“It heckin sucks,” said Shane van Gisbergen on Saturday. The Kiwi was attempting the double yet again this weekend after sweeping in Chicago last week, and came up just short to JR Motorsports teammate Connor Zilisch in the Xfinity Series. The sting of defeat was real. There was an heir of invincibility to SVG on road courses, which Zilisch had breached. However, no one could breach that on Sunday.

Shane van Gisbergen turned Sonoma Raceway into his personal playground. The Kiwi dominated the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on July 13 with a jaw-dropping 97 of 110 laps led to claim his third win of 2025. In doing so, SVG also etched his name in road course history.

Shane van Gisbergen dominates in Wine Country

Shane van Gibsergen has broken Jeff Gordon’s 26-year-old record for three straight NASCAR Cup Series road course wins! The Rainbow Warrior did it between 1998 and 1999, since the schedule only boasted two road courses, Sonoma and Watkins Glen, back then. Meanwhile, SVG did it in just over a month. He also becomes the fastest driver to win four Cup Series races since Parnelli Jones in 1969, doing it in just his 34th start

Five weeks ago, people were debating how important the next month and a half of races was for Shane van Gisbergen. After struggling for most of the first half of the season on ovals and failing to win at Circuit of The Americas, the road course ace was under the pump to get the road course win he was brought in for. Now? He ties the series lead in wins!

SVG joins Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and Denny Hamlin with three wins in 2025, at Mexico City, Chicago, and Sonoma! Reacting to this achievement, Shane van Gisbergen said, “It’s hard to believe that isn’t it? I just have to thank these guys (crew). We’ve built up all year, and now we need to keep getting better on the ovals and start proving some people wrong.” He led from pole in each of his wins, showing that it wasn’t just a lucky restart win, but persistent dominance, and Sonoma was no different.

The Kiwis’ victory was a masterclass, fending off late cautions and drivers with fresher tires. “We had an amazing car. Chase what a great racer, gave me respect… It was pretty tense, but amazing. So stoked for Red Bull, Trackhouse, Chevy, unbelievable. Had a great weekend here. Hope everyone enjoyed that.” Shane van Gisbergen told TNT, beaming.

The Kiwi speedster has an immortal legacy back in the Australian Supercars Series with three championships and multiple Bathurst wins, but nobody expected him to translate his speed to stock cars. For SVG, his success at the highest level of American racing has been a revelation. He continued, “It means everything, that’s why I race cars… The last couple of years have been a dream come true. I’ve really enjoyed my time in NASCAR. Thanks, everyone, for making me feel so welcome, and I hope I’m here for a long time to come.”

SVG was followed by a top 10 stacked with talent: Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott, Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, William Byron, Joey Logano, and Kyle Busch. Elliott and McDowell charged into the top five on new tires, showcasing late-race grit. On the other side, Noah Gragson’s day ended in a Lap 98 crash, finishing 37th, and Ryan Blaney was also knocked out early. Ross Chastain snagged Stage 1, but Shane van Gisbergen owned Stage 2, setting the tone for his historic romp.

The final stage was a pit strategy chess match, with a caution at Lap 95 splitting the field. Some stayed out, others grabbed fresh rubber, but SVG’s pace was untouchable. Shattering Gordon’s record on his home turf, Shane van Gisbergen proved he’s rewriting NASCAR’s road-course history, leaving fans buzzing over the Trackhouse star’s relentless dominance.

Finishing order of the Toyota/Save Mart 350

Here’s how the rest of the field shaped up: