Connor Zilisch outpaced Shane van Gisbergen during the practice session at Sonoma Raceway ahead of their upcoming race on July 12. Zilisch recorded the fastest lap with a time of 75.271 seconds around the 1.99-mile road course, signaling a strong start to the weekend’s competition at the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250.
Shane van Gisbergen, piloting the part-time #9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, registered the third-best time at 76.134 seconds. Between the two drivers was Jesse Love, who logged the second-fastest lap at 75.896 seconds. Sheldon Creed and Sammy Smith also featured prominently, completing the top five fastest drivers for the session.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series social media team highlighted Zilisch’s early success on their platforms, recognizing his quick pace as the series prepares for the upcoming race.
Recent Chicago Race Fueled Rivalry Between Zilisch and Van Gisbergen
This practice session builds on an intense contest between Zilisch and van Gisbergen at the previous weekend’s street race in Chicago. Their battle reached a pivotal moment on the second-to-last lap when van Gisbergen aggressively pushed Zilisch to the wall at turn one, overtaking him to secure the race win in the Xfinity Series event.
Van Gisbergen, a rookie in the NASCAR Cup Series and primarily driving the #88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, dominated the weekend by winning both the Xfinity and Cup Series races in Chicago. Alongside fellow rookie Riley Herbst, van Gisbergen has made a significant impact in the premier series this year.
Meanwhile, Zilisch, also a full-time rookie for JR Motorsports, enters Sonoma as a two-time winner this season, aiming to challenge van Gisbergen once again on the 79-lap circuit.
Zilisch Reflects on Key Moment of Chicago Race and Strategy Lessons
Following the Chicago race, Connor Zilisch candidly shared his thoughts on the critical move by van Gisbergen that led to his overtaking. The 18-year-old explained that he underestimated van Gisbergen’s maneuver at turn one on the penultimate lap and wished he had better protected his line.
In a post-race interview, Zilisch detailed his perspective:
“Just before the brake zone, I got called to clear and I didn’t take it because I wanted to be on the inside for turn two, expecting us to exit turn one, side-by-side. And if I knew that I wouldn’t have exited turn one, side-by-side, and he was going to take it and clear himself, I would have blocked and protected the inside line more.” —Connor Zilisch, NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver
He further commented on the nature of the racing incident:
“So yeah. I definitely would have done it differently, knowing what his plan was. But that’s racing, and it wasn’t dirty. It was just aggressive and something I’ll take note of.” —Connor Zilisch, NASCAR Xfinity Series Driver
Race Outlook and Broader Series Developments
At the checkered flag in Chicago, Zilisch finished second behind van Gisbergen, with Sheldon Creed securing third place. Other notable finishers included Austin Hill in fourth and Nick Sanchez in fifth. The remainder of the top 10 featured Jesse Love, Sammy Smith, Sam Mayer, Austin Green, and Brennan Poole.
Looking beyond individual events, NASCAR is yet to finalize a contract to continue holding the Chicago street race. Industry reports suggest the series is exploring alternative urban locations for future street race events, with San Diego emerging as a leading candidate for hosting upcoming races.
The competition at Sonoma Raceway will be a crucial opportunity to watch how this budding rivalry develops, particularly with both rookies demonstrating strong form ahead of the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. ET on July 12.
