NASCAR CUP SERIES: CHALLENGE ROUND 3 - TOYOTA / SAVE MART 350

July 13, 2025

Shane van Gisbergen

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by the race-winning driver of today's Toyota/SaveMart 350, Shane van Gisbergen.

Second week in a row we get to talk to you after winning another race, third of the year. Seemed like you had a nice celebration after winning in Chicago. What is the celebration going to be like here in wine country?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: Yeah, it's amazing, an amazing day. We had a great time as a team last week. So yeah, to do it again, it's hard to put into words at the moment. We'll probably get home a bit too late tonight to celebrate, but you just have to appreciate the run we've had. For us it was a tough start to the year. We've gotten better and better, and yeah, as a team it's such a cool atmosphere to be a part of and so special to share it with these guys and girls.

Q. Shane, what were your emotions throughout the first half of the year just getting up to speed on the ovals and really learning this car, and how does that contrast to what this last month has been winning three of the last five?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: Yeah, it's weird. We were coming 50th it felt like. But it wasn't complete end of the world. I felt like I was getting better as a driver, getting closer to my teammates and starting to match what they were doing. You could just feel that we were better than what we were. It just had to sort of click.

The last month and a half, two months, we've really started getting better, the 88 car, and then also the team, as well, we've started getting better and better. It's four wins for us now as a team, and it's been an amazing turnaround for everyone.

Yeah, I'm not under any illusion we're going to go out next week and win, but I'd like to keep that progression going and keep starting to build towards the mid field and then the top half of it.

Q. You also had three late restarts there, restarting along the front row with Chase Briscoe. What was racing with him like, and were you able to pick up on anything that he was trying to do on those restarts, and can you talk about that battle there late as well?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: 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.

But you just know all those people up at the front there, it was the 19, 24, 20 I think we were mainly racing, and they're great guys to race. I always race well with them and enjoy racing them. I knew Chase wasn't going to do anything stupid, but he got really close at Turn 2 a couple of times, and he had a proper crack. It was cool racing.

Q. I talked to a couple of your crew members shortly after the win, and I had to ask if they were nervous watching you on those restarts with Chase Briscoe and they said, "not at all," without any hesitation. It seems like they were calm for the entire time, like you already had it in the bag. What's it like knowing that's the kind of feedback you're getting from your teammates?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: Yeah, that's pretty awesome they have that confidence because I certainly didn't. You never know if NASCAR on the restarts everyone goes crazy, and I just had to execute, put my car in the right places.

As soon as those yellows kept coming out, there's so much dirt and oil and stuff on the track, yeah, just trying to make no mistakes.

But sounds like I was more nervous than them.

Q. I noticed that you didn't take a sip of the wine in Victory Lane. Maybe I missed it. Are you just waiting for a proper sauvignon blanc since you're a Kiwi, or was this a chase based off the sip of Red Bull that you had first?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: I could see my crew chief's eyes light up when it got handed to him, so I'm glad I handed it to him, and he finished it in one go, which was very impressive. I don't know if he's been in here yet, but he might be talking funny.

Q. Obviously yesterday didn't go your way, but from a mindset perspective, how were you able to kind of shift your focus so quickly in such a quick turnaround for this race today?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: Yeah, it's easy and it's not. As I said yesterday, second sucks, but it was one of the best races for everyone to watch. I really enjoyed being in it.

I spent a bit of time debriefing with myself what I could have done better, what I needed from the car, and then as soon as I got to the hotel I'm switched over, looking at SMT and qualifying stuff for Cup and trying to make Sunday better. It's really cool to race in Xfinity, and I learnt a lot, but Sunday is money day, I guess.

Q. Rate the overall experience of Sonoma Raceway. It probably feels a little bit better now that you won?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: Yeah, obviously I'm biased now. I like the place.

I really think every year this track is going to get better. It's still great to drive, but as the surface wears away and the edge comes off it a bit, I think it'll be an even better racetrack. Yeah, even compared to last year, there was so much more tire falloff and probably not the most passing up at the front, but at least there were speed differences between tires this year.

Q. You touched on it a little bit earlier, you said, "second sucks." Your teammate Connor Zilisch got the best of you, but you proved today, hey, I got the Cup Series win. I'm sure you're going to talk to Connor later; what are you going to say to him?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: Thanks for not being in the race. (Laughter.)

I don't know, 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. He's placing the car in perfect spots and drives amazing, and he's an awesome young kid. If he ends up being my teammate or not next year, I hope he does, it'll be a lot of fun.

Q. You mentioned obviously the progression on the ovals. I'm curious if there's an oval that you either have visited or are going to visit with the Cup Series that you're kind of itching to get that first oval win at?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: All the left-handed ones. (Laughter.)

Q. What was up with the rugby ball, and why was your boot so poor today?

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: Well, I think it went pretty high, but it didn't go very far. Typical kicker. I'll blame the wind.