Red Bull’s First Nascar Win Since 2011 Comes In Dominating Fashion

Red Bull’s unexpected Nascar comeback this year is coming in style. The energy drink brand partnered with Trackhouse Racing in 2025 to sponsor both Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch.

The return, which seemingly came out of left field, was pushed by van Gisbergen’s partnership with the brand in Austrailian Supercars. To add Zilisch to the package was icing on the cake.

Now, Red Bull is back in Nascar for the first time since 2011 and is already back in victory lane.

Van Gisbergen dominated the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, leading 97 of 110 laps. It’s Red Bull’s first win since Kasey Kahne, who was in a transition year before joining Hendrick Motorsports, was victorious at Phoenix Raceway in November of 2011.

But that victory came at the end of Red Bull Racing’s existence. The team, owned by Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, joined the Nascar Cup Series in 2007, but took several years to find success. Brian Vickers and Kahne were the only two drivers to win a race for the team, and it never finished better than 12th in the standings.

When the team folded, other energy drink brands did have Nascar sponsorships. However, none went to the extent of owning a team like Red Bull did.

Now, with Red Bull’s Nascar return, its American marketing investment has returned. Clearly, it is paying off with plenty of ROI from van Gisbergen and Zilisch, who had a one-two finish in the Chicago Street Course Xfinity Series race.

The two Red Bull cars have been highly popular amongst fans, too. Their return is not just big for Trackhouse, but for Nascar itself, as the sanctioning body expands internationally.

The return of Red Bull comes at a vital time for the brand, with uncertainty surrounding its Formula 1 team with the release of longtime team principal Christian Horner. If the F1 team’s performance declines, a return to Nascar with a winning combination provides stable ROI for the firm.