“That’s the ultimate f**k you”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to Shane van Gisbergen’s Sonoma masterstroke

Shane van Gisbergen executed a bold and effective win strategy at Sonoma Raceway. In a recent video shared by Dirty Mo Media on X, Dale Earnhardt Jr. dissected van Gisbergen’s race tactics, particularly his decision to flip Stage 2 and still win it, calling the move a “power move” and praising the execution.

In the video, Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacted to Shane van Gisbergen’s decision to short-pit during Stage 2 and still come out as the stage winner. According to Earnhardt Jr., flipping a stage usually comes at the cost of the stage win, but van Gisbergen managed to do both, winning the stage and positioning himself favorably for the final laps.

Earnhardt also added that SVG had the field “covered” — nobody else had an answer for the strategy or the execution. He remarked the maneuver as,

“That was like, the holy sh*t right, what does anyone else, what can you do? If a guy flips a stage, and then wins the stage, that’s the ultimate f*ck you. That’s like the rest of the field’s got no, there’s no strategy right? Unless they all didn’t pit and put him in the back of the field.”

Shane van Gisbergen’s win at Sonoma was a career-defining moment in his rookie NASCAR Cup Series season. In just 20 races, the New Zealand driver has not only won three races but has equaled veterans like Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson in win count this season.

---

Shane van Gisbergen’s historic rookie run continues as he secures a playoff berth with third road course win

Shane Van Gisbergen’s latest victory came at Sonoma Raceway, where he led from pole to win the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on July 13, 2025.

Despite this impressive win along with 2 others, van Gisbergen finds himself in 26th place in the driver standings. He trails AJ Allmendinger, who currently holds the final playoff spot, by 52 points. Under NASCAR’s playoff system, however, multiple wins are often enough to confirm qualification — and that’s exactly what has worked in van Gisbergen’s favor. Still, his relatively low position in the points table has been a subject of discussion.

NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi addressed the criticism on The Teardown podcast. According to Bianchi (via The Teardown),

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable having a driver out of the playoffs if they had three wins. I don’t care how they got those wins. Winning three times in the Cup Series is damn hard to do, like it is really hard to do. There are great drivers, Chase Elliott, who haven’t won three races in a season in a while.”

Bianchi also responded directly to those questioning whether van Gisbergen deserves a playoff spot. He added,

“I don’t care! What he is doing deserves recognition and it deserves to be rewarded with a playoff spot.”

Looking ahead, van Gisbergen will now shift his focus to Dover Motor Speedway, where the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 is scheduled for this Sunday. The 400-lap race, which will stream live on TNT Sports and be broadcast on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Pratham K Sharma