 |
| Clint Bowyer won last season at Sonoma leading a race high three times for 71 laps |
Showing posts with label sonoma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sonoma. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Clint Bowyer wins 2012 Sonoma NASCAR Sprint Cup Race with ease
Gen-6 car presents positive challenges for Jeff Gordon heading into Sonoma
 |
| Jeff Gordon has won five times at Sonoma Raceway |
To prepare for the first of two road course events on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series calendar, Gordon and the No. 24 Drive To End Hunger team tested at Road Atlanta a few weeks ago. But that test may prove more beneficial later this year.
“I don’t think we have ever been able to find one track that simulates Sonoma the way we feel like we need one to,” said Gordon, who is the all-time NASCAR leader in road course victories with nine. “There are a couple different corners that we try to compare ‘characteristics’ of some things we might be dealing with at Sonoma, but I think we learn more for Watkins Glen when we test at Road Atlanta.
“It’s been nearly a year since we raced on a road course, so that test was just getting back on one – shifting, down-shifting, left turns, right turns. Sort of ‘general’ testing.
“And to recognize what we may be dealing with this weekend based on past experience.”
Along with his record five victories in 20 starts, Gordon also tops these categories at the 1.99-mile track: poles (5), top-fives (12), top-10′s (16) and laps led (450). But he has yet to race the new Generation-6 car at the serpentine track.
“The new car is something we’ve never raced at Sonoma,” said Gordon, who fell to 16th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings after being collected in a lap-6 accident last weekend. “We ran pretty decent in the older generation car here last year, and we feel pretty confident we can tune the Chevrolet SS this weekend.”
Another challenge facing the teams is a new qualifying procedure on the road courses. Instead of a single car, one-lap qualifying run on Friday, drivers will be sent out in groups on Saturday and can possibly complete multiple laps.
“I’m really anxious to try it out to see how it works,” said the native of Vallejo. “In the past, we’ve seen drivers run a good lap in practice and then struggle to back it up in qualifying. It was difficult to get temperature in the brakes and the tires in the limited time we had to get up to speed before the qualifying lap began.
“Now, we’re going to have as much time as we need to get the car ready for that lap.”
- Performance PR Plus
“I don’t think we have ever been able to find one track that simulates Sonoma the way we feel like we need one to,” said Gordon, who is the all-time NASCAR leader in road course victories with nine. “There are a couple different corners that we try to compare ‘characteristics’ of some things we might be dealing with at Sonoma, but I think we learn more for Watkins Glen when we test at Road Atlanta.
“It’s been nearly a year since we raced on a road course, so that test was just getting back on one – shifting, down-shifting, left turns, right turns. Sort of ‘general’ testing.
“And to recognize what we may be dealing with this weekend based on past experience.”
Along with his record five victories in 20 starts, Gordon also tops these categories at the 1.99-mile track: poles (5), top-fives (12), top-10′s (16) and laps led (450). But he has yet to race the new Generation-6 car at the serpentine track.
“The new car is something we’ve never raced at Sonoma,” said Gordon, who fell to 16th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings after being collected in a lap-6 accident last weekend. “We ran pretty decent in the older generation car here last year, and we feel pretty confident we can tune the Chevrolet SS this weekend.”
Another challenge facing the teams is a new qualifying procedure on the road courses. Instead of a single car, one-lap qualifying run on Friday, drivers will be sent out in groups on Saturday and can possibly complete multiple laps.
“I’m really anxious to try it out to see how it works,” said the native of Vallejo. “In the past, we’ve seen drivers run a good lap in practice and then struggle to back it up in qualifying. It was difficult to get temperature in the brakes and the tires in the limited time we had to get up to speed before the qualifying lap began.
“Now, we’re going to have as much time as we need to get the car ready for that lap.”
- Performance PR Plus
Monday, June 17, 2013
2013 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Track Facts
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2013 Top 12 at Sonoma Raceway
| Driver | Races | Poles | Wins | Top Fives | Top 10s | DNFs | Average Finish | Driver Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 11 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 13.8 | 96.6 |
| 2 | Carl Edwards | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 17.1 | 84.9 |
| 3 | Clint Bowyer | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 9.7 | 93.3 |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 16.1 | 82.2 |
| 5 | Matt Kenseth | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20.8 | 74.9 |
| 6 | Kyle Busch | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 18.6 | 92.8 |
| 7 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22.2 | 65.3 |
| 8 | Greg Biffle | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 14.9 | 79.3 |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19.0 | 75.6 |
| 10 | Tony Stewart | 14 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 10.9 | 107.5 |
| 11 | Paul Menard | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22.8 | 57.7 |
| 12 | Kasey Kahne | 9 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 22.0 | 81.1 |
* – Based on last eight races at Sonoma Raceway.
| Pts | Pts From | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Driver | Wins | Pos | Points | 10th | Starts | Poles | T5s | T10s | DNFs | |
| 1 | Kasey | Kahne | 1 | 12 | 407 | -10 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 2 |
| 2 | Paul | Menard | 0 | 11 | 415 | -2 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Martin | Truex Jr. | 0 | 13 | 405 | -12 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 4 | Joey | Logano | 0 | 14 | 405 | -12 | 15 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| 5 | Aric | Almirola | 0 | 15 | 404 | -13 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| 6 | Jeff | Gordon | 0 | 16 | 398 | -19 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 7 | Jeff | Burton | 0 | 17 | 390 | -27 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 8 | Ryan | Newman | 0 | 18 | 389 | -28 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| 9 | Ricky | Stenhouse | 0 | 19 | 389 | -28 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Kurt | Busch | 0 | 20 | 384 | -33 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 11 | David | Ragan | 1 | 28 | 265 | -152 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
At Sonoma Raceway:
History
· The track opened as a 2.52-mile road course and drag strip in 1968.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 11, 1989 – won by Ricky Rudd at a speed of 76.088 mph.
· The first nine races were 300 kilometers and 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.
Sonoma Raceway Data
Season Race #: 16 of 36 (06-23-13)
Track Size: 1.99-miles
Number of Turns: 12
Race Length: 110 laps / 219 miles / 350 Kilometers
| Top 12 Driver Rating at Sonoma | |
|---|---|
| Kurt Busch | 107.8 |
| Tony Stewart | 107.5 |
| Marcos Ambrose | 106.8 |
| Jeff Gordon | 101.1 |
| Juan Pablo Montoya | 97.8 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 96.6 |
| Clint Bowyer | 93.3 |
| Kyle Busch | 92.8 |
| Ryan Newman | 89.9 |
| Carl Edwards | 84.9 |
| Elliott Sadler | 84.9 |
| Jamie McMurray | 84.4 |
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (eight total) among active drivers at Sonoma Raceway.
Qualifying/Race Data
2012 pole winner: Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 95.262 mph, 75.203 secs. 6-22-12
2012 race winner: Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 83.624 mph, (02:39:55), 6-24-12
Track qualifying record: Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 95.262 mph, 75.203 secs. 6-22-12
Track race record: Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 83.624 mph, (02:39:55), 6-24-12
Notebook
· There have been 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma Raceway since the first race there in 1989 – one race per season.
· 184 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Sonoma Raceway; 131 in more than one.
· Mark Martin and Terry Labonte lead the series in starts at Sonoma with 21 each; followed by Bobby Labonteand Jeff Gordon with 20 each.
· Rusty Wallace won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Sonoma in 1989 with a speed of 90.041 mph.
· 15 drivers have Coors Light poles at Sonoma, led by Jeff Gordon with five.
· Two drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Sonoma Ricky Rudd and Jeff Gordon. Ricky Ruddholds the record for most consecutive poles at Sonoma with three; fall 1990 through 1992.
· Jeff Gordon is the only active driver to have posted consecutive Coors Light poles at Sonoma: 1998-‘99 and 2004-’05.
· Youngest Sonoma pole winner: Joey Logano (6/26/2011 – 21 years, 1 month, 2 days).
· Oldest Sonoma pole winner: Rusty Wallace (6/25/2000 – 43 years, 10 months, 11 days).
· 16 different NSCS drivers have won at Sonoma Raceway, led by Jeff Gordon with five wins. Tony Stewart has the second most wins (two) among active drivers at Sonoma.
· Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in road course wins with nine (Sonoma, five; Watkins Glen, four); Tony Stewart has the second most road course wins all-time with seven (Watkins Glen, five; Sonoma, two).
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison holds the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series record for the most wins (six) at a single road course track - Riverside International Raceway.
· Jeff Gordon is the only driver to post consecutive wins (three total) at Sonoma Raceway (1988 and 1989 each from the pole and 2000 from the fifth starting position).
· Youngest Sonoma winner: Kyle Busch (6/22/2008 – 23 years, 1 month, 20 days).
· Oldest Sonoma winner: Ricky Rudd (6/23/2002 – 45 years, 9 months, 11 days).
· Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Sonoma in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with six: Jeff Gordon(five) and Jimmie Johnson (one).
· Six different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Sonoma; led by Chevrolet with 10 victories; followed byFord with six.
· Five of the 24 (20.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Jeff Gordon in 2004. Gordon is the only NSCS driver to win from the pole at Sonoma more than once.
· The Coors Light pole position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more wins (five) than any other starting position at Sonoma Raceway.
· Eight of the 24 (33.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from the front row: five from the pole and three from second place.
· 18 of the 24 (75.0%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Two of the 24 (8.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan was 32nd, by Juan Pablo Montoya in 2007.
· Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Sonoma with four; followed by Jeff Gordon and TonyStewart with three each.
· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at Sonoma with 12; followed by Ricky Rudd with 10.
· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at Sonoma with 16; followed by Mark Martin with 13.
· Marcos Ambrose leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Sonoma with a 5.000.
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Sonoma with an 8.550. Clint Bowyer (9.714) is the only other active driver with an average finish in the top 10.
· All but one of the nine active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners at Sonoma Raceway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Juan Pablo Montoya won at Sonoma in his rookie season and his first appearance at the 1.99-mile track, the fewest previous starts among the active NSCS winners.
· Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin competed at Sonoma Raceway eight times each before visiting Victory in Lane; the longest span of any the nine active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners. Johnson won in 2010 and Martin won in 1997.
· Terry Labonte leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Sonoma without visiting Victory Lane at 21.
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway was the June 27, 1999 race won by Jeff Gordon over Mark Martin with a MOV of 0.197 second.
· There have been three NASCAR Sprint Cup races resulting in a green-white-checkered finish at Sonoma Raceway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 2008 (110/112); 2009 (110/113) and 2012 (110/112).
· None of the 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions.
· Qualifying has never been cancelled in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway.
· Boris Said posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Sonoma Raceway (6/22/2003).
· Juan Pablo Montoya posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Sonoma Raceway (6/24/2007).
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Sonoma with 450 laps led in 20 starts.
· Danica Patrick will attempt to become the first female driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to compete at Sonoma Raceway.
· Patty Moise is the only female driver to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on a road course:
Track
|
Driver
|
Starting Position
|
Finishing Position
|
Date
|
Watkins Glen
|
Patty Moise
|
30
|
33
|
8/10/1987
|
Watkins Glen
|
Patty Moise
|
33
|
30
|
8/14/1988
|
NASCAR in California
· There have been 134 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in California.
| Track Name | City | NSCS |
|---|---|---|
| Riverside International Raceway | Riverside | 48 |
| Auto Club Speedway | Fontana | 24 |
| Sonoma Raceway | Sonoma | 24 |
| Ontario Motor Speedway | Ontario | 9 |
| California State Fairgrounds | Sacramento | 6 |
| Carrell Speedway | Gardena | 4 |
| Ascot Stadium | Los Angeles | 3 |
| Bay Meadows Race Track | San Mateo | 3 |
| Marchbanks Speedway | Hanford | 3 |
| Oakland Stadium | Oakland | 3 |
| Redwood Speedway | Eureka | 2 |
| Willow Springs Speedway | Lancaster | 2 |
| Capitol Speedway | Sacramento | 1 |
| Merced Fairgrounds | Merced | 1 |
| Santa Clara Fairgrounds | San Jose | 1 |
· 427 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as California.
| Driver | NSCS | NNS | NCWTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Gordon | 87 | 5 | 0 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 63 | 1 | 0 |
| Kevin Harvick | 21 | 39 | 14 |
| Marvin Panch | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Ernie Irvan | 15 | 3 | 0 |
| Dick Rathmann | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Dan Gurney | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Eddie Gray | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Parnelli Jones | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Eddie Pagan | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Robby Gordon | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Ray Elder | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Letner | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Marvin Porter | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dick Brooks | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Marvin Burke | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jim Cook | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Lou Figaro | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Graves | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnny Mantz | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Casey Mears | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Bill Norton | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| John Soares | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Danny Weinberg | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ron Hornaday Jr | 0 | 4 | 51 |
| Jason Leffler | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| David Gilliland | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Joe Ruttman | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| Boris Said | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mike Skinner | 0 | 1 | 28 |
| Matt Crafton | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Kyle Larson | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Justin Lofton | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Scott Speed | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brandon Whitt | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)