Defeating Shane van Gisbergen on a road course is one of the most daunting tasks that a Cup Series driver can face today. The Australian Supercars champion reaffirmed his expertise once again at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday by capturing the checkered flag in style. But while all the stars struggled against him, 18-year-old Connor Zilisch gave him a run for his money.
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The JR Motorsports recruit won Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Sonoma after a long battle against SVG. Notably, the victory came in the aftermath of a 1-2 finish between them in Chicago the previous weekend, in which Zilisch finished as the runner-up. One of the many people impressed with the youngster’s talent was seven-time Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson was asked about van Gisbergen’s road course expertise during a press conference this weekend. He showered praise on the New Zealand native’s pedal management techniques and pointed out that it helps him manage the front tires and maintain speed through corners. In the wake of his appreciation, he also lauded Zilisch and his ability to defeat the ace.
He said, “You know to watch him (SVG) and Zilisch yesterday duke it out. What we saw in Chicago, SVG is really impressive, but to see a young driver come along and duke it out with him at this level is quite impressive as well.”
Van Gisbergen showers praise on Zilisch
Motorsports is a competitive field. Egos tend to get hurt when facing failure, and seldom do drivers take it in good spirit. But losing to Zilisch on Saturday did not make van Gisbergen feel the slightest of ill emotion. The icon delivered the biggest of compliments to the young driver following his victory on Sunday.
A member of the press asked him what he was going to tell Zilisch after securing his third Cup Series win of the season. He replied that he would thank the young gun for not being in the race and evoked rounds of laughter in the room.
“I’m going to have to race him a lot in the future, right? He’s a star of the sport, or going to be even more so. Racing him yesterday, he doesn’t look like he’s 18. You know, he’s placing the car in perfect spots, drives amazing and he’s an awesome young kid,” van Gisbergen continued.
With Daniel Suarez out of the No. 99 Chevrolet for 2026, Zilisch could soon be van Gisbergen’s teammate at Trackhouse Racing. As it seems, the Kiwi would love nothing more.
