past like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon were world-class road course racers, their competition didn’t ruffle their feathers. With just two road courses on the schedule back in the 90s and 2000s, many drivers didn’t give road racing as much importance, whereas in the 2020s, the schedule has boasted 6-7 road courses a year, and the competition SVG is going up against are no slouches.

Tyler Reddick, Kyle Larson, Michael McDowell, William Byron, AJ Allmendinger, these guys are seasoned road course drivers, and yet, SVG dominates them with ease. Arguably his most jaw-dropping performance came at Mexico City this year, a track that was new for the entire Cup field, but SVG didn’t break a sweat. It must be noted that the Cup Series rookie is still adjusting to the Next-Gen car, but on road courses, it seems like he’s driving a car that is simply faster than everyone else.

Marks said about his performance in Mexico, “Mexico was ridiculous… It was an equalizer; nobody had ever been there before… and the guy wins by 18 seconds.” SVG indeed won by over 16 seconds on his Mexico City debut this year, marking the largest margin of victory in the Cup Series in over a decade. At this point, it’s clear that SVG is the favorite at road courses; it’s not about if he will win, it’s by how much.