Shane Van Gisbergen dropped 3 places on the points table after a DNF at San Diego, where he was the favourite, and immediately made up those spots with another stellar road course drive at Sonoma. 

As has become tradition for SVG, the Trackhouse driver burnt out whatever little rubber he had left in his tires after a gruelling last 10 laps where he defended for the win against JGR’s Chase Briscoe as they passed lapped traffic. 

While Briscoe settled in for 2nd, he would have loved to have had an extra lap because with this win, SVG is now tied in 2nd for all-time wins at road courses, equaling Briscoe’s idol Tony Stewart with 8 wins. 

Despite leading 74 of the 110-lap race, the Trackhouse 97 Chevrolet driver admitted to TNT Sports that the last few laps felt difficult even by his road course standards.

The Kiwi driver said,“We had these s***boxed come out in front, and they were wobbling all over the track and putting dust, and I just kept struggling, and Chase was just really, really good, so yeah, a couple more laps and we would have had some problems.”

SVG finished an elaborate round of burnouts, got on the roof of his car and held his arms wide out in celebration,  and still had enough energy left to sign and kick a football into the stands, a signature part of his 8 NASCAR wins. 

SVG said, “What a day. We were really bad yesterday, and these guys did an amazing job turning this car into a winner, and the 19 was coming; he was really, really good, and I ran out at the end, but thanks to Red Bull, Trackhouse, Chevy. Pretty special to make up for last week too,” as tweeted by TNT Sports on X.

The Trackhouse 97 expressed that it was good to not only come back from the negative result in San Diego but also come back from the initial pace Trackhouse showed at the start of the Sonoma weekend. 

SVG is clear on what is required heading into the Chase

The usually calm and composed Kiwi driver wasn’t his normal self after losing out on what everyone was expecting to be a sure win in San Diego. That win was crucial in SVG’s calculations to make the Chase. 

While he is currently 14th, just 36 points above the cutoff line in 16th place, SVG was asked if he thinks this win helps settle him into the Chase positions. 

SVG was real and gave a blunt and clear answer, saying, “It certainly helps, but I need to really step it up on the ovals, and we all do. It certainly helps us, but this is an oval championship, and I need to keep getting better at them.”

While he did admit that he was hoping to kick the ball further into the stands and that he’ll try again next year, SVG seems to have a clear goal in sight and is locked in to make the most of the last 8 races of the regular season. 

With a place in the Chase on the cars for Trackhouse’s 97, SVG will be hoping to pick up maximum points going ahead, while building on the momentum picked up from his second Sonoma victory. 

Do you think SVG has a shot of making it to the Chase? Let us know. 

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason