Race Lineup : Sonoma Raceway

• Thursday, July 10th, 2025
• NASCAR Wire Service - Reid Spencer

SVG vs. Zilisch: Xfinity Teammates Set for High-Stakes Rematch at Sonoma

After an eye-opening experience on the streets of Chicago, Connor Zilisch knows what to expect from JR Motorsports teammate Shane van Gisbergen in Saturday’s Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway (4:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Zilisch led the field to green with two laps left in Chicago, only to have van Gisbergen dive to his inside entering Turn 1, run him wide in the corner to take the lead and pull away to win the race.

“I was clear there, just barely, on the front straight, and I just let him get to my inside, and he took advantage of it,” Zilisch said after the race. “I should have been a little more aggressive there. I just thought he was going to race me a little cleaner.

“I’ve just got to be better and not let that stuff happen. I’ll learn from it and move on.”

As they were in Chicago, SVG and Zilisch are the top two choices to win on Saturday, by a wide margin. Van Gisbergen won last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race in his only start at the 1.99-mile circuit.

The 36-year-old New Zealander is coming off a weekend sweep at Chicago, where he won both races from the pole.

“Last weekend was epic,” van Gisbergen said. “JRM built me a rocket, and I’m glad our strategy ended up working out and we were able to get the win. I’m a lucky guy to be able to drive some fast Chevrolets.

“Looking forward to Sonoma this weekend. It’s an awesome track and I had a blast racing there last season and even brought home the win. Hoping to do it again this weekend for my No. 9 JRM team.”

SVG won last year’s Chicago and Sonoma races in the No. 97 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. This year he’s driving for JRM, which has won all three road course races this season with three different drivers and the last five (dating to last year) with four different drivers.

Though SVG and Zilisch are the most likely winners, their battle won’t be the only one of significance at Sonoma. There are eight races left in the Xfinity regular season and five Playoff spots still open.

Taylor Gray and Harrison Burton are just eight points apart on either side of the current elimination line, with Gray holding the final Playoff berth as of the Chicago Street Race.

In that event, Burton finished 13th to Gray’s 34th and trimmed 20 points off Gray’s advantage entering the race.

• Sonoma Raceway
• Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250
• Pole Winner: Shane Van Gisbergen
• Age: 36
• Team : No 9 - Quad Lock Chevrolet
• Owner: JR Motorsports
• Crew Chief: Cory Shea
• Shane Van Gisbergen won the Pole Award for the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 with a lap of 75259 seconds, 95191 mph
• This is his fifth pole in 35 NASCAR Xfinity Series races
• This is his second pole and second top-10 start in 2025
• This is his second pole in two races at Sonoma Raceway
• Connor Zilisch (second) posted his 14th top-10 start of 2025 and his first in one race at Sonoma Raceway
• Sam Mayer (third) posted his third top-10 start at Sonoma Raceway It is his 14th in 19 races this season
• Connor Zilisch (second) was the fastest qualifying rookie

• Saturday, July 12th, 2025
• NASCAR Wire Service - Reid Spencer

"Not This Time, Mate!" - Zilisch Fends Off SVG in Sonoma Showdown

In closing laps of the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway, the pupil schooled the master.

Taking shot after shot from JR Motorsports teammate Shane van Gisbergen over the final two laps, Connor Zilisch held off the more experienced driver to claim his third NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of the season and the fourth of his career.

In what was a two-driver show from start to finish, Zilisch and van Gisbergen, the pole winner, combined to lead 70 of the 79 laps, surrendering the top spot only when they short-pitted the first and second stages to recover track position at the stage breaks.

For Zilisch, the victory was revenge for last Saturday’s Xfinity race at the Chicago Street Course, where the 36-year-old van Gisbergen ran his 18-year-old teammate wide in Turn 2 to take the lead and win a two-lap shootout for the victory.

But this Saturday, Zilisch survived contact from van Gisbergen’s front bumper in Turn 7 on the final lap and won the race to the finish line, as the New Zealander tried in vain to cross over to the inside in hairpin Turn 11 on the final lap.

Zilisch powered off the corner and won the race to the finish line by 0.438 seconds.

“First, hats off to Shane,” Zilisch said after climbing from his car. “That was awesome. “All race long, I felt like we were racing each other with respect. I wheel-hopped a little bit in Turn 7 one time and got into him. Otherwise, it was awesome to get to race against him finally and battle with him the whole race long.”

Both Zilisch and van Gisbergen managed to pull away from the rest of the field while saving fuel during the final stage.

“It’s always the hardest trying to save fuel while someone’s breathing down your neck, Zilisch said. “There was a chance that he could have gotten by me when he hit me, but he let me have it and raced me clean. I respect the hell out of him for that, and I’m looking forward to racing against him more.

“We’re going to race each other at Watkins Glen, and that’s one of my favorite tracks, so I hope I can beat him again there.”

Van Gisbergen knew he had an opening when his No. 9 Chevrolet made contact with Zilisch’s No. 88 in Turn 7, but he backed off to let the race play out.

“I gave him a bump into 7, and he wheel-hopped, and I probably could have taken it, but I just waited,” said van Gisbergen, the defending race winner. “I didn’t want to do it like that, and then we raced down the hill. What an awesome race.

“I had a blast all day—really, really fun.”

Zilisch led 46 laps to 24 for van Gisbergen, who was trying for his third straight NASCAR victory in as many starts after sweeping last weekend in Chicago.

Solid work on pit road gave Zilisch control of the race for the final restart on Lap 51, and he led the rest of the way, thwarting SVG’s persistent attempts to pressure him into a mistake.

William Sawalich, who won Friday’s ARCA race in a thrilling finish, was the best of the rest, coming home third, 13.668 seconds behind Zilisch. Nick Sanchez ran fourth, followed by Riley Herbst, series leader Justin Allgaier, Taylor Gray, Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith and Sheldon Creed.

With Allgaier, Kvapil and Smith joining Zilisch and van Gisbergen, JR Motorsports placed five drivers in the top nine. The victory was the organization’s 10th in 19 races this season, with Zilisch tying Allgaier and 12th-place finisher Austin Hill for the series lead with three wins.

“I didn’t want to have to have to do anything dirty to win this race, and I’m glad I didn’t and glad to do it fair and square,” Zilisch said. “I learned a lot racing around him, and he’s got so many years of experience on me that I can learn from.”

• Drivers Entered: 39 (1 drivers will not make the race)
• Laps Scheduled: 79
• Margin of Victory: 0.438 Seconds
• Time of Race: 1 Hours 56 Minutes 12 Seconds
• Average Speed: 81.176
• Cautions: 2 for 7 laps
• Lead Changes: 9
• Green Flag Passes: 1,432 (19.9 passes per green flag lap)

• Sonoma Raceway
• Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250
• Race Winner: Connor Zilisch #
• Age: 18
• Team : No 88 - Roto-Rooter Chevrolet
• Owner: Dale Earnhardt, Jr
• Crew Chief: Mardy Lindley
• Connor Zilisch won the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250, his fourth victory in 22 Xfinity Series races
• This is his third victory and 10th top-10 finish in 2025
• This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in one race at Sonoma Raceway
• Shane Van Gisbergen (second) posted his second top-10 finish in two races at Sonoma Raceway It is his second top-10 finish in 2025
• William Sawalich (third) posted his first top-10 finish in one races at Sonoma Raceway
• Connor Zilisch (first) was the highest finishing rookie
• Justin Allgaier leads the point standings by 59 points over Sam Mayer