NASCAR fans thought they were getting the ultimate throwback moment when Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s name appeared as Connor Zilisch’s crew chief on the official entry list. The buzz lasted exactly one day before reality crashed the party.

With Chicago’s double-header in the rearview mirror, NASCAR heads to California’s Sonoma Mountains for another road course challenge. However, amid all the buildup for this weekend’s technical test, fans got distracted by something unexpected.

Was Dale Earnhardt Jr. Really Making His Crew Chief Comeback?

Yesterday, NASCAR released the official entry list for this weekend’s Xfinity Series race, the FoodMaxx 250. Among the 39 entries, one detail next to Zilisch’s name jumped off the page. The list showed Earnhardt as the crew chief for the No. 88 team, sending fans into an absolute frenzy.

Social media exploded with speculation about the two-time Daytona 500 winner’s possible return to the pit box. The idea of the JR Motorsports owner calling the shots again felt almost too good to be true.

Unfortunately for fans hoping for a nostalgic moment, that instinct proved correct.

What Really Happened With the Entry List Mix-Up?

Racing journalist Toby Christie quickly poured cold water on the excitement, confirming that Earnhardt’s listing was nothing more than a clerical error. Christie wrote, “JR Motorsports has confirmed the listing of Dale Earnhardt Jr. as Connor Zilisch’s crew chief on the entry list was a mistake, and Earnhardt will not serve as the crew chief this weekend.”

JR Motorsports has confirmed the listing of Dale Earnhardt Jr. as Connor Zilisch’s crew chief on the entry list was a mistake, and Earnhardt will not serve as the crew chief this weekend.

— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) July 7, 2025

FOX’s Bob Pockrass backed up the report, sharing the corrected entry list and explaining how the mistake happened. Pockrass noted, “DaleJr is not crew chief for Zilisch this weekend. I believe what happens is with the electronic entry list when you fill it in, there are drop downs and since now that he is in the system, just a miscue on the entry list.”

The veteran reporter also confirmed that Mardy Lindley, Zilisch’s regular No. 88 crew chief, will handle the duties for this weekend’s Xfinity race. This clears up any confusion about who’s actually calling the shots from the pit box.

The mix-up makes more sense when you consider Earnhardt’s recent crew chief experience. A few weeks ago, Lindley served a one-race suspension for an incident at Nashville, which opened the door for Earnhardt’s crew chief debut. During that Pocono appearance, the 50-year-old didn’t just fill in. He helped guide Zilisch to victory lane.

While the idea of Earnhardt returning to the pit box remains exciting for fans, this weekend’s entry list drama was ultimately just a computer glitch, not a comeback story.

The Seneca County Fair Demolition Derby Hall of Fame will induct three new members during the Seneca County Fair demolition derby events next week.

Formal inductions will be held during pre-race ceremonies during Championship Saturday on July 19, with derby action beginning at 6:30 p.m.

The class includes two exceptionally hard drivers, Tim Ellison and Chuck Bowman, and Walt Mitchell, a long-time sponsor and supporter of the demolition derby.

Ellison is the most decorated of this year’s inductees. He had won the main show once, the four-cylinder championship twice and the full size truck division twice. Ellison holds a rare distinction of wins in a single night, nearly sweeping the fair events in 2019. That season, He shared the full size truck win, won the four-cylinder championship and finally got his Saturday Night Championship.

His wins often came second to showmanship, he would drive as hard as the car would allow. If there was still mobility in his machine when the checkers flew, then he would collect a win. But his goal was to be the standard in setting the pace. He was active in changing to a one-and-done format, often speaking up about the implementation of heavier ‘built’ parts in the vein of protecting the casual competitor. He had the foresight to protect tomorrow while still smashing today. Tim often brought three and four entries on a given night, and would drive all of them as hard as he could.

Similarly, Chuck Bowman embodies everything an entertainment-focused demolition derby driver should be. Finding his feet as a driver in an era where premium cars were the standard, and building a car so it would last multiple runs was expected, Chuck had none of that. Bowman found pure joy when smashing cars in Seneca County. He would take whatever car he could find, and turn it into a pretzel in rapid fashion. Chuck would hit anyone on track, friend or foe. And there was not any science to his hit placement. In his peak, wheel shots to disable steering were selected with precision. Bowman used his right foot as the counter-argument, hitting whatever was broadside in front of him.

On the surface, Walt Mitchell’s career at the Seneca County Fairgrounds is closely tied to his stellar career racing stock cars. He was a force at Maple Grove Speedway/Waterloo Raceway, Weedsport Speedway, Black Rock Speedway/Dundee Raceway, Five Mile Point, Fulton and Woodhull Speedways.

Mitchell amassed between 300 and 350 wins in his career. He earned track titles at Weedsport from 1966-69, then Fulton and Weedsport again in 1979 and Five Mile Point in 1981. He won three 358-Modified track titles at Woodhull and finished with 37 DIRTcar-sanctioned small-block wins.

Mitchell’s career on track will be chronicled among the dozens and dozens of racers and feature winners during the Maple Grove Speedway/Waterloo Speedway displays during the fair. The static display will have memorabilia, photos and historical records. A more elaborate tribute to the speedway is being planned for September 27 at the fairgrounds, featuring picture boards, video, posters and trophies, stats, model car replicas and restored full-size race cars.

However, it’s for his time running Mitchell Auto Parts on Route 96 south of Waterloo that he was recognized by the Hall of Fame committee. Mitchell was a local go-to for cars, parts and rebuild pieces among Seneca County derby drivers. Mitchell supported the Seneca County Fair Demolition Derby scene in the late hours, as well. He would buy the cars and tow them to his yard, long after the fairgrounds fell silent. He was key in the feature landscape during the peak of his salvage business, delivering running cars to the Ag Society for feature qualifiers to wheel in the main event.

At that time, drivers qualified, and would return for the feature not in their own prepared car, but a provided fresh machine. A driver would draw a number; that number corresponded to your car for the main. Seneca County resurrected this in the early 2000s for one night only, hosting a Pros vs. Joes type team feature.

The Wednesday Night program will include the kids power wheels demo, lawnmowers, the four- and six-cylinder figure 8 races, the 80s and Newer Chain feature and the popular light truck and SUV ‘junk run.’ Start time is 7 pm. Thursday night, Ian Doyle and Pure Chaos RC will oversee the RC Demolition Derby in Floral Hall, with a 7 pm start time. Saturday will include four one-and-done events, with the four-cylinder and six-cylinder championships, then the stock full size feature and the pro stock full size championships will follow. Best Paint and Hall of Fame Inductions will be held during pre-race ceremonies, with action scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm.

ESS Speedweek

At Weedsport Speedway Danny Varin won the ESS Speedweek finale, winning the 25-lap feature by more than four seconds over Dylan Swiernik. Swiernik finished with the week-long championship, having won three of the five races contested. Logan Crisafulli was third ahead of Chase Moran and Jordan Poirier. Mat Williamson delivered a convincing win in the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series event. He won the 50-lap main over Tim Sears Jr. and Felix Roy; it was his third DIRTcar 358 Modified Series win of the year. Ronnie Davis III was fourth ahead of Jordan McCreadie. Tim Lotz leveraged a late race restart to win the 600 sprint feature. Mike Smith was at the helm for most of the 25-lap feature, but Lotz was better on one restart, which equated to a one-second edge at the checkers. Smith held for second ahead of Zach Bobbett, Will Fisher and Ivan Forney.

Saturday night at Fulton, Dylan Swiernik took the 25-lap Empire Super Sprints win from the pole. Jordan Poirier stormed from 10th to the runner up spot, holding second ahead of Joe Trenca, Shawn Donath and Dalton Rombough. The modifieds raced with sail panels in a special 35-lap Outlaw 200 Qualifier, with Tim Sears Jr. taking the win over Billy Dunn and Ronnie Davis III. Marshall Hurd and Amy Holland filled the top five. Hunter Hollenbeck won the DIRTcar Sportsman feature over a hard-driving Emmett Waldron. Waldron started 17th and raced to second with Cody Manitta, Gregg Carner and David Moyer in tow. John Pietrowicz scored the 15-lap Hobby Stock main. Brayden Bullock won the Novice Sportsman feature.

Friday, Jason Barney interrupted the Swiernik party at Brewerton Speedway, winning the 25-lap ESS feature over Larry Wight and Danny Varin. Jordan Poirier was next, with Chris Hile taking fifth. Wheeling a DIRT-legal 358-Modified, Kyle Devendorf took the lead on lap 16 and prevailed for his first Modified feature win in the 35-lap big block feature. Tim Sears Jr. was next, with Max Hill, Chris Hulsizer and Chad Phelps giving chase. Devendorf’s win keeps the streak of different winners going; Brewerton has welcomed seven different Modified winners to victory lane over seven races. Hunter Hollenback scored the 30-lap Sportsman. Cody Manitta, Tony Finch II, Jason Parkhurst Jr., and Nick Ventura completed the top five. Nathan Powers won the Four-Cylinder Super Stock main.

Thursday at Utica-Rome Speedway, Swiernik won his second of three Speedweek features. Chuck Hebing was chasing from second while Jordan Poirier, Logan Chrisafulli and Paulie Colagiovanni filled the top five. Payton Talbot held off Rocky Warner and Matt Janczuk to win the 358-Modified Challenge Series event; Marc Johnson and Neil Stratton followed in the top five. Ed Lukas won the 602 Crate Sportsman Feature over Talbot, Zach Welch, Josh Coonradt and Carson Rothwell. Luke Horning captured the Pro Stock feature over Slater Baker and Devon Camenga.

Wednesday night, Swiernik opened the ESS Speedweek with a win at Can-Am Speedway, holding off Jordan Poirier and Billy VanInwegen Jr. Davie Franek and Danny Varin filled the top five. Mike Mahaney won the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series event, scoring the 50-lap main from outside the front row. Billy Dunn settled for second ahead of Felix Roy, Mat Williamson and Shaun Shaw. Donovan Lussier won the DIRTcar Sportsman Series event, starting sixth and charging to the front of the 30-lap feature. Shane Pecore was second ahead of Richard Murtaugh, Tyler Corcoran and Taylor Doxtater.

The DIRTcar 358 Modified Series will next visit Cornwall Motor Speedway on Wednesday, July 16. Then, drivers head to Mohawk International Raceway on Thursday, July 17. The Empire Super Sprints will race July 18 and 19 as well, visiting Albany-Saratoga Speedway and then Fonda Speedway.

Super DIRTCar Series

Mat Williamson delivered his first career Super DIRTcar Series win at Land of Legends Raceway, winning the Stars and Stripes 76 Thursday. The 76-lap win was worth $7,600. Erick Rudolph was next, with Justin Haers, Alex Payne and Alex Yankowski filling the top five. Jeff Trombley took the 25-lap CRSA Series race, topping Bobby Parrow and Dillon Paddock. Zach Sobotka and Darryl Ruggles filled the top five.

Last week, Stewart Friesen won his fourth tour event of 2025, taking Monday night’s 75-lap feature at Mohawk International. He passed Alex Yankowski in slower traffic on lap 29 and checked out. Mat Williamson moved to second later in the main; Peter Britten ran third ahead of Alex Yankowski and Matt Sheppard.

Mario Clair won the Super DIRTcar Series event at Cornwall Motor Speedway. It is his first Super DIRTcar Series win, coming in the 100-lap battle where fended off Dalton Slack and earned a guaranteed starting spot at Super DIRT Week 53. Mat Williamson was third ahead of Alex Yankowski and David Hebert.

The Super DIRTcar Series has four races to end July. The trail will head to Weedsport Speedway on July 26. The tour will host three straight nights in Canada, July 28-30, first visiting Autodrome Drummond for back to back nights, and finishing at Brockville Ontario Speedway.

SATURDAY

Bobby Parrow did it again at Land of Legends, winning the CRSA Sprint Series’ 25-lap feature over Lance Dusett and Dillon Paddock. Zach Sobotka was fourth, with Alysha Bay ranking fifth. Mat Williamson won the Modified feature over Dalton Slack; Justin Haers raced from deep in the order to take third ahead of Alex Payne and Matt Sheppard. Richard Murtaugh III picked up the 25-lap Sportsman feature win over Karl Comfort and Tyler Corcoran; Evan Nugent was fourth and Frank Guererri Jr. finished fifth. CJ Guererri was triumphant in the 20-lap Street Stock main. Rick Crego had another strong run to second ahead of Marc Minutolo, Mike Welch and Pat Hobbs. Justin Eldredge wheeled a former Jason Quigley machine to the win in the Hobby Stock main; the night was dedicated as a memorial to Quigley. Minutolo was second ahead of Nathan Peckham, Frank Burnell and Blane Smith.

Oswego Speedway hosted twin 40-lap features for the Super Modifieds. Josh Sokolic won the first with Otto Sitterly and Jeff Abold earning podium spots. Dave Shullick won the latter, holding off Tyler Thompson and Abold in the second 40-lapper. Kyle Perry won the 25-lap 350 Supers feature over Brendan Young and Rob Wirth. Greg O’Connor rang up a Small Block Supers win in their 30-lap feature, topping DJ Shuman and Matt Magner.

FRIDAY

At Outlaw Speedway, Matt Sheppard won the 30-lap Modified feature over Alex Payne, nosing out the win by a .109-seconds. Brady Fultz raced to third ahead of Ajay Potrzebowski and Mike Maresca. Donnie Lawson won the 20-lap Sportsman feature by more than a half-second over Blake Parsons and Chris Fisher. Quintin Buchanon and Dale Welty followed in the top five. Glenn Whritenour topped Shane Wolf and Gene Sharpsteen in the 20-lap Street Stock feature. Chris Woodard and Brett Crawford filled the top five. Daniel Kerrick tallied a win in the Hobby Stock main. Kerrick was first to the checkers after 20 laps, with Jared Hill, Marc Minutolo, Rich Sharpsteen and Jesse Ballance following. Jayson Smart delivered a win in the 20-lap Four-Cylinder feature, with Kenneth Evans, Mike Stone, Austyn Diaz and Zach Daugherty earning top fives.

Outlaw Speedway will welcome the Short Track Super Series Thursday, part of their Dave Machuga Memorial. In addition to the STSS stars, the card will include Sportsman, Street Stocks and Four-Cylinders. The Modified feature will pay $7,078.78 to the winner, while the American Racer Sportsman division will see the winner take a $2,078.78 prize. General admission is $30. Race time is 7 pm. Last Wednesday, Stewart Friesen won a Short Track Super Series event at Fonda Speedway, his 53rd STSS win. Sheppard ran second in the 50-lap Firecracker 50 feature.

Can-Am and Utica-Rome Speedway will be back in action on July 11 with their regular night and programs; they were off Friday after hosting action mid-week during the ESS CNY Speedweek.

Driver Alex Bowman (48) talks with people before in a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Grant Park 165 , Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

CHICAGO (AP) — NASCAR’s first in-season tournament hasn’t made much of an impression on its drivers so far. Ty Gibbs said Sunday he didn’t know who his second-round opponent was until after the Cup Series race.

That might be about to change.

Gibbs is one of eight drivers still in the mix for the $1 million prize that goes to the winner of the five-race, bracket-style competition. While Shane van Gisbergen was closing out his Cup victory in Chicago this weekend, some of the most compelling action on the downtown street course was at least connected to the inaugural In-Season Challenge.

Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace raced each other hard in the final laps after they tangled in Chicago last year. Bowman got the better of the head-to-head matchup, finishing eighth and eliminating Wallace from the tournament.

John Hunter Nemechek was 15th, one spot better than his opponent, Chase Elliott. Gibbs had a strong day and finished second, good enough to beat AJ Allmendinger in sixth. Ty Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Preece, Zane Smith and Erik Jones also moved on.

The 14th-seeded Smith upset No. 3 seed Chris Buescher by finishing 14th. He is matched up with Gibbs for Sunday’s road race at Sonoma.

“I hate we had to knock another Ford out, but it’s super cool to advance,” Smith said.

With the in-season tournament — part of a new media rights deal that includes TNT — NASCAR is following in the footsteps of the NBA and soccer leagues around the world. After Sonoma this weekend, it concludes with races at Dover and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Bowman said the tournament wasn’t on his mind as he battled with Wallace at the end in Chicago. Whatever the reason for the contact, their head-to-head matchup certainly added a bit of intrigue to the racing behind van Gisbergen’s victory.

With the money involved and the field trimmed to eight drivers, there could be more moments like the duel between Bowman and Wallace in the final weeks of the challenge.

“I wasn’t expecting that to happen or to get raced like that, but we did,” Bowman said. “We just have to move on from it and keep digging.”

It sure sounds as if Dillon is enjoying the competition. Dillon, the No. 32 seed, eliminated Brad Keselowski on Sunday after he upset top-seeded Denny Hamlin at Atlanta on June 28.

There was absolutely no drama in Dillon’s win after Keselowski was collected in an early crash that began with Carson Hocevar hitting the wall and spinning out between Turns 10 and 11. Hocevar was eliminated by Reddick.

“I’m just so proud of Kaulig Racing and our No. 10 team,” Dillon said. “I knew in a basketball city, going up against Brad in a game of knockout, I was going to have a good chance.”

Dillon takes on Bowman and Preece faces Reddick in the next round. But the most interesting contest just might be Nemechek versus Jones in a matchup of Legacy Motor Club teammates.

“I felt like if we could have gotten through the first round, these next two rounds are really good for us,” Preece said. “Our road course program is pretty strong, and we keep making it better. So going into Sonoma, I think we’re up against Tyler Reddick, so he’s really good at road courses as well, but I like being the underdog.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

CHICAGO (AP) — NASCAR’s first in-season tournament hasn’t made much of an impression on its drivers so far. Ty Gibbs said Sunday he didn’t know who his second-round opponent was until after the Cup Series race.

That might be about to change.

Gibbs is one of eight drivers still in the mix for the $1 million prize that goes to the winner of the five-race, bracket-style competition. While Shane van Gisbergen was closing out his Cup victory in Chicago this weekend, some of the most compelling action on the downtown street course was at least connected to the inaugural In-Season Challenge.

Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace raced each other hard in the final laps after they tangled in Chicago last year. Bowman got the better of the head-to-head matchup, finishing eighth and eliminating Wallace from the tournament.

John Hunter Nemechek was 15th, one spot better than his opponent, Chase Elliott. Gibbs had a strong day and finished second, good enough to beat AJ Allmendinger in sixth. Ty Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Preece, Zane Smith and Erik Jones also moved on.

The 14th-seeded Smith upset No. 3 seed Chris Buescher by finishing 14th. He is matched up with Gibbs for Sunday’s road race at Sonoma.

“I hate we had to knock another Ford out, but it’s super cool to advance,” Smith said.

With the in-season tournament — part of a new media rights deal that includes TNT — NASCAR is following in the footsteps of the NBA and soccer leagues around the world. After Sonoma this weekend, it concludes with races at Dover and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Bowman said the tournament wasn’t on his mind as he battled with Wallace at the end in Chicago. Whatever the reason for the contact, their head-to-head matchup certainly added a bit of intrigue to the racing behind van Gisbergen’s victory.

With the money involved and the field trimmed to eight drivers, there could be more moments like the duel between Bowman and Wallace in the final weeks of the challenge.

“I wasn’t expecting that to happen or to get raced like that, but we did,” Bowman said. “We just have to move on from it and keep digging.”

It sure sounds as if Dillon is enjoying the competition. Dillon, the No. 32 seed, eliminated Brad Keselowski on Sunday after he upset top-seeded Denny Hamlin at Atlanta on June 28.

There was absolutely no drama in Dillon’s win after Keselowski was collected in an early crash that began with Carson Hocevar hitting the wall and spinning out between Turns 10 and 11. Hocevar was eliminated by Reddick.

“I’m just so proud of Kaulig Racing and our No. 10 team,” Dillon said. “I knew in a basketball city, going up against Brad in a game of knockout, I was going to have a good chance.”

Dillon takes on Bowman and Preece faces Reddick in the next round. But the most interesting contest just might be Nemechek versus Jones in a matchup of Legacy Motor Club teammates.

“I felt like if we could have gotten through the first round, these next two rounds are really good for us,” Preece said. “Our road course program is pretty strong, and we keep making it better. So going into Sonoma, I think we’re up against Tyler Reddick, so he’s really good at road courses as well, but I like being the underdog.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Sonoma Raceway and Pit Boss® Grills are thrilled to announce that ESPN host and reporter Marty Smith will serve as Grand Marshal for the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, July 12. Smith will bring his signature charisma and passion for motorsports to the pre-race ceremonies, culminating in delivering the most famous words in racing: “Drivers, start your engines!”

A native of Pearisburg, Virginia, Marty Smith has spent more than two decades as one of the most respected and recognizable voices in motorsports media. He launched his career in 1999 as a contributor for NASCAR.com, where his passion for racing and natural storytelling talent quickly set him apart. In 2006, he joined ESPN as the network’s lead NASCAR reporter, becoming a familiar face to fans through his work on SportsCenter, NASCAR Countdown, and NASCAR Now. Known for his distinctive southern charm, authenticity, and insightful reporting, Smith has built a strong connection with both athletes and audiences. Today, he co-hosts the popular ESPN show Marty & McGee and continues to appear regularly across ESPN platforms, including SportsCenter, College GameDay, and ESPN.com.

“My relationship with my friends at Pit Boss goes back many years, through my work with college football and NASCAR and the best places to grill at tailgates,” said Smith. “When they called me on this, I wasn’t sure I should do it. But in this season of my life I want to seek out unique opportunity that challenges me not to settle, some of which that might make me uncomfortable. I’ve always thought it’d be cool to give the command, and to do it at Sonoma, a place with so many special memories for me, is even more special. So here we are. Let’s uncork ‘em. I just hope I remember the words.”

His appearance at Sonoma is sure to energize the crowd and elevate the excitement surrounding NASCAR’s return to Northern California’s legendary road course—its only stop in the Golden State for the 2025 season.

“We are honored to welcome Marty Smith as our Grand Marshal,” said Sonoma Raceway Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Flynn. “Marty’s love for the sport and his authentic connection with fans make him the perfect person to kick off what promises to be an action-packed day at the track.”

The Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 is part of a thrilling race weekend that also features Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event, the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Fans can expect wheel-to-wheel racing, scenic wine country views, and unforgettable moments both on and off the track.

Tickets for the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 and the full weekend of racing action are available now at SonomaRaceway.com or by calling (800) 870-RACE [7223].

Sonoma Raceway PR

Coming off a hot Fourth of July weekend, the talk of the Windy City didn’t revolve around the Cubs miraculously topping their division, expectations for Bears QB Caleb Williams, or even when the Pope will bless the White Sox again (they could certainly use a little help). In fact, on America’s birthday, the talk of the town wasn’t even American – it was all about Shane van Gisbergen.

Now in his third year of NASCAR Cup Series competition, the import from New Zealand made history over the weekend, becoming only the second driver to win both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series races from the pole position. The last to accomplish such a feat was Cup champion and veteran wheelman Kyle Busch. Furthermore, SVG’s second win on Chicago’s street course meant a return to Victory Lane where it all started for him, as he won the league’s debut event of the Grant Park 165 in 2023. And considering this latest triumph officially crowns him the most-winning driver in NASCAR Cup Series not born in the United States, it’s high time to meet the speedster from Down Under.

Who is Shane van Gisbergen? 

Born May 9, 1989, in Auckland, New Zealand, Shane van Gisbergen’s first introductions to speed happened between 1998 and 2004 in the form of Motocross, Quarter Midget racing, and kart competitions. While that period was crucial to his foundation as a driver, SVG’s first major success came when he won the Rookie of the Year award after finishing third in the 2004-2005 New Zealand Formula First Championship. He earned additional ROY honors the following year after winning the New Zealand Ford Championship and a runner-up finish in the 2006/2007 Toyota Racing Series.
 
As good as the flashes of success showed he could be, it wasn’t until Van Gisbergen entered V8 Supercars that he shined, and even then, he still wasn’t quite a household name. In the five years he spent with Stone Brothers Racing (2007-2012), his highest finish in the championship was fourth. He moved to Tekno Autosports in 2013, topping his previous outings with a second-place finish. Once SVG moved to the Triple Eight Race Engineering team, he and Alexandre Prémat won the coveted Enduro Cup in 2016, followed by the Castrol Gold Coast 600 that same year. 

With his stock soaring, van Gisbergen simultaneously went on to find success in the 2014 Hankook Super Series Championship, winning seven out of nine races before later cruising to victory during the 2021 new Zealand Grand Prix. Clearly coming into his own, he claimed the series’ most famous race, the Bathurst 1000, on three different occasions (2020, 2022, and 2023). SVG finished his V8 Supercars Championship career with an impressive 80 wins over 508 races, including winning the league’s driver title in 2016, 2021, and 2022. Additionally, in GT Racing, he piloted a McLaren 650S GT3 at the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour and earned the British automaker its first team win at the event.

Shane van Gisbergen’s Xfinity and Cup Series history

Ever since entering the NASCAR’s top flight in 2023, winning Chicago’s inaugural Street Course for Trackhouse Racing, van Gisbergen has been steadily improving. His follow-up Cup Series race of the season occurred on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, yielding him his second Top 10 finish that year. In 2024 under the Kaulig Racing banner, he scored back-to-back Xfinity Series victories with stellar performances at Portland and Sonoma, before cruising to his third win that year with a triumphant showing at Chicago. 

He nearly captured the checkered flag during the 2024 Watkins Glen race, but SVG couldn’t hold Chris Buescher back on the final lap of the race and, ultimately, the RFK Racing wheelman stole the win. He did manage to bounce back at the Charlotte Roval, cruising to his first career Cup Series pole. The start of van Gisbergen’s 2025 Cup campaign got off to a rocky, 33rd-place finish at the Daytona 500, but he punched his playoff ticket with his win at the historic race in Mexico City, only to later outdo himself during Sunday’s Grant Park 165 in Chicago. 

If it sounds like Van Gisbergen’s a force to be reckoned with on street, that’s because he is. See, SVG’s not just winning on road courses, he’s doing it in epic fashion. He dusted the competition in Mexico, winning by a whopping 16.567 seconds. On road courses in the Cup Series alone, he’s scored one win, a pair of Top 5 finishes, and five Top 10 finishes, but he’s even better in the Xfinity Series where he’s notched two wins and four Top 5 finishes in five starts.

What kind of car does Shane van Gisbergen drive?

Competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, van Gisbergen drives the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing alongside the Watermelon Man, Ross Chastain. When SVG participates part-time in Xfinity Series races, he pilots the No. 9 Chevrolet SS for JR Motorsports. 

While many are trying to discover the secret to his sauce on road courses, Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks told NASCAR things just come “naturally” to van Gisbergen. 

“For me, in my experience driving race cars for 20 years, it’s his racing IQ,” revealed Marks, who knows a thing or two about road racing himself. “It’s how strategic he can think while he’s on the limit of the race car.”

SVG’s crew chief Stephen Doran has his own thoughts on what makes the New Zealander so unstoppable in road races. 

“You watch him, and he’s like a machine out there,” noted Doran. “He makes no mistakes, and he just waits until somebody misses an apex in front of him, and he pounces on them. He just drives through the field.”

You can catch Shane van Gisbergen competing next in the NASCAR Cup Series with the Toyota / Save Mart 350 in Sonoma, California. The event also marks the third round of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, a 32-driver, single-elimination tournament that occurs over five races and boasts at $1 million prize for the winner. 

The NASCAR Cup Series makes it way to USA Network on August 3 with the Iowa Corn 350 Powered by Ethanol. Coverage then shifts to NBC on August 23 for the Coke Zero Sugar 400. The remainder of the post-season will air on USA Network except for the final two playoff races and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in Phoenix, Arizona, which will air on NBC. To find out more, please check local listings and the Cup Series schedule.