• Wednesday, June 5th, 2024
• NASCAR Wire Service -

California’s Sonoma Raceway welcomes the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend

Sonoma Raceway, located just outside Sonoma, California, will play host to the NASCAR Cup Series for the Toyota / Save Mart 350 this Sunday, June 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the

16th event of the 2024 season, and the second of five road/street courses on the schedule this year (COTA, Sonoma, Chicago Street Race, Watkins Glen and Charlotte ROVAL).

So far this season, Hendrick Motorsport’s William Byron took the first road course victory of the year at Circuit of The Americas back in March. Now, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Sonoma Raceway to battle it out on the challenging 1.99-mile, multi-elevational road course for the 35th time in Cup Series history (1989-2024).

Joe Gibbs Racing’s teammates Denny Hamlin won the pole and Martin Truex Jr. took home the race win at Sonoma Raceway last season. It was Truex’s fourth win at Sonoma Raceway in the series (2013, 2018, 2019 and 2023) – most among active drivers this weekend.

Run It Back: A brief history of Sonoma Raceway and NASCAR

Sonoma Raceway was opened as a 2.52-mile, multi-elevational paved road course and drag strip in 1968. Over the course of its existence, the 12-turn facility has held a few different names - Sears Point Raceway, Sears Point International Raceway, and Infineon Raceway prior to being renamed Sonoma Raceway.

The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway was held on June 11, 1989 and was won by Ricky Rudd driving a Buick for car owner Kenny Bernstein. Rudd ran the race at an average speed of 76.088 mph and led 61 of 74 scheduled laps (82.4%). Rudd was recently nominated for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Over the years, the format and track configuration have changed at Sonoma Raceway. The first nine NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma were 300 kilometers and then the distance switched to a 350k format in 1998.

The track was reconfigured to 1.949-miles in 1998 with the installation of an 890-foot chute between the original Turns 4 and 7. The track was reconfigured to 2.0 miles in 2001 and re-measured at 1.99 miles in 2002.

In 2019 and 2021, the track was reconfigured back to the original 2.52-mile configuration with races being 90 laps – 226.8 miles. Then in 2022, Sonoma Raceway returned the track configuration back to the 1.99-mile configuration with the return of the ‘chute’.

There have been 34 NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway since the first race there in 1989 – one race per season - until the 2020 season. Due to the pandemic, the series did not compete at Sonoma Raceway in 2020.

Out Front: Qualifying well is imperative for a successful weekend at Sonoma

The 34 NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway have produced 19 different pole winners since the first event in 1989. Qualifying well is crucial for a shot at the win this weekend, as only two of the previous 34 Sonoma Raceway Cup races have been from a starting position outside the top-15 (5.9%).

In total, only 15 different starting positions on the grid have led to victories in the 34 NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway. The pole or first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more series wins (six) than any other starting position at Sonoma Raceway.

In total, six of the 34 (17.6%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway have been won from the pole or first starting position; the most recent was Kyle Larson’s win in 2021. Four different drivers have won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway from the pole or first starting position: Jeff Gordon – leads series with three victories from the pole (1998, 1999 and 2004), along with Ernie Irvan (1994), Mark Martin (1997), and Kyle Larson (2021).

Of the 19 NASCAR Cup Series Sonoma Raceway pole winners, four are entered this weekend.

This weekend’s starting lineup will be decided by Busch Light Pole Qualifying, scheduled for Saturday, June 8 at 6 p.m. ET on FS2.

Larson heads to Sonoma looking to tie Jeff Gordon for most poles at the track

When it comes to starting on the pole at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series, nobody has done it more than NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who leads the series in poles at Sonoma with five (1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005). This weekend, Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson, fresh off receiving a waiver for missing the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, heads to Sonoma looking for his fifth career NASCAR Cup Series pole at Sonoma Raceway to tie Gordon’s series record for most poles at the famed Californian road course.

Larson currently leads all active Cup drivers in poles at Sonoma with four (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022).

The NASCAR Cup Series record for the most wins by a driver at a single road course is six victories at Riverside International Raceway by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison (1971, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1981-1, 1981-3).

The Fab Four: Just four former Sonoma winners entered this weekend

Since 1989, a total of 21 different drivers have won at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon five victories at the famed road course (1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006). This weekend, fans will also have a chance to check out former Sonoma Cup winners – Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Daniel Suarez and Kyle Larson – compete this Sunday.

All the on-track action begins for the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway on Friday, June 7 with practice from 5-6 p.m. ET on FS1.

NASCAR brings a barrel of road course aces to Sonoma

At one time in the NASCAR Cup Series being a road course specialist was an anomaly, but not anymore.

Heading into this weekend at Sonoma Raceway, the NASCAR Cup Series has 14 former road course winners entered in the Toyota / Save Mart 350 this Sunday, June 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and seven of them are looking for their first win of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season – Martin Truex Jr, Kyle Busch, AJ Allmendinger, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain and Micheal McDowell.

Of the 14 active Cup Series road course winners, eight have won multiple times on road courses, led by Hendrick Motorsport’s Chase Elliott with seven road course wins in his career. Elliott’s seven road course victories has him ranked third on the series all-time road course wins list behind only NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon with nine road course victories (Sonoma, five win; Watkins Glen, four wins) and Tony Stewart with eight (Watkins Glen, five wins; Sonoma, three wins). With a win this weekend, Elliott would tie Stewart for second on the all-time road course wins list.

Last season’s Sonoma winner, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr., with five total road course wins in his career – second-most among active drivers - finished 10th at COTA earlier this season and is looking for his first win of 2024 this weekend. Truex is currently the highest ranked driver in the series point standings without a win this season.

Hendrick Motorsport’s William Byron is the most recent winner on a road course in the NASCAR Cup Series, taking the trophy at the Circuit of The Americas back in March.

Truex can tie Jeff Gordon for most Cup wins at Sonoma

Heading into this weekend, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. is the highest ranked competitor in the point standings without a win this season, a distinction he is hoping to change this weekend. Truex, the defending winner of Sonoma Raceway, grabbed his fourth victory at the esteemed 1.99-mile road course moving him into second on the Cup Series Sonoma all-time wins list, just behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon’s five wins (1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006). This Sunday, Truex will have a shot at tying Gordon’s Sonoma wins record in the Toyota / Save Mart 350 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

With a win this weekend at Sonoma, Truex would get his sixth NASCAR Cup Series career road course victory tying him with Rusty Wallace, Bobby Allison, Ricky Rudd and Richard Petty for third on the all-time series road course wins list.

Truex is currently riding a winless streak that is 31 races, dating back to last season’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway race on July 17, 2023.

Playoff Bubble Shuffle: Larson gets waiver, Cindric adds name to Playoff contenders

While Team Penske’s Austin Cindric was passing his teammate Ryan Blaney in the final laps at World Wide Technology Raceway to grab the win last weekend, several positions on the Playoff bubble started to shuffle. Cindric is ranked outside the top-16 in points, but his win catapults him into Playoff contention as one of the nine drivers that have earned a spot in the postseason.

In other Playoff news, Hendrick Motorsport’s Kyle Larson received a postseason waiver this week from NASCAR after he missed the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway due to participating in a rain-delayed Indianapolis 500. In total, two drivers have received waivers this season in the series Larson and Erik Jones (out two races due to back injury).

Heading to Sonoma Raceway this weekend, seven spots are up for grabs in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The 10 drivers that have earned a spot in the Playoffs by virtue of wins this season are Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez and Austin Cindric.

The seven drivers currently occupying the remaining postseason spots on points are 10. Martin Truex Jr. (+132 points ahead of the Playoff cutoff), 11. Ty Gibbs (+107 points ahead of the cutoff), 12. Alex Bowman (+59), 13. Ross Chastain (+59), 14. Ryan Blaney (+47), 15. Bubba Wallace (+13) and 16. Chris Buescher (+10).

Currently in 17th, the first spot outside the postseason cutoff, after a 17th-place finish at Word Wide Technology Raceway last weekend is Chase Briscoe, -10 points back from RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher in 16th – the final transfer spot on points to the Playoffs. Not far behind Briscoe are a pair of multiple Cup Series champions Joey Logano in 18th (14 points back from Buescher) and Kyle Busch in 19th (20 points back from Buescher).

Currently four drivers that made the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs last season are below the cutline this year – Joey Logano (18th, -14 points), Kyle Busch (19th, -20 points), Michael McDowell (24th, -113 points), and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (27th, -145 points).

Australian Invasion: Waters and Brown to attempt NASCAR Cup Series debuts at Sonoma

Flying over the Pacific Ocean this week from Australia to California are two competitors – Cam Waters and Will Brown - looking to make their NASCAR Cup Series career debuts this Sunday in the Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

Cam Waters is an established veteran of the Repco Australian Supercars Series with quite the resume. A championship runner-up in 2020 and ’22, the Victoria native has 11 career wins. Waters, 29, made his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season and now has set his sights on the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma. Waters will pilot the No. 60 Ford for RFK Racing.

Joining Waters this week is Repco Supercars Championship star Will Brown, a native of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, who will drive the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday. Brown currently leads the Supercars Championship point standings.

“It’s just an incredible opportunity to be able to come out and race at the highest level in America,” said Brown. “I am extremely thankful to Richard Childress and everyone at Richard Childress Racing for the opportunity. I’ve been interested in NASCAR since I started racing Supercars, and even more so since the recent wave of success that some international drivers have had crossing over into the NASCAR Cup Series. I’ve got some great sponsors that have supported me for a long time in Australia, and I’m lucky enough that MobileX is joining us for the race, along with a long-term partner of mine, Shaw and Partners. Incredibly thankful also for Motorola and everyone else who has come on board for the race. It’s been massive to get everyone to support the program, and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without them. I’m looking forward to the race and have been working hard to prepare.”

Waters and Brown are not the only competitors from that side of the world to make the journey to the United States for a taste of NASCAR’s unique style of racing in recent years. Shane van Gisbergen and Brodie Kostecki both have roots in Supercars racing and made their Cup Series debuts a season ago, with SVG famously winning the inaugural Chicago Street Race with Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 program and beginning a full-time Xfinity Series campaign this season.

A total of 50 different drivers have made their first Cup Series start at Sonoma Raceway; the most recent was Grant Enfinger on June 11, 2023. Of the 50 drivers to make their Cup Series debut at Sonoma Raceway, sportscar star and former Formula One driver Jan Magnussen posted the best finish; he started 32nd and raced his way up to a 12th-place finish.

NASCAR Cup Series Drivers The Made Their Debuts At Sonoma Raceway

NASCAR national series have been feeling the Cali vibes since 1951 –The first NASCAR national series event held in the state of California was a NASCAR Cup Series race on April 8, 1951 at Carrell Speedway – a half-mile dirt track located near Gardena, California. The race was won by Marshall Teague driving a Hudson that he owned.

Heading into this weekend, a total of 215 NASCAR national series points-paying races have been held in the state of California among 17 different tracks. In addition, the NASCAR Cup Series has also competed at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum from 2022 - 2024 for The Clash - a special non-points event to start the

season. Of the 17 tracks, Riverside International Raceway has hosted the most NASCAR Cup Series races in California with 48 events from 1958-1988.

Impractical Jokers Star James Murray named Grand Marshal for Sunday at Sonoma -Sonoma Raceway will bring the punchline to the starting line as beloved comedian and TV Star James “Murr” Murray is announced as the Grand Marshal for the eagerly anticipated Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race on June 9, 2024.

Murr will be promoting Impractical Jokers, the outrageous hidden camera hijinks series starring comedy trio Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray and Sal Vulcano, which moves to its new home on TBS with fresh episodes this summer. Previous episodes are available to catch up on Max.

As Grand Marshal for Sunday's race, Murr will have the honor of speaking the four most famous words in motorsports, “Drivers, Start Your Engines!” Known for his wit, charm and ability to ignite laughter from audiences, Murr will be right at home with the sound of the engines lighting off upon his command.

“Murr bringing his exuberant style to the Toyota/Save Mart 350 as Grand Marshal is a great fit for our race,” said Brian Flynn, executive vice president and general manager of Sonoma Raceway. “Fans can expect the unexpected from both the racing and Murr himself, adding to the thrilling atmosphere of our race day experience.”

Bay area native DJ Umami to perform pre-race concert at Sonoma Raceway -Before the roar of NASCAR Cup Series cars reverberates off the hillsides at Sonoma Raceway, Bay Area native DJ Umami will boost the crowd’s energy in the form of a prerace concert prior to the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday, June 9.

DJ Umami is currently the resident DJ for the San Francisco Giants, after having entertained fans in that same fashion with the Golden State Warriors from 2012-2021. The unmistakable fervor and flavor she brings to any event, celebration or dance floor has been a constant since she splashed onto the local scene in San Francisco in 2008. Within just a year, she gained residency with the prestigious female DJ crew "Peaches.” 

Umami’s rise in the music industry has been punctuated with opening sets for renowned artists such as Dua Lipa, Anderson Paak, and Thundercat. In addition, DJ Umami has made appearances at Outside Lands in San Francisco, Google and the Nike Women’s Marathon and is part of the Creative Collective for Bacardi Ocho Reserve.

While R&B, Soul and Hip Hop are foundational to her musical taste, it’s Umami’s ability to read the energy of a crowd combined with her belief in music as healing that drives her to serve an eclectic menu of sounds. As a Filipina American, her desire is to bring more visibility to the craft and inspire the next generation of women DJs. Umami’s vibrancy and versatility across varied audiences promises to rev up the crowd in anticipation of the green flag.

• Saturday, June 8th, 2024
• NASCAR Wire Service - Holly Cain

Joey Logano wins the pole on newly resurfaced Sonoma Raceway

Team Penske’s Joey Logano claimed his third pole position of the season Saturday afternoon at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway – turning a fast lap of 97.771 mph in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford, bettering the previous record by more than a second on the newly-paved 1.99-mile road course in Northern California.

The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion will start Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) alongside 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick, who was a slight .083-second behind Logano.

“I got a little loose up in turn two and probably left a little bit out there, but it’s hard to hit a perfect lap every corner,” said Logano, a 31-time pole-winner who also won pole position at Sonoma in 2011.

“If you can average it all out to be pretty good, it works out. It was great to see the Autotrader Mustang having some speed here in Sonoma. It didn’t seem too bad in race trim either, so hopefully we turn this into a victory tomorrow.”

Logano’s only career road course win came in 2015 at Watkins Glen, N.Y. His best finish at Sonoma is third, something he has done twice including last year.

Logano’s Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney, the reigning series champion, will roll off third – both drivers looking for their first trophy of the season. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson round out the top-five.

All four Hendrick cars advanced to the final round of qualifying, including three-race winner William Byron in sixth and Alex Bowman in eighth. Trackhouse Racing teammates Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain will start seventh and ninth with Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs rounding out the top-10 who advanced to the final round.

NASCAR Cup Series championship leader, JGR’s Denny Hamlin will roll off 25th and his teammate, four-time and defending Sonoma race winner Martin Truex Jr. is 21st on the starting grid.

Two of the Australian Supercar Series drivers are making their debut this weekend. Will Brown, who was second fastest in practice, will roll off 24th in the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Cam Waters will start 31st in the No. 60 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford.

“This race is gonna be a lot different than what it was in the past here,” Logano said. “You think about what it used to be here with a lot of tire wear. Now the tires seem to last fairly long so that can adjust the strategy quite a bit from what it used to be here. There are a lot of different options for the crew chiefs to try to make up their mind on how to play out the race and time will tell.”

• Drivers Entered: 38
• Laps Scheduled: 110
• Margin of Victory: 04.258 Seconds
• Time of Race: 2 Hours 56 Minutes 14 Seconds
• Average Speed: 74.526
• Cautions: 8 for 22 laps
• Lead Changes: 11
• Green Flag Passes: 2,221 (25.2 passes per green flag lap)