Connor Zilisch makes NASCAR history with gritty win over Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma

Connor Zilisch pulled off a landmark win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, outdueling Shane van Gisbergen in a final-lap battle at Sonoma Raceway. CW Sports posted a video of the post-win celebration on its X account. This is Zilisch’s third Xfinity win of the 2025 season.

Zilisch fended off aggressive late-race pressure from teammate Shane van Gisbergen, who attempted multiple passes in the closing laps. On the final lap, contact between the two nearly forced Zilisch off-line in Turn 7, but he recovered and held his ground.

Van Gisbergen made one final move in Turn 11 but couldn’t get past the No. 88 Chevrolet. Zilisch crossed the line just 0.438 seconds ahead, taking the win. The caption on the tweet read:

“3rd @NASCAR_Xfinity win of the season ✅ Youngest to reach 4 career #XfinitySeries wins ✅,”

Zilisch led 46 laps compared to van Gisbergen’s 24. Both drivers started on the front row and pulled away from the rest of the field. Zilisch credited van Gisbergen post-race for racing him clean despite contact late in the event.

“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.” he added. (via NASCAR.com)

With this win, Connor Zilisch matched Justin Allgaier and Austin Hill for the series lead with three wins in 2025. William Sawalich finished third, well behind the leading duo.

JR Motorsports saw five of its drivers in the top ten, with Zilisch’s win adding up to the team’s 10th win this season and 98th overall in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

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“I really wanna get 100 wins for JR Motorsports” — Connor Zilisch sets sights on bigger milestones in NASCAR Xfinity Series

Connor Zilisch’s victory at Sonoma was his third win of the season and was also JR Motorsports’ 98th win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series — a milestone that puts the team within striking distance of the century mark. Zilisch has now set his sights on delivering that 100th win himself.

Zilisch is one of four full-time drivers for JR Motorsports, which is owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. He drives the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro and competes alongside Carson Kvapil (No. 1), Sammy Smith (No. 8), and defending series champion Justin Allgaier (No. 7).

At Sonoma, Connor Zilisch started second but took control late in Stage 2. He battled Shane van Gisbergen. On the final lap, van Gisbergen tapped him in Turn 4, nearly spinning him out.

But Zilisch held the car steady and drove it home to a hard-earned win. In a post shared by PRN on X, Zilisch stated his ambitions clearly:

To reach that 100th win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Connor Zilisch needs to win the next two races—the BetRivers 200 at Dover and the Pennzoil 250 at Indy. Thanks to NASCAR’s “Win and You’re In” rule, his current three wins have already locked him into the playoffs, keeping him in the hunt for a championship.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua