With his victory in Sonoma, Shane van Gisbergen added a new chapter to what is rapidly emerging as one of NASCAR’s most impressive road-course résumés. Although the victory was spectacular in and of itself, runner-up Chase Briscoe’s response may have been even more telling. After spending the final laps trying to chase down SVG, Briscoe offered a remarkably honest assessment of the driver many now view as NASCAR’s modern road-course king.

Michael Jordan comparison says everything about SVG’s win

“The F1 crowd probably doesn’t want to hear that, but I mean he’s just an unbelievable road racer. He’s an unbelievable race car driver. Even on the oval, just what he can do. And then when it comes to tire management, I mean, I feel like he is the best in the world. It is unbelievable as how he can make speed, but also save tires. So yeah, just frustrated with myself,” Briscoe said in a post-race media interaction, as shared by On3‘s Thomas Dunn.

Van Gisbergen seemed unbeatable for a large portion of the last stage. He had extended his lead over Briscoe to 1.8 seconds by Lap 78. However, the distance started to close as the race approached its last ten laps. By Lap 104, Briscoe had cut the advantage to around a second and was now within striking distance as he methodically pulled him in. There was actual pressure. SVG appeared vulnerable for the first time in the race.

But then Briscoe realized he had lost his chance. He overcooked Turn 1 on Lap 107 and lost crucial speed in an attempt to make the most of every square inch of racetrack. With two laps left, he recovered and got back to within 0.87 seconds, but he was never able to get close enough to pass. Van Gisbergen crossed the finish line 0.357 seconds ahead of Briscoe. That near-miss led Briscoe to one of the most memorable comparisons of the season.

“I felt like I was playing one-on-one against Michael Jordan. I had every opportunity to beat him and I blew it. You got to be perfect to beat Shane and I wasn’t perfect at the end of the day.”

Although the contrast may seem stark, SVG’s NASCAR resume increasingly supports it. Sonoma was his second Cup Series victory of 2026 and his eighth overall since winning his maiden Cup start in the inaugural Chicago Street Race over four years ago, which stunned the motorsports world back then.

At Watkins Glen earlier this season, SVG led 74 of the 100 laps in a race with six lead changes amongst four drivers. But, with only eighteen laps left, he was over twenty-nine seconds behind. However, SVG managed to bounce back and, in fact, win the race by seven seconds, which looked unattainable considering where he had been.

Those victories have elevated him into rare company. He is only one victory behind Jeff Gordon’s record of nine Cup Series road-course victories. What’s even more amazing is that van Gisbergen currently has a 50% road course winning percentage in the Cup Series.

The lesson was easy for Briscoe. SVG is more than simply a gifted driver. He is now the standard in NASCAR racing. And it takes perfection to defeat him, as Briscoe found out at Sonoma. If you do anything less, the outcome is similar to facing Michael Jordan at his prime.