ZILISCH DEFEATS VAN GISBERGEN IN A BATTLE OF THE ROAD RACING GIANTS

SONOMA, Calif. – Connor Zilisch captured the checkered flag at Sonoma Raceway, outdueling teammate and defending race winner Shane Van Gisbergen in the closing laps.

Just shy of his 19th birthday, Zilisch started second and traded the lead with his fellow JRM and Trackhouse teammate of Van Gisbergen. The Red Bull athlete led 46 of 79 laps, but could see Van Gisbergen close in his mirror for the final half dozen laps around the 1.99-mile road course.

“We were just playing a little bit of cat and mouse with each other,” Zilisch said in a post race interview. “We were both pushing to the limit, and it took a lot of focus to keep him behind me.”

Both drivers started on the front row after Van Gisbergen had earned the pole on Friday. From the drop of the green flag they both fought for the lead, trading the top spot six times throughout.

“It's really fun to win these races that are really tough to win,” Zilisch said after leading laps in each of the last eight races. The three-time winner in 2025 holds the longest streak in the series.

“Under every caution, we would go next to each other and we’d flip each other off, and then we give each other thumbs up,” Zilisch said. “It's just fun getting to race against him.”

This was the second time in 2025 that these two road course stars have gone head-to-head. Last weekend at the Chicago Street course, Van Gisbergen passed Zilisch with two laps remaining.

“If you show (Van Gisbergen) respect, he's going to show you respect back,” Zilisch said. “It's cool to have a friend like him that I can race against and learn from and then talk to after.”

Van Gisbergen’s car was suited for a long run after Stage 2, allowing him to track down Zilisch. He tried to pass Zilisch in Turn 7 on the last lap, but wheel hopped and couldn’t get to the inside.

“Second sucks, but I had a really fun race,” Van Gisbergen said. The former Supercars champion tried all of his tricks, “But (Zilisch) drove so well, and I couldn’t get him,” Van Gisbergen said.

“I enjoyed battling (Zilisch),” Van Gisbergen said. “I had a lot of fun and I hope he did too.”

Van Gisbergen is set to start from the pole again tomorrow for the Toyota Save Mart 350. The driver hailing from Auckland, New Zealand will aim to go back-to-back in Cup Series events.

“In terms of aggression, I would be more aggressive,” Van Gisbergen said. He clarified that he wouldn't do something to compromise his chance to bring home a strong finish for Trackhouse.

Yesterday’s ARCA Menards West winner William Sawalich ran top-five throughout the race and finished third. He said it was a significant boost of confidence after recording two-straight DNFs.

Coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series race is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on TNT Sports. Elk Grove, California’s own Kyle Larson is the defending race winner and starts from 11th place.