‘King’ Richard Petty Makes Brutally Honest Admission on SVG’s Sonoma Win As NASCAR World Remains Stunned

Richard Petty has never been shy about sharing his opinions on NASCAR. The seven-time champion recently sparked controversy with his take on road course racing, drawing backlash from fans across the sport. But when Shane van Gisbergen dominated at Sonoma, even the King had to take notice.

Weeks after his controversial comments, Petty sat down with his former crew chief Dale Inman to break down SVG’s masterful performance and explain exactly what makes the No. 88 driver so dangerous on road courses.

What Did Richard Petty See in Shane van Gisbergen’s Sonoma Domination?

Though Petty was present in the stands at Sonoma, he was positioned near turn 11 of the track, limiting his view to drivers pitting and the handful of spinouts during the race. While speaking to Inman, he asked his former crew chief to cover the race’s highlights for him.

Inman began by saying, “It was busy other than first place, I tell you that.”

The two recalled when they first went to race at Sonoma, a track that was once devoid of barriers. Following this trip down memory lane, Petty explained his analysis of Van Gisbergen’s tactical approach throughout the race.

“The way it looked to me was that when they throw the flag and he’d take off, he ran just hard enough for those guys to think they had a chance to catch him, and they’d use their tires up. Then, after about eight or 10 laps, he just drives on cause they have used their selves up,” Petty explained.

While Inman agreed with Petty’s assessment, he also noted that the No. 88 driver was significantly better at road courses than most current drivers on the field. However, he wasn’t sure what the Kiwi driver’s secret formula was.

How Does SVG’s Road Course Experience Give Him Such an Edge?

The NASCAR Hall of Famer burst out laughing when asked about Van Gisbergen’s advantage.

“Well, his secret is the experiences he’s had for 20 years on road courses. Nothing going round and round,” Petty said.

Petty also mentioned that while a few other drivers had some road course experience, the road course races meant much more to Van Gisbergen than most other drivers. The King even praised Chase Briscoe for his recent performances, including his pole wins this season.

The NASCAR icon also commented on his own team’s performance at Sonoma. Both John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones of Legacy Motor Club, had a rocky run at Sonoma and faced a fair bit of struggle. Petty joked about their run, saying, “The 42 and the 43 would have raced with a pace car. I think that’s about how fast they were.”

However, Petty’s praise for Van Gisbergen extended beyond just his driving skills. He also complimented the preparation and setup of the No. 88 Chevy. “The car is good, and then, he makes it better,” Petty observed.

Petty also appreciated Van Gisbergen’s tactical intelligence on track and summarized his recent dominant performances with a telling observation:

“The last two or three races. He hasn’t raced against anybody. It’s like he just goes out there and practices by himself. He’s ahead of everybody and never gets back in the pack, where he really has to show what he’s got as far as passing people.”