Shane van Gisbergen made history at Sonoma Raceway by capturing pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series on July 12, 2025, ending a 14-year drought for Red Bull in securing the top starting spot. His remarkable qualifying lap at the 1.99-mile road course marked a significant milestone for both the driver and the Red Bull brand.
The New Zealand driver’s pole-winning lap of 96.040 mph was the first time since 2011 that a Red Bull-sponsored vehicle claimed pole in NASCAR, with the previous occurrence being Kasey Kahne’s pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Van Gisbergen’s performance was not only a breakthrough for Red Bull but also a testament to his exceptional skill on road courses.
Dominance on Sonoma Qualifying Puts Van Gisbergen in a League of His Own
Van Gisbergen’s qualifying effort at Sonoma was a commanding display of road racing expertise. His lap was the only one to surpass the 96 mph mark, beating second-place contender Chase Briscoe by 0.321 seconds. This achievement gave Van Gisbergen his fourth career Cup Series pole, all earned on road courses, establishing him as the first driver in NASCAR Cup history to accomplish this feat.
After the qualifying session, the driver described the moment as intense:
Image of: Shane Van Gisbergen
“I’m shaking. That was pretty full-on,”
van Gisbergen said.
“I’m stoked to have Red Bull on the car. Thank you to Trackhouse and Chevy. Amazing car. We weren’t very good in practice, but new tires fixed it. Hopefully, we can be good in the race.”
This pole came despite earlier difficulties during practice, demonstrating Van Gisbergen’s ability to significantly improve performance from practice to qualifying, a trademark of his road course preparation. His ongoing road course success is backed by a 33.3 percent winning rate on road courses, the highest in Cup Series history, and a leading average Driver Rating of 113.8 among drivers with multiple starts.
Van Gisbergen’s recent string of strong performances includes back-to-back road course victories at Mexico City and Chicago, alongside five consecutive top-seven finishes on road courses since Watkins Glen in September 2024. Fellow driver Kyle Larson highlighted Van Gisbergen’s unique dominance, observing that
“He’s so good and it’s rare that you see somebody stand out like that and distance himself from the competition. He’s way, way, way better than us at the road course stuff.”
Red Bull’s Renewed NASCAR Strategy Bodes Well for Future Success
Red Bull’s 2025 NASCAR return marks a strategic shift from their initial 2007-2011 team ownership. Instead of running their own team, Red Bull now sponsors Trackhouse Racing’s No. 88 Chevrolet, driven by Van Gisbergen, for five Cup Series races. This partnership leverages Van Gisbergen’s long-standing relationship with the brand, which dates back to 2016 and includes support during his three Australian Supercars championships and his transition into NASCAR.
This collaboration appears to be paying immediate dividends, evidenced by Van Gisbergen’s pole position at Sonoma, and suggests that Red Bull’s renewed approach will prove more fruitful than their original venture. The partnership highlights how combining the brand’s backing with Van Gisbergen’s road course talents can result in competitive momentum in NASCAR’s Cup Series.
