Connor Zilisch was aiming to win his second straight NASCAR O’Reilly Series race at Sonoma Raceway, but it wasn’t meant to be on Saturday. Shane van Gisbergen won the O’Reilly Series race at Sonoma after flipping Stage 2. Zilisch and the No. 1 team decided to run out Stage 2, coming down pit road for tires and fuel.
Zilisch hoped that he would be able to catch van Gisbergen with fresher tires and more gas, but the No. 9 car never wavered. Van Gisbergen is arguably the best road course driver in NASCAR history, and his ability to run in the lead and save fuel was on full display at Sonoma.
In 2025, Zilisch was able to hold off van Gisbergen on the final lap, but there wasn’t any drama on Saturday. Van Gisbergen drove into the sunset in Wine Country, earning a much-needed win after San Diego last weekend. Zilisch has dropped a race to van Gisbergen, and he hopes to earn it back on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Connor Zilisch falls short to Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma in 2026
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