SONOMA, Calif. (July 12, 2025) – In a wild west California showdown, Connor Zilisch managed to keep his JR Motorsports teammate Shane van Gisbergen at bay during the final laps of the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway to earn his fourth win overall.
The duo put on a masterclass in dominance throughout the 79-lap event — NASCAR’s lone Xfinity Series stop on the West Coast this weekend — controlling the front of the pack for all but nine laps while swapping positions repeatedly across the opening two stages.
“First, hats off to Shane. That was awesome,” Zilisch said after the race. “All race long, I felt like we were racing each other with respect. I wheel-hopped a little bit going into [Turn] 7 that one time and got into him, but other than that, it was awesome to get to race against him, finally and battle with him the whole race long.”
Grabbing the top spot during a yellow flag after Stage 2, Zilisch refused to relinquish it, even as van Gisbergen ramped up the aggression. The Kiwi driver delivered several nudges in the last couple of circuits and launched a bold bid to pass in the hairpin leading into the final straight, but Zilisch’s advantageous inside groove allowed him to pull away for the victory.
This breakthrough in Northern California halted van Gisbergen’s impressive string of three back-to-back road course successes in national series competition, a run that featured a Cup Series triumph in Mexico City followed by a clean sweep of the Chicago events.
Pole winner William Sawalich crossed the line in third, marking his strongest showing yet in the Xfinity Series. Nick Sanchez, who celebrated a win at EchoPark Speedway just two weeks earlier, secured fourth, while Cup Series standout Riley Herbst took fifth. The rest of the top 10 included Justin Allgaier, Taylor Gray, Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith and Sheldon Creed.
Tickets for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race are available at SonomaRaceway.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the lowest available price at local Save Mart, Lucky California or FoodMaxx stores.
Tickets, camping, upgrades, premium options and much more are all available at SonomaRaceway.com or by calling (800) 870-RACE [7223].
Sonoma Raceway is a 2.52-mile, 12-turn road course and quarter-mile drag strip located at Sears Point in Sonoma County, California. Built in 1968 the track is carved into rolling hills with 160 ft of total elevation change. It is host to one of the few NASCAR Cup Series races each year that are run on road courses. It is one of the world’s busiest racing facilities, with track activity scheduled an average of 340 days a year. A complete and versatile motorsports complex, it is home to one o
