Shane van Gisbergen sent another powerful message on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. A day after falling short to teammate Connor Zilisch in the Xfinity race, SVG came back with precision and dominance, winning the Toyota/Save Mart 350 and making history in the process. His third straight road course win from the pole now places him in elite company with Jeff Gordon, and his total control over 97 of 110 laps etched his name into Sonoma’s record book.
Key Highlights
Shane van Gisbergen won his third NASCAR Cup Series race of 2025
SVG became the first driver since Jeff Gordon (1998-99) to win three straight road course races from the pole
Led 97 laps—most ever by a Sonoma race winner
Victory marked his fourth Cup win in just 34 starts
Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott, and Michael McDowell rounded out the top four
SVG Controls the Field, Breaks Sonoma Record
From pole to checkered flag, Shane van Gisbergen never seemed out of control. With a lap time of 74.594 seconds in qualifying, the New Zealander set the pace early and rarely gave it up. Sonoma, known for its challenges and tire wear, became SVG’s playground. He not only led the most laps ever by a winner at the track but also handled three late-race restarts like a seasoned oval veteran.
“We had an amazing car. Chase Briscoe, what a great racer and gave me respect. Jumped the last (restart) a little bit, and it was pretty tense, but amazing.” – Shane van Gisbergen
Briscoe stayed close through the final stint, especially after a Lap 97 caution set up a strategic split in pit decisions. While Briscoe maintained track position, others like Chase Elliott pitted for fresh tires. It made for a thrilling final 13-lap dash, but SVG’s grip on the lead never fully loosened.
“The only opportunity I had was on the restarts. I never played basketball against Michael Jordan in his prime, but I feel like that’s probably what it was like. That guy is unbelievable on road courses.” – Chase Briscoe
Elliott, McDowell Charge Late, But Too Late
Chase Elliott, running a different tire strategy, restarted 14th after pitting during the Lap 97 caution. He gained 11 spots in the final laps, clawing his way to third but never quite reaching the leaders. Michael McDowell mirrored that strategy and took fourth.
“It was nice to be on offense and give ourselves a shot. I wish I could have made it happen there. I was trying, but I just couldn’t get going like we needed to there at the end.” – Chase Elliott
Christopher Bell rounded out the top five after holding his ground on worn tires. Ty Gibbs, Tyler Reddick, William Byron, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch completed the top 10.
In-Season Challenge Drama and Grit
Sonoma also hosted the third round of the In-Season Challenge, and it brought its own fireworks. Ty Dillon knocked Alex Bowman out of the way on the final lap to finish 17th and move on to the semifinals. Dillon will now face John Hunter Nemechek at Dover.
“Alex and I race really clean. I told him, ‘Man, if it wasn’t for the million dollars, I probably wouldn’t have done that,’ but I had to.” – Ty Dillon
Other semifinal matchups include Ty Gibbs vs. Tyler Reddick, both of whom advanced with top-10 runs. The stakes only climb from here as the Challenge heads to the Monster Mile.
Ross Chastain and SVG split the stage wins, though Chastain’s hopes of a top finish were dashed after a tangle with teammate Daniel Suárez. The contact in Turn 11 spun Suárez and dropped both Trackhouse cars down the running order.
Full Race Results: 2025 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma
| POS. | No | Driver | Laps | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Shane Van Gisbergen | 110 | — |
| 2 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | 110 | 1.128 |
| 3 | 9 | Chase Elliott | 110 | 2.254 |
| 4 | 71 | Michael McDowell | 110 | 3.451 |
| 5 | 20 | Christopher Bell | 110 | 5.108 |
| 6 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 110 | 5.484 |
| 7 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | 110 | 5.554 |
| 8 | 24 | William Byron | 110 | 5.913 |
| 9 | 22 | Joey Logano | 110 | 6.513 |
| 10 | 8 | Kyle Busch | 110 | 6.890 |
| 11 | 6 | Brad Keselowski | 110 | 7.699 |
| 12 | 60 | Ryan Preece | 110 | 9.523 |
| 13 | 21 | Josh Berry | 110 | 11.220 |
| 14 | 99 | Daniel Suarez | 110 | 11.230 |
| 15 | 7 | Justin Haley | 110 | 11.437 |
| 16 | 17 | Chris Buescher | 110 | 11.487 |
| 17 | 10 | Ty Dillon | 110 | 11.988 |
| 18 | 16 | AJ Allmendinger | 110 | 12.289 |
| 19 | 48 | Alex Bowman | 110 | 12.339 |
| 20 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | 110 | 12.516 |
| 21 | 3 | Austin Dillon | 110 | 12.821 |
| 22 | 41 | Cole Custer | 110 | 13.372 |
| 23 | 34 | Todd Gilliland | 110 | 13.372 |
| 24 | 1 | Ross Chastain | 110 | 13.659 |
| 25 | 35 | Riley Herbst | 110 | 13.998 |
| 26 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 110 | 14.776 |
| 27 | 38 | Zane Smith | 110 | 15.163 |
| 28 | 42 | John Hunter Nemechek | 110 | 15.521 |
| 29 | 43 | Erik Jones | 110 | 17.300 |
| 30 | 2 | Austin Cindric | 110 | 17.612 |
| 31 | 78 | Katherine Legge | 110 | 25.770 |
| 32 | 77 | Carson Hocevar | 110 | 27.221 |
| 33 | 47 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 110 | 42.066 |
| 34 | 51 | Cody Ware | 108 | 2 Laps |
| 35 | 5 | Kyle Larson | 108 | 2 Laps |
| 36 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | 106 | OUT |
| 37 | 4 | Noah Gragson | 99 | OUT |
News in Brief: 2025 Sonoma Cup Series Results
Shane van Gisbergen captured his third Cup Series win of the 2025 season with a dominant performance at Sonoma Raceway. Leading 97 laps from the pole, SVG matched Jeff Gordon’s record of three straight road course wins from the pole. Chase Briscoe and Chase Elliott completed the podium while Ty Dillon and others made bold moves in the In-Season Challenge. The NASCAR Cup Series continues next weekend at Dover Motor Speedway with SVG now ranked third in playoff seeding.
ALSO READ: Can Shane van Gisbergen Win the 2025 NASCAR Championship?
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Who won the NASCAR race today at Sonoma?
A. Shane van Gisbergen Dominates Sonoma Raceway
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A. NASCAR Sonoma Results, Highlights: Shane van Gisbergen Claims Cup Victory
