Overview

• Van Gisbergen earned pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway after topping both 10- and 15-lap averages in practice.
• A. J. Allmendinger and Ty Gibbs were the only drivers to record faster one-lap times in practice, though Gibbs still seeks his first Cup Series win in 106 starts.
• Ross Chastain and Christopher Bell emerged as the closest long-run challengers, finishing within two- to three-tenths of van Gisbergen’s pace over extended runs.
• Kyle Larson praised van Gisbergen’s advanced braking and clutch-control technique and cautioned that he could soon conquer NASCAR’s oval tracks as well.
• Connor Zilisch credited lessons from van Gisbergen’s road-course style to secure a 0.438-second victory in Sunday’s Sonoma Xfinity race.