Shane Van Gisbergen & Connor Zilisch’s Sonoma dominance comes to light in key NASCAR stat

Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen put on a show at the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway, demonstrating pure racing brilliance. Zilisch and van Gisbergen combined to run the 45 fastest laps of the race, a staggering statistic that demonstrates how powerful their pace was compared to the group behind.

Zilisch and van Gisbergen led 70 of the 79 laps and only lost the lead because of pit strategy. The two had the best pace of anyone in the race and were able to gap the field both early and late in the race. One note of interest was how Shane van Gisbergen laid claim to the outright fastest lap of the race when he turned a 76.86-second tour of the 1.99-mile road course during the race while leading on lap 32. The battle for the win was decided in the final laps as Zilisch held off van Gisbergen's pressure to win by 0.438 seconds.

NASCAR Insights tweeted a picture of the first 46 fastest laps which saw 45 of the top being between Zilisch and van Gisbergen. They captioned the tweet:

"Just how good were Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen in the Xfinity Series race at Sonoma? Well, the two drivers set the 45 fastest laps of the race:"

It's statistically rare for two drivers to record the 45 fastest laps combined in one race in the Xfinity Series. This is an outstanding statistic and demonstrates just how good their pace and control is each time they were on-track.

The tussle on-track between Zilisch and van Gisbergen wasn't just about turns and speed, this was about racecraft and respect, as both raced extremely hard but very cleanly, even in some serious late-race battles. This race was a rematch of Chicago when van Gisbergen just edged out Zilisch the week prior. At Sonoma, Zilisch certainly got his revenge, but once again, it showed how both drivers were in a league of their own when it comes to racing on road courses.

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Shane van Gisbergen sends clear message on his race ethics after Connor Zilisch’s Sonoma victory

Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch engaged in a fiercely competitive yet respectful battle during the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Van Gisbergen, who started from pole, led early laps but was ultimately overtaken by his teammate Zilisch in the final stage.

Despite aggressively challenging Zilisch, including running him wide and giving a bump in Turn 7, van Gisbergen chose not to capitalize on a potential mistake by forcing a pass that could have been seen as overly aggressive or unfair. He expressed in a post-race interview:

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

The race was a showcase of mutual respect and sportsmanship, especially in light of their previous week's controversial encounter in Chicago where van Gisbergen had forced Zilisch wide to win.

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Edited by Luke Koshi