Chase Briscoe expressed high admiration for Shane Van Gisbergen following a tough loss to him in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday. Van Gisbergen’s exceptional skill on road courses this season has led Briscoe to compare racing against him to what it might have been like facing Michael Jordan in his prime.
Just as Michael Jordan dominated the NBA during his three championship wins with the Chicago Bulls, Shane Van Gisbergen has shown a similarly commanding presence on NASCAR’s road courses. The 36-year-old driver, who had largely flown under the radar earlier in his Cup Series career, has become the driver to beat on this segment of the calendar.
This season, Van Gisbergen has triumphed in three of the four road course events, with his latest victory at Sonoma Raceway including a commanding lead over 97 of the 110 laps. This win marked his first time securing back-to-back victories, having also won the previous race at Chicago.
Briscoe finished about a second behind Van Gisbergen and shared his thoughts about the Kiwi’s dominance on road courses, stating,
“I never played basketball against Michael Jordan in his prime, but I feel like that’s what it was probably like. That guy is just unbelievable on road courses. He’s raised the bar for this entire series.”
—Chase Briscoe, NASCAR Driver
In response, Shane Van Gisbergen acknowledged Briscoe’s tenacity in the final laps and discussed their close competition.
“Chase (Briscoe) was driving really well. We had a lot of fun there. … On the last restart, I thought he (Briscoe) jumped a little bit. I was just trying to do what I could to get in position in Turn 2. That last one, I had to give him a bit of rub, but that was it,”
—Shane Van Gisbergen, NASCAR Driver
Van Gisbergen’s strong performances have elevated him to third place in the playoff standings alongside fellow multiple winners Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and Christopher Bell. Notably, whenever Van Gisbergen has claimed victory this year, a Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver has finished right behind him in second place. Despite these successes on road courses, he currently ranks 26th overall in the driver standings with 367 points, still trailing the season frontrunners.
Message from Connor Zilisch After Sonoma Victory
In the Xfinity Series race at Sonoma held on the preceding Saturday, Connor Zilisch managed to fend off a strong challenge from Shane Van Gisbergen, securing his third win of the season. This result established Zilisch as the only driver to top Van Gisbergen in a road course contest so far this year. The two drivers combined for a total of 70 laps led, highlighting their dominance in the race.
Following Van Gisbergen’s win on Sunday, Zilisch took to X to congratulate his teammate at JR Motorsports (JRM), signaling mutual respect between the drivers.
Zilisch, who serves as Trackhouse Racing’s development driver, is widely expected to take over Daniel Suarez’s seat next season. After Zilisch’s Sonoma win, Dale Earnhardt Jr. suggested that Zilisch will likely partner with Shane Van Gisbergen under the Trackhouse Racing banner moving forward.
The pair are scheduled for a highly anticipated rematch at Watkins Glen International, where the 18-year-old Zilisch celebrated his first career victory earlier this year.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Where will Chase Briscoe be in 2025?
A. In 2025, Chase Briscoe will become a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, taking the place of retiring Martin Truex, Jr. in the No. 19 Toyota Camry XSE.
Q. Where is Chase Briscoe going in 2025?
A. Starting in 2025, Chase Briscoe will become part of Joe Gibbs Racing, a team that has won championships, and he will drive the No.
