“In NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, there’s no such thing as road-course ringers.” This statement from a 2012 FOX Sports article may sound bizarre to most in the NASCAR community in 2025. That is because Shane Van Gisbergen just went back-to-back with his third road course victory of the season in Sonoma. The Trackhouse Racing speedster now owns 8 trophies across 17 road course starts. Yet once upon a time, that 2012 statement rang true for the sport’s veterans, including Dale Earnhardt Jr.
NASCAR’s most popular icon retired back in 2017. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr is heavily involved with his beloved sport as a broadcaster, podcast host, and most importantly, team owner. The latter role allowed him to witness Shane Van Gisbergen’s magic up close, and also shatter a hiatus.
Dale Earnhardt Jr overcomes an old fear
When Dale Jr was in his prime, he picked up 26 Cup Series victories. Among his amazing finishes, however, the number of road courses was limited. Sonoma Raceway, in particular, felt like a chip on his shoulder. The 1.99-mile, 12-turn circuit in Wine Country always made him feel uneasy. In 18 starts in Sonoma, Dale Jr picked up only 3 top ten finishes. The best among them was a 3rd-place run in 2014, the same year he clinched his second Daytona 500 win. The last time he competed in Sonoma was in 2017, when Dale Jr signed off with an impressive 6th-place finish. Since then, however, there was no love lost between the veteran and the road course. But Dale Jr got a chance to rekindle that love over the past weekend.
Driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, Shane Van Gisbergen fetched the pole for the Xfinity race. Despite falling short of teammate Connor Zilisch’s magic, SVG went on to redeem his fortune by winning the Cup race. Dale Earnhardt Jr returned to Sonoma after a long time, and SVG fueled his motive to come back. He wrote on X: “Heck of a weekend in Sonoma. Got to take Amy and enjoy the area. Got to go to work with my TNT family. Saw an entertaining race, even if SVG had them covered. Hadn’t been to Sonoma since my cup career ended in 2017. Used to really dread the travel and struggle to figure that place out. But it eventually became a place I looked forward to. Already excited and planning for our return next season.”
Landing in NC in about 30. Heck of a weekend in Sonoma. Got to take Amy and enjoy the area. Got to go to work with my TNT family. Saw an entertaining race, even if SVG had them covered. Hadn’t been to Sonoma since my cup career ended in 2017. Used to really dread the travel and…
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 14, 2025
This signaled a much-awaited sequel to Dale Earnhardt Jr’s last visit to Sonoma. Starting on an average note, the former Hendrick Motorsports driver almost got wrecked out in some early incidents. On Lap 15, he locked up the brakes on his No. 88 Chevrolet, slid into Turn 11, and was hit by Danica Patrick. About 15 laps later, Dale Jr again landed in chaos. Nevertheless, he and his team could focus on the race and netted 6th place. 8 years down the line, Dale Jr could finally boast of getting a victory in Sonoma, as a team owner. After Connor Zilisch held off SVG for the win in Sonoma, Dale Jr tweeted: “My first trip to victory lane at @RaceSonoma.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr drew his inspiration from Shane Van Gisbergen’s magic. However, the latter also confessed to facing challenges.
Balancing performance and ethics
Well, Shane Van Gisbergen is known for his affable personality. Born and bred in Australian Supercars, which penalizes passes via contact, SVG usually displays clean racing. In a road course like Sonoma Raceway, that standard may be very difficult to follow. During the Xfinity Series race, SVG got chances to race dirty, especially in the final hairpin in Turn 11 right on Zilisch’s back bumper. Yet he avoided any kind of controversy and let Zilisch drive off safely. Similarly, during the Cup Series race, SVG received the same clean treatment from his rivals. Chase Briscoe hounded the No. 88’s rear for the entire race, but the No. 19 JGR driver never resorted to chaos. SVG saluted him for it: “Chase Briscoe, what a great racer and gave me respect.”
At the same time, however, Shane Van Gisbergen acknowledged how difficult it was to show respect. In the closing laps, marbles from tires lined the challenging California layout, and that sparked many crashes. SVG admitted to this difficulty: “Yeah, it was tough. There were certainly marbles. This soft tire leaves so many marbles around the track, and you’re trying to be respectful when you line up two-wide. But you end up pushing each other into the marbles, even though you’re not trying to. Then we both take off, and you could hear the marbles flicking up on the guards and stuff. It was really slippery.”
Hence, Shane Van Gisbergen’s win was not as easy as it appeared. It uplifted Dale Jr’s faith in the Sonoma racetrack, nonetheless, and we might see more of the icon here.
The post SVG’s Commanding Win Leaves Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hungry for More After Long-Awaited Sonoma Return appeared first on EssentiallySports.