Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Greg Biffle on Sonoma: "I'm a fan of road courses"

Greg Biffle is 40/1 to win at Sonoma.
CONCORD, N.C. (June 24, 2015) – Greg Biffle has proven over the years that he can hold his own when it comes to road course racing. Biffle was born and raised on the West coast and loves heading back that way, especially for road course racing. In his 12 career Sprint Cup starts at Sonoma, Biffle has earned two top-five and six top-10 finishes and has finished on the lead lap in 11 of those starts. Biffle’s last three starts at the 1.99-mile road course have resulted in top 10 finishes.

“I’m a fan of road courses,” said Biffle. “It gives us an opportunity to do something different a couple times a year. I enjoy the challenge. It’s always fun, it’s always something different and I look forward to it.”

Biffle has also found success in multiple series at the other road course race on the schedule, Watkins Glen. In the Sprint Cup Series at Watkins Glen, Biffle has 12 starts, one top-five and four top 10-finishes. Biffle found himself in victory lane in 2000 behind the wheel of the No. 50 truck at The Glen. In his five XFINITY Series starts at Watkins Glen, Biffle has two top-five and three top-10 finishes.

The Washington native knows his way around a road course and looks to continue his streak of top-10 finishes with another solid run this weekend in his No. 16 Ortho Ford Fusion.

Roush Fenway Racing is the winningest team in NASCAR history, fielding multiple teams in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series competition with drivers Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne, Elliott Sadler, Ryan Reed, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace. Now in its 28th season, Roush Fenway is a leader in driver development, having launched the careers for many of the top drivers in the sport. Off-track, Roush Fenway is a leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, pioneering motorsport’s first team-focused TV show and producing multiple award-winning digital and experiential marketing campaigns. Roush Fenway is co-owned by Jack Roush, the winningest team owner in NASCAR history and Fenway Sports Group, parent company of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox and English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C. Visit RoushFenway.com, circle on Google+, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway.

- Roush Fenway Racing

Denny Hamlin looking to improve upon recent results at Sonoma

Denny Hamlin is 60/1 to win at Sonoma on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Freight Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:


Race: Toyota/Save Mart 350
Date/Time: June 28/12 p.m. PT
Distance: 110 laps/218.9 miles
Track Length: 1.99 miles
Track Shape: Road Course
Turns: 12
2014 Winner: Carl Edwards

Express Notes:

Michigan Recap
: Denny Hamlin finished 11th in the rain-shortened NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway on June 14, benefiting from a caution midway through a cycle of green flag pit stops to regain track position prior to a big rain shower that ended the event at the two-mile track won by Kurt Busch. Hamlin lost position early in the race after a four-tire stop moved him back to 24th from a 13th-place starting position in the #11 FedEx Express Toyota. The race — scheduled for 200 laps — was red-flagged three different times for rain, and was called after just 138 laps. Hamlin battled a loose condition from the drop of the green flag, and the condition worsened in Turn 3 on restarts on a green race track. The handle started to come to him after the second rain delay, with Hamlin turning laps equal to the leaders as the race reached the scheduled midway point. Busch won his second race of the year, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano. The finish by Hamlin kept him 13th in the NASCAR standings after 15 of 26 regular season races, 164 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.

Sonoma Preview: The Series heads to Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway for the first of two road course events this season on the 1.99-mile, 12-turn layout. Hamlin is making his 10th start at Sonoma this weekend, with a career-best fifth-place result at the track in 2009, in which he led 33 laps. One year ago, Hamlin started 16th and finished 26th in the race won by Carl Edwards. Sunday’s event will cover 110 laps and 218.9 miles.

Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Sonoma Raceway

Races: 9
Wins: 0
Top-5: 1
Top-10: 2
Average Start: 19.8
Average Finish: 23.2
Laps Led: 48

Hamlin Conversation — SONOMA:

How will you approach Sonoma this weekend?

“Sonoma is definitely a more technical road course than Watkins Glen. It’s tight with a lot of elevation changes. We haven’t run particularly well there over the last few years, but late-race incidents have taken us out of better finishes in a lot of those races. It’s important to put in a good qualifying effort to be up front and try to maintain track position during the race, and hopefully the strategy plays out right for our FedEx team and we’re around at the end.”

Chico, Calif., Along for the Ride in Sonoma: The FedEx Freight service center in Chico, Calif., will be recognized with its “CHI” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota this weekend at Sonoma Raceway.

FedEx Office – Closest to Sonoma Raceway: 901 East Washington St., Petaluma, CA 94952, (707) 763-6553

2015 FEDEX RACING TEAM – SEASON RESULTS
DATEEVENTLOCATIONSTARTFINISHLAPSSTATUSWINNINGSLEDPTSTREND
Feb. 22Daytona 500Daytona424203/203Running$680,48344th▬
March 1Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500Atlanta438284/325Running$111,1051419th▼
March 8Kobalt 400Las Vegas195267/267Running$162,3808th▲
March 15Camping World 500Phoenix2523312/312Running$92,85513th▼
March 22Auto Club 400Fontana628209/209Running$106.4855614th▼
March 29STP 500Martinsville151500/500Running$172,260917th▲
April 11Duck Commander 500Texas1811334/334Running$146,5258th▼
April 19Food City 500Bristol*526505/511Running$109,20011th▼
April 26Toyota Owners 400Richmond222398/400Running$95,35012th▼
May 3GEICO 500Talladega179188/188Running$127,645510th▲
May 9SpongBob SquarePants 400Kansas1341205/267Running$79,33015th▼
May 24Coca-Cola 600Charlotte58400/400Running$143,7205315th▬
May 31FedEx 400Dover121402/405Running$129,61011814th▲
June 7Axalta 400Pocono810160/160Running$101,61513th▲
June 14Quicken Loans 400Michigan1311138/138Running$106,01513th▬
Averages/Totals12.917.297.5% $2,364,578341  
* Drivers: Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones

- Weber Shandwick Worldwide for FedEx Racing

Four drivers listed as co-favorites for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

Jeff Gordon going for his 10th road course win this week
LAS VEGAS -- It wasn't long ago that Sprint Cup road course races were dominated by a select few each and every year, but over the past 10 races at Sonoma Raceway, we have seen 10 different drivers visit victory lane. There is parity on the roads like never before, and the odds posted at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook indicate just how close things are. Four drivers open as 6-to-1 co-favorites to win Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350.

With 11 races remaining until the Chase begins, several drivers on the bubble will look at Sunday's race as an opportunity to punch a ticket with a win. It's sort of a wild-card race – if a driver runs his lines perfectly throughout the 110-laps, he can make up horsepower deficits experienced at other tracks.

Let's take a look at this week's opening odds, as well as how the drivers have stacked up at Sonoma over their careers.

JEFF GORDON 6/1: He is simply the best all-time with nine road course wins, five of them at Sonoma, where he has a 7.9 average finish in 22 starts. Despite not winning there since 2006, he has maintained a 4.5 average finish in the eight starts since. In addition to hailing from nearby Vallejo and this likely being his final race on his hometown track, he's also in desperation mode with no wins on the season and is trying to get an automatic bid into the Chase with a win. With Marcos Ambrose, Robby Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya no longer in the series and Tony Stewart not his usual self, Gordon is unquestionably 'King of the Roads' again. Back in the days when he held that crown with little resistance from the rest of field, bettors would be lucky to get 5-to-2 odds him. At 6-to-1, he's got a lot of value this week.

KEVIN HARVICK 6/1: He's got a win on the faster Watkins Glen course, but it's been a mixed bag at Sonoma's more technical course that features massive elevation changes. He's averaged a 15.9 finish in 14 starts (3 top-fives) here. Because he's on such a roll this season, anything is possible, but he's a prime bet-against candidate against several drivers at plus-money. Last season, his first with Stewart Haas Racing, he finished 20th at this race.

MARTIN TRUEX JR 6/1: He tasted the sweet Sonoma Valley victory wine in 2013, which remains his only top-five finish in nine Sonoma starts (18.7 average finish). The good news with backing Truex Jr. this week – beyond the fact he’s been fast everywhere this season – is that Kurt Busch run strong in the No. 78 with a fourth-place finish in 2013. Still, not much value at 6-to-1.

KURT BUSCH 6/1: He has the best chance to ruin Gordon's farewell homecoming and grab his third win of the season. He's had top-five finishes with four different cars at Sonoma (No. 97, No. 22, No. 51, No. 78), including a 2011 win, before finishing 12th last year in his first attempt in the SHR No. 41.

AJ ALLMENDINGER 8/1: He got his golden Chase ticket last season by winning at Watkins Glen and has great road-racing skills. But he has just a 19.3 average finish in six Sonoma starts, including two top-10 finishes.

JIMMIE JOHNSON 10/1: His hard work on the roads is a microcosm of what makes him the best overall driver in NASCAR. Like a bad free-throw shooter who works all summer to improve and has instant success the next basketball season, Johnson listened to tips from teammate Gordon and studied the top drivers’ approach in and out of each turn, and taught himself to be efficient. In his first seven starts at Sonoma, he had five finishes of 15th or worse. In his past six starts, he's averaged a 5.5 finish, including a 2010 win. Yes, there is no coincidence the guy has 74 career wins.

CARL EDWARDS 12/1: He's become one of the better road course drivers in the series and grabbed his first win last season at Sonoma. He was also third-place in two of the previous three seasons. The biggest question with Edwards this week is how he'll fare driving a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on the 10-turn layout for the first time. Chances are he'll be very competitive, and 12-to-1 is better than expected. He’ll be attractive at plus-money in matchup props against driver like Harvick or Allmendinger.

Read More Here....complete list of odds from Westgate

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Carl Edwards "headed to Sonoma for the most fun race of the season"

Carl Edwards is 12/1 to win at Sonoma on Sunday.
Carl Edwards / No. 19 STANLEY Toyota Preview
Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

No. 19 STANLEY Toyota News and Notes:
Edwards and the No. 19 Stanley team head to wine country in the Sonoma Mountains of northern California this weekend for the Toyota/SaveMart 350. The 110 lap race is the first road course of the season and Edwards is the defending race champion.

In 10 starts at Sonoma Raceway, Edwards has completed 1,104 of 1,107 laps (99.7 percent) and has led for a total of 40 laps. Edwards has earned one win, three top-five and five top-10 finishes there. His average start is 16.4 and his average finish is 14.1.

RACE INFO: Toyota/SaveMart 350 at Sonoma Raceway (2.0-mile road course) begins at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 28th. The race will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1, Sirius XM Channel 90 and PRN Radio.

Edwards’ 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season Stats:
StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedEarningsStartAvg. Finish
151120202$1,903,3939.318.1
Edwards’ Career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Stats:
StartsWinsTop 5Top 10PolesLaps LedEarningsAvg. StartAvg. Finish
38824109189135,044$ 76,589,61315.113.7

From the Cockpit:
Carl Edwards:
“We are ; it’s pure driving, left, right, using all the gears, managing the tires, and pit strategy comes in to play. This is a tough race and it’s also one of the most physically demanding races. It’s mentally-tasking. For all those reasons it was a blast to win there last year. Hopefully, we can come out there and defend our race win from last year which was really one of the coolest wins I have ever had. We come out there and represent Stanley, which has been a great partner and I have had a lot of fun with them. Marcos Ambrose always did a great job for them on the road courses, so hopefully I can keep that going. Like I said, it’s a fun race track and we’ve already got a win this season. Our mission is to go out there and just have a good time. Our guys have put a lot of work into our road course program and I am excited to see what it’s like driving a Toyota out there.”

About Stanley Black & Decker:
Stanley Black & Decker, an S&P 500 company, is a diversified global provider of hand tools, power tools and related accessories, mechanical access and electronic security solutions, healthcare solutions, engineered fastening systems, and more. Well-known brands include: STANLEY, BLACK+DECKER, DEWALT, Porter-Cable, Bostitch, Facom, Mac Tools, Proto, Vidmar, Lista, and more.

- Joe Gibbs Racing

Martin Truex Jr. comes in as 6-to-1 co-favorite to win at Sonoma

Martin Truex Jr. is 6-to-1 co-favorite to win at Sonoma Sunday
DENVER, Colo. (June 23, 2015) – The statistics and performances bear out that Martin Truex Jr. has been competitive at all shapes and sizes of racetracks during the first 15 races of the current NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Truex’s successful start includes one win, five top-fives, 14 top-10s and a second-place ranking in driver points. With his third-place result at the recent race in Michigan, he became the first driver to register 14 top-10s in the first 15 races since Richard Petty accomplished that feat in 1969.

Truex and his single-car Furniture Row Racing team will face a new challenge when the Sprint Cup Series heads to Sonoma Raceway in Northern California for Sunday’s 110-lap, Toyota/Save Mart 350, the first road race of the season.

“I enjoy road-course racing,” said Truex, who will turn 35 on Monday (June 29). “When I started racing in go-karts it was on road courses and it’s always been a nice change of pace for us to compete at the Sonoma and Watkins Glen road courses.”

Looking at Truex’s Sprint Cup history, it backs up his liking for the road-course races. Two years ago he won the Sonoma road race, which was his previous Cup win before capturing the victory at Pocono Raceway on June 7.

In nine Cup starts on the 11-turn, 1.99-mile Sonoma circuit, Truex has finished on the lead lap in all but one race (2010 he crashed), and in nine starts at the Watkins Glen road course in central New York, he finished on the lead lap in every race.

“I like Sonoma Raceway, especially when I won there two years ago,” said Truex. “I like the track, it’s fun, but it also can get crazy there. It’s a place where you definitely need to be out front towards the end of the race. That’s what you work for all day — to put yourself in position strategy wise and fuel mileage wise.

“When those cautions at the end start coming out and if you’re not in the front two rows the chances are you’re going to get hit and knocked off the track. The chances go up with every row you move back from the first two. Last year we had an up and down day there (finished 15th). Hopefully we’ll have something a little smoother this year like I had a two years ago.”

When asked if he has any apprehension about taking his momentum to a road course, Truex said, “I think we learned a lot everywhere we went last year. That’s a big part of the reason why we have been so much more successful this year. Sonoma was a place we didn’t do that well last year and we’re looking forward to going back there and turning the tables.”

Truex Jr.’s Sonoma Raceway Record
YearStartFinishStatus/LapsLaps Led
20063915Running,110/1100108,283
20071824Running,110/1100101,795
20082516Running,112/1120113,433
2009625Running,113/1130114,913
20101042Crash,66/110170,930
2011148Running,110/1100104,325
2012522Running,112/11215111,844
2013141Running,110/11051309,250
20141815Running,100/1100123,643

Truex’s 2015 Sprint Cup Series Results 
No.DateEventStFnLapsLedStatusMoneyPointsStanding
12/22Daytona 500108203/2031Running489,772378
23/1Atlanta146325/3250Running150,61538/755
33/8Las Vegas82267/2673Running268,95043/1184
43/15Phoenix157312/3120Running121,02537/1553
53/22Fontana128209/2095Running136,24037/1923
63/29Martinsville36500/50023Running118,66539/2313
74/11Fort Worth159334/3340Running163,38035/2663
84/19Bristol1629504/5110Running120,12015/2813
94/26Richmond610400/4000Running114,71034/3153
105/3Talladega365188/1880Running169,60039/3542
115/9Kansas49267/26795Running122,06037/3912
125/24Charlotte95600/00131Running187,35041/4322
135/31Dover26405/405131Running148,81540/4722
146/7Pocono31160/16097Running201,81048/5202
156/14Michigan93138/1380Running137,58041/5612
Top 5s: 5  Top 10s: 14  Laps Led: 486 Avg. Start: 10.8  Avg. Finish: 7.6  Money: $2,650,692

- DMF Communications for Furniture Row Racing

Sonoma Toyota/Save Mart 350 Betting Preview: Gordon to take back crown?

A different type of racing this week from what we've seen so far in 2015
LAS VEGAS -- We've got a little something different in the Sprint Cup series this week that should appeal to a larger audience than normal. For most auto racing fans across the world, they like viewing races on a road course or street circuit, but 34 of the 36 Cup races here in America are on some variation of an oval with continuous left-turns -- just going round and round. This week we get both left and right turns at Sonoma Raceway.

Yes, it's NASCAR road racing in Northern California wine country, where the true skills of a drivers' racing ability come to the forefront like no other in the series. There are only two road course races per season, but between Sonoma and Watkins Glen, this is the much more technical course because of the 160 feet of elevation changes from its highest to lowest point along the 10-turn course. Watkins Glen runs much faster with longer straightaways where Sonoma has tight turns that force drivers to slow down like no where else.

One of the unique features about road course racing is the strategy where teams almost run the race backwards with pit sequences over the course of 110 laps so they can position themselves the best to be as close to the front as possible on their final fuel run. Passing is difficult, but those that do it the best continually find themselves in contention and it usually seems to be the same drivers that get it done the best.

The driver that has had the most success on road courses in NASCAR history has beenJeff Gordon with nine -- five at Sonoma which is considered his home track since he grew up in nearby Vallejo. He hasn't won on a road course since 2006, but he has been runner-up in three of his past four Sonoma starts.

Gordon hasn't won a race this season in what is supposed to be the final Cup season of his career, but this week looks like his best chance. The reason is kind of simple: all of his top competitors that have kept him from winning a road race lately are out of the series. Marcos Ambrose went back to Australia, Juan Pablo Montoya went to IndyCar, Robby Gordon left for other ventures and Tony Stewart is a shadow of his former self. The competition has dwindled, and while several other drivers have eventually become very good on the roads over their careers, others such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth haven't had much success.

The top candidates to derail Gordon's first win of the season, and an automatic ticket into the Chase as only 11 races remain until the tournament begins, are Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch. Each have won at Sonoma once, but more importantly they've been competitive over the long haul. Martin Truex Jr., who has been rolling lately on the ovals, won in 2013, but he's still only averaged an 18th-place finish over nine starts.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Updated Westgate odds to win 2015 Sprint Cup heading into Sonoma

Road course is great Chase wild card opportunity   
2015 SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

JIMMIE JOHNSON 6
KEVIN HARVICK 7-2
JEFF GORDON 12
BRAD KESELOWSKI 10
JOEY LOGANO 10
MATT KENSETH 10
KYLE BUSCH 25
CARL EDWARDS 15
DENNY HAMLIN 15
DALE EARNHARDT JR 10
KYLE LARSON 40
TONY STEWART 100
KURT BUSCH 8
KASEY KAHNE 20
RYAN NEWMAN 80
CLINT BOWYER 100
JAMIE McMURRAY 100
GREG BIFFLE 100
AUSTIN DILLON 200
BRIAN VICKERS xxxx
PAUL MENARD 200
MARTIN TRUEX JR 7
AJ ALLMENDINGER 500
TREVOR BAYNE 500
SAM HORNISH JR 500
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 500
DANICA PATRICK 500
FIELD 500

Sonoma Raceway Track Facts: 2015 Toyota/Save Mart 350

Martin Truex Jr. tasted the victory wine at Sonoma Raceway in 2013.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2015 Top 16 at Sonoma Raceway

Driver
Races
Poles
Wins
Top Fives
Top 10s
DNFs
Average Finish
Driver Rating
 
 
1
Kevin Harvick
14
0
0
3
5
0
15.9
84.6
 
2
Martin Truex Jr.
9
0
1
1
2
1
18.7
86.1
 
3
Joey Logano
6
1
0
0
2
0
15.8
79.4
 
4
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
15
0
0
1
1
1
20.3
72.1
 
5
Jimmie Johnson
13
0
1
4
8
1
12.9
98.8
 
6
Brad Keselowski
5
0
0
0
1
1
20.0
73.9
 
7
Jamie McMurray
12
3
0
2
2
0
16.7
87.8
 
8
Matt Kenseth
15
0
0
0
1
1
22.1
75.4
 
9
Kasey Kahne
11
2
1
2
4
0
19.1
85.5
 
10
Jeff Gordon
22
5
5
14
18
1
8.0
103.4
 
11
Kurt Busch
14
1
1
6
6
0
15.7
106.5
 
12
Paul Menard
7
0
0
1
1
0
19.0
65.4
 
13
Denny Hamlin
9
0
0
1
2
1
23.2
77.4
 
14
Carl Edwards
10
0
1
3
5
0
14.1
90.1
 
15
Aric Almirola
4
0
0
0
0
0
24.8
56.7
 
16
Ryan Newman
13
0
0
2
5
0
12.9
88.4
 
* – Based on last 10 races at Sonoma Raceway.



Sonoma Raceway Data
Season Race #: 16 of 36 (06-28-15)
Track Size: 1.99-miles
Number of Turns: 12
Race Length: 110 laps / 219 miles / 350 Kilometers

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Sonoma
Kurt Busch................................ 106.5
Jeff Gordon.............................. 103.4
Tony Stewart............................... 98.8
Jimmie Johnson.......................... 98.8
Clint Bowyer............................... 95.0
Carl Edwards.............................. 90.1
Ryan Newman............................. 88.4
Jamie McMurray.......................... 87.8
Martin Truex Jr............................ 86.1
Kasey Kahne.............................. 85.5
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2014 races (10 total) among active drivers at Sonoma Raceway.

Qualifying/Race Data
2014 pole winner:
Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet
96.350 mph, 74.354 secs. 06-20-14

2014 race winner:
Carl Edwards, Ford
76.583 mph, (02:51:30), 06-22-14

Track qualifying record:
Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet
96.350 mph, 74.354 secs. 06-20-14

Track race record:
Clint Bowyer, Toyota
83.624 mph, (02:39:55), 06-24-12

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.
Notebook
·         There have been 26 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma Raceway since the first race there in 1989 – one race per season.
·         198 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway; 137 in more than one.
·         Jeff Gordon leads the series in starts at Sonoma with 22; Tony Stewart is the next active driver with 16 starts.
·         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.
·         Three drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Sonoma Ricky Rudd, Jeff Gordon (1998, ’99 and 2004, ’05) and Jamie McMurray (2013, ’14). Ricky Rudd holds the record for most consecutive poles at Sonoma with three; fall 1990 through 1992.
·         Youngest Sonoma pole winner: Joey Logano (06/26/2011 – 21 years, 1 month, 2 days).
·         Oldest Sonoma pole winner: Rusty Wallace (06/25/2000 – 43 years, 10 months, 11 days).
·         There have been 10 different winners in the last 10 races at Sonoma Raceway.


·         18 different NSCS drivers have won at Sonoma Raceway, led by Jeff Gordon with five wins. Tony Stewarthas the second most wins (two) among active drivers at Sonoma; eight other active drivers have a single win.
·         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 (1998 and 1999 each from the pole and 2000 from the fifth starting position).
·         Youngest Sonoma winner: Kyle Busch (06/22/2008 – 23 years, 1 month, 20 days).
·         Oldest Sonoma winner: Ricky Rudd (06/23/2002 – 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 seven, Toyota (three), Dodge (three), Pontiac (two) and Buick (one).
·         Five of the 26 (19.2%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 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 (1998, 1999 and 2004).
·         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 26 (30.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Sonoma have been won from the front row: five from the pole and three from second-place.
·         19 of the 26 (73%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from a top-10 starting position.
·         Seven of the 26 (26.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Sonoma have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.
·         Two of the 26 (7.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 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.
·         Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Sonoma with four; followed by TonyStewart with three.
·         Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at Sonoma with 14; followed by Ricky Rudd with 10.   
·         Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at Sonoma with 18; followed by Mark Martin with 13.

·         Jeff Gordon leads the series in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Sonoma with a 7.818.
·         Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Sonoma with a 7.955. Clint Bowyer (9.222) is the only other active driver with an average finish in the top 10.
·         Carl Edwards competed at Sonoma Raceway 10 times before before visiting Victory in Lane; the longest span of any the 10 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.    
·         Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. lead the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Sonoma without visiting Victory Lane at 15 each.
·         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 Series races resulting with 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 Series 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 457 laps led in 22 starts.    
·         Danica Patrick is the only female driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to compete at Sonoma Raceway.
Date
Driver
Starting Position
Finishing Position
Driver Rating
6/23/2013
Danica Patrick
31
29
43.0
6/22/2014
Danica Patrick
11
18
69.6

NASCAR in California
·         There have been 138 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at 15 tracks in California.
Track Name
City
NSCS
Riverside International Raceway
Riverside
48
Auto Club Speedway
Fontana
26
Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma
26
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
·         431 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as California.
Driver
NSCS
NXS
NCWTS
Jeff Gordon
92
5
0
Jimmie Johnson
74
1
0
Kevin Harvick
30
46
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
AJ Allmendinger
1
2
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
Kyle Larson
0
2
1
Jason Leffler
0
2
1
David Gilliland
0
1
0
Ryan Reed
0
1
0
Joe Ruttman
0
1
13
Boris Said
0
1
1
Mike Skinner
0
1
28
Matt Crafton
0
0
8
Cole Custer
0
0
2
Tyler Reddick
0
0
2
Justin Lofton
0
0
1
Scott Speed
0
0
1
Brandon Whitt
0
0
1

MILESTONES – SONOMA RACEWAY

DRIVER
HAS
NEEDS
MILESTONE
Brad Keselowski
299
1
300th Consecutive NSCS Start - Keselowski is 15th on the active consecutive NSCS starts list. 
Jimmie Johnson
74
2
76th NSCS Win - Jimmie Johnson is eighth on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt in seventh (76 wins).
Tony Stewart
48
2
50th NSCS Win - Stewart is 13th on the all-time NSCS wins list, two wins behind NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett in 12th (50 wins).
Matt Kenseth
32
1
33rd NSCS Win - Kenseth is tied with Dale Jarrett for 22nd on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Fireball Roberts in 21st (33 wins).
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
24
1
25th NSCS Win - Earnhardt Jr. is tied with Carl Edwards for 30th on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Joe Weatherly and Denny Hamlin in 29th (25 wins).
Carl Edwards
24
1
25th NSCS Win - Edwards is tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for 30th on the all-time NSCS wins list, one win behind Joe Weatherly and Denny Hamlin in 29th (25 wins).
Kevin Harvick
10
1
11th NSCS Top-2 Finish in the first 16 races of the season - Harvick is tied with NASCAR Hall of Famers Cale Yarborough (1977) and Richard Petty (1971 and 1974) for the most top-2 finishes (10) in the first 15 races of the season. If Harvick finishes in the top-2 this weekend at Sonoma he will tie Bobby Allison (1972), as the only two drivers in series history to have 11 top-2 finishes in the first 16 races of the NSCS season. 
Kevin Harvick
124
1
125th NSCS Top-Five Finish - Harvick is 27th on the all-time NSCS top fives list, 10 top-fives behind Jeff Burton, Bobby Isaac and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 26th (134 each).
Jeff Gordon
24,826
174
25,000 NSCS Laps Led - Gordon can become the sixth driver in NSCS history to lead 25,000 laps.
Matt Kenseth
9,597
403
10,000 NSCS Laps Led - Kenseth can become the 16th driver in series history to lead 10,000 or more laps. 
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7,954
46
8,000 NSCS Laps Led - Earnhardt can become the 23rd driver in series history to lead 8,000 or more laps. 
#43 car
199
1
200 NSCS Wins - The No. 43 car is second on the all-time NSCS wins list, five wins behind the No. 11 car in first (204).