“Comin’ for ya, mate!” That was the bold message from Dale Jr.’s 18-year-old prodigy after qualifying second behind the newly crowned road course king, Shane van Gisbergen, for Sonoma’s Xfinity race. Not only did he back up those words, but the young driver also went on to claim victory on Saturday, tightening the gap between the two JR Motorsports teammates.
With such close competition and a few on-track bumps between them, many expected sparks to fly and rivalry to ignite. When asked about it, the teenager’s response was surprising.
“I can trust him not to do anything stupid,” says Connor Zilisch about SVG
Long before they were battling for wins in the final laps at Sonoma, Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen were part of a growing, somewhat unconventional, racing brotherhood. Their connection began under the Trackhouse Racing banner, with Zilisch joining as a development driver and SVG coming on board full time in 2024 as the team expanded its footprint. While Connor took on Xfinity duties with JR Motorsports, and SVG split his time between Cup and Xfinity, both were tied to the same vision, one that valued talent, adaptability, and calculated aggression. They even co-drove together at the Rolex 24 earlier this year, a sign of growing chemistry that will later play out in full throttle at Sonoma.
And that chemistry was tested and qualified. The two Red Bull-backed drivers locked out the front row in wine country, with SVG narrowly grabbing the pole thanks to a 1:15.259 lap at 95.191 mph, just 0.244 seconds faster than Zilisch. It was a sharp reminder that while they may share colors and camps, neither is willing to give up an inch when it comes to race day. For Zilisch, it was his 14th top 10 start of the season and first at Sonoma, further solidifying his standing as one of the best young road course racers on the Xfinity grid.
Then came Saturday’s race, where the two took turns leading, pacing the field for 70 of the 79 laps. Connor Zilisch had an upper hand at the start, as SVGs chased him down through every twist and break zone, and the final 10 laps were a road course master class. Connor ultimately held him off by just 0.438 seconds, earning his third win of the season and fourth of his career, and his first at his first time at this racetrack. The finish could have easily gotten ugly. SVG had chances to nudge him out of the way or take the low road to a trophy. Instead, what fans witnessed was something rare. Two drivers are going all out while keeping it clean.
When asked about the dynamic between the two teammates, Connor Zilisch, speaking on NASCAR LIVE, said, “I wouldn’t say it’s a rivalry. I feel like, especially being teammates—you know, Trackhouse—you know, I’m kind of a teammate, as some would say, to him there. And honestly, I feel like it’s just good, hard racing. And, you know, we respect each other and trust each other. And that’s the biggest thing—is I can trust him not to do anything stupid when we’re racing against each other.”
As for the big picture, Connor is sitting pretty in the championship standings. His Sonoma win bumped him to 3rd overall in Xfinity, with three wins, 10 top tens in 18 races, and 18 playoff points already in the bag. He’s also emerged as one of the most composed road racers on the circuit, sporting a staggering 2.25 average finish on road courses, the second best of all time. But perhaps more importantly, he is doing it the right way. Fast, fearless, and fair while racing Shane van Gisbergen.
And to answer the question of whether they are rivals or not, Connor raised a green flag, saying, “I gave him the choice. As soon as I came out of 10, I went to the bottom of the racetrack, and he had the choice to square me up and just send me out of the way and win the race. But he chose to try and raise it out cleanly. And I have a lot of respect for him for that.” Zilisch even admitted that most drivers would not have shown the same respect. He says, “It takes a bigger man to be able to do that. I think 95% of the guys in the garage would have just squared me up and moved me out of the way.”
SVG, for his part, didn’t deny it. “I couldn’t do it without wrecking him, so I just tried every trick I could,” he said after the race. Even though he didn’t get the win, the moment reflected something deeper than standings or stage points. That mutual trust is the glue that turns fierce competitors into worthy teammates, even when they once clashed with each other a hairpin with the wind on the line.
Apart from being a good teammate, SVG has taken on another challenge now. A challenge of breaking records.
SVG is set to break a NASCAR Cup record
SVG has already notched four wins midway through his rookie full-time campaign, a remarkable feat that sets him apart from some of the sport’s legends. The Kiwi driver reached his milestone in just 34 races, making him the fastest driver to secure four wins in the modern era of NASCAR. For some comparison, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards each required 47 races to reach the same mark, despite being backed by powerhouse teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Racing. Van Gisbergen, meanwhile, drives for Trackhouse Racing, a team not traditionally counted among the sports elite.
His latest victory at Sonoma Raceway last weekend cemented his place in history as the fastest driver to win since Parnelli Jones, a Baja 1000 and Indianapolis 500 winner, who set the record back in 1967. Van Gisbergen also joined NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon to become one of only two drivers ever to win three consecutive road course races from pole position, a feat Gordon achieved in Sonoma between 1998 and 1999.
Shane, a three-time Australian supercars champion, has stunned fans and competitors alike with his seamless transition to NASCAR. His rookie season performances recall Tony Stewart’s breakout here in 1999 when Stewart grabbed headlines with three wins and quickly established himself as a championship contender. Jimmie Johnson matched that weight in 2002 before embarking on a historic seven-championship career.
As the season unfolds, all eyes remain on the New Zealander, who continues to rewrite the books and redefine what a rookie driver can achieve in NASCAR.
The post Dale Jr’s 18-YO Prodigy Brushes off Rivalry With SVG Despite Sharing Bumps in Sonoma appeared first on EssentiallySports.