In a role reversal from last weekend on the streets of Chicago, Connor Zilisch outlasted his JR Motorsports counterpart in Shane van Gisbergen to take home the victory in Saturday’s (July 12) Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway.
Sonoma marks Zilisch’s third Xfinity win of the 2025 season, the fourth of his career and his third on a road course.
“There was a chance he could have gotten by me when he hit me, and he let me have it, andraced me clean, so I respect the hell out of him for that and I’m looking forward to racing against him more,” Zilisch told the CW post-race about his battle with van Gisbergen.
“I just kind of tried every trick I could, but he drove so well and couldn’t get him, and I think it was the last lap into seven, I got there, but wheel hopped, pushed them wide, and could have gone, but I just waited. I didn’t want to do it like that. So, yeah, I had a fun day,” van Gisbergen shared with Frontstretch on his experience battling Zilisch.
SVG hounded Zilisch for much of the final run and sniffed the lead several times, but he could not get around Zilisch at the end in what was a fair but thrilling battle between the two teammates.
William Sawalich completed a great weekend that included an ARCA West win with a third-place effort, the best of his young Xfinity career. Nick Sanchez kept his hot streak alive with a fourth-place finish, while Riley Herbst completed the top five.
Xfinity points leader Justin Allgaier added to his lead with a sixth-place finish, while Taylor Gray helped his playoff hopes by placing seventh. Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith and Sheldon Creed rounded out the top 10.
With road course specialists Zilisch and SVG locking out the front row, another standoff between the two was expected heading into the race, and the battle certainly lived up to its billing.
From the jump, the two distanced themselves from the field while exchanging both the lead and ownership of the fastest lap.
As the opening stage drew to a close and it came time for the leaders to pit, Zilisch and SVG ducked to pit road before the stage end in order to keep the lead for the start of stage two.
Sam Mayer, who ran a distant third for much of the opening stage, stayed out and collected the stage one win. On merit of the huge lead amassed over the first run, Zilisch was still able to finish ninth and collect points even after pitting.
The second stage mimicked the first with Zilisch and SVG in command from the jump. This time, however, it was Sawalich who worked his way up into third and gave chase to the lead duo.
Zilisch and van Gisbergen once again pitted before the stage end to position themselves for the final stage, allowing Brandon Jones to stay out and collect the stage two victory. Zilisch once again scored points in spite of pitting, this time finishing seventh in stage two.
The restart to open the third and final stage saw the JR Motorsports tandem at the front finally get broken up when Sawalich’s great restart allowed him to wrestle second away from van Gisbergen. Unfortunately for Sawalich, van Gisbergen quickly regained that lost ground and once again set his sites on Zilisch in the lead.
While fuel concerns fell over the whole field, including those who pitted at the conclusion of the second stage, the JR Motorsports duo of Zilisch and van Gisbergen still methodically drove away from the field.
As the race drew to a close, Zilisch narrowly held the lead from a charging van Gisbergen. While Zilisch seemed stronger in the downhill sections and the final corners, van Gisbergen closed ground through the uphill sections and the esses.
In the final two laps, van Gisbergen steadily pressured Zilisch, and the two made contact several times. In one final attempt for the win, van Gisbergen swept to the outside of Zilisch in turn 11, but it was to no avail, as Zilisch held the lead and took the checkered flag exiting turn 12.
Pit Boss/Foodmaxx 250 Results
The Xfinity Series returns to Dover Motor Speedway next weekend for the BetRivers 200 on Saturday, July 19. Coverage will begin at 4:30 p.m. ET on the CW.
