Shane van Gisbergen has done it again. The New Zealand driver claimed pole position for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, continuing his road course dominance since arriving in NASCAR in 2023.
With his first career win coming on the streets of Chicago and multiple road course victories since, van Gisbergen has established himself as the driver to beat when the Cup Series hits the twisty tracks.
Chase Briscoe secured the outside pole position, joining the Trackhouse Racing driver on the front row for what promises to be another showcase of van Gisbergen’s road course skills. However, with time running out for drivers looking to climb the playoff standings, the competition will be fierce.
Shane van Gisbergen Leading the Pack As Starting Grid for NCS Toyota/Save Mart 350 Set
Van Gisbergen’s recent success speaks for itself. The 36-year-old won at Mexico City before sweeping the Chicago race weekend, showcasing his command of NASCAR’s road course schedule. Coming into Sonoma as the favorite once again, he started qualifying on the right foot by securing pole position.
Shane van Gisbergen’s pole at Sonoma is the first for a Red Bull-sponsored car in the NASCAR Cup Series since Kasey Kahne at Atlanta in September 2011
Kahne’s pole run: pic.twitter.com/WUW1uXacBx
— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) July 12, 2025
The weekend began with van Gisbergen earning pole for the Xfinity Series race, though Connor Zilisch delivered payback following the events of Chicago last weekend. Now, starting the Cup Series race from the top spot, van Gisbergen will aim for his second consecutive victory of the 2025 season.
The task won’t be simple, especially with the NASCAR In-season tournament adding extra intensity to the competition. Drivers such as Briscoe, William Byron, and Ross Chastain will be pushing hard for a race win, hoping to earn valuable playoff points in the process.
The complete starting grid for the 2025 Toyota/Save Mart 350 is as follows:
- Shane van Gisbergen: 1:14.594
- Chase Briscoe: 1:14.844
- William Byron: 1:15.025
- Ross Chastain: 1:15.087
- A.J. Allmendinger: 1:15.120
- Ty Gibbs: 1:15.128
- Ryan Blaney: 1:15.134
- Tyler Reddick: 1:15.176
- Alex Bowman: 1:15.233
- Christopher Bell: 1:15.243
- Kyle Larson: 1:15.254
- Zane Smith: 1:15.278
- Chase Elliott: 1:15.283
- Chris Buescher: 1:15.373
- Michael McDowell: 1:15.408
- Denny Hamlin: 1:15.437
- Kyle Busch: 1:15.475
- John Hunter Nemechek: 1:15.517
- Daniel Suarez: 1:15.563
- Ryan Preece: 1:15.589
- Brad Keselowski: 1:15.624
- Joey Logano: 1:15.629
- Carson Hocevar: 1:15.666
- Austin Cindric: 1:15.734
- Josh Berry: 1:15.836
- Ty Dillon: 1:16.033
- Cole Custer: 1:16.122
- Riley Herbst: 1:16.254
- Justin Haley: 1:16.270
- Bubba Wallace: 1:16.275
- Erik Jones: 1:16.297
- Noah Gragson: 1:16.299
- Austin Dillon: 1:16.461
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr: 1:16.623
- Todd Gilliland: 1:16.732
- Cody Ware: 1:17.478
- Katherine Legge: DNS
The starting lineup shows van Gisbergen’s qualifying time of 1:14.594 gave him a comfortable margin over Briscoe’s 1:14.844. This gap demonstrates the New Zealand driver’s continued mastery of road course setups and driving techniques.
NASCAR fans are growing weary of van Gisbergen’s road course dominance and want to see fresh competition emerge. The driver has already recorded two wins in the Cup Series during the 2025 season, with both victories coming at road courses.
As the series heads to Sonoma, fans will be hoping for a new driver to step up and challenge van Gisbergen’s supremacy. With only seven races remaining before the playoffs begin, Sunday’s race promises to deliver excitement as drivers fight for crucial points and positioning.
Also Read: Shane van Gisbergen Uncovers the One Sonoma Change That Could Stir Chaos on Race Day