Chase Briscoe frustrated after Sonoma runner-up to Shane van Gisbergen

Chase Briscoe nearly did the NASCAR equivalent of pulling the sword out of the stone on Sunday.

Briscoe ran down Shane van Gisbergen in the closing laps of Sunday's Cup race at Sonoma and almost got to his bumper in the final corner, but a crucial mistake in turn 1 laps earlier extended SVG's lead to back over a second after Briscoe chopped it down. 

"Just frustrated with myself," Briscoe told TNT. "I feel like I definitely had the better car. Was able to run him back down at the end. If I don't make that mistake, I'm probably ahead of him at the end. Amazing car. Frustrated I didn't win with the best car."

Chase Briscoe came up just short at Sonoma

Briscoe is still searching for his first victory of 2026. Sunday's race is the second time in two years he's finished runner-up to van Gisbergen at Sonoma. 

Still, it was a commendable drive by Briscoe, who presented more of a challenge to van Gisbergen than any driver has in one of the latter's road course triumphs in quite a while. Van Gisbergen remarked in his post-race interview that had Briscoe had another lap or two, he may have passed him. 

Briscoe is 11th in the Cup Series standings, 79 points above the Chase cut line with eight races left in the regular season.