Hendrick Motorsports extends Chase Elliott contract four years

Chase Elliott battled at Sonoma finishing eighth..

CONCORD, N.C. (June 27, 2017) – Hendrick Motorsports and driver Chase Elliott have agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep the 2016 NASCAR Cup Series rookie of the year with the No. 24 Chevrolet SS team through the end of the 2022 racing season.

Elliott, who signed with Hendrick Motorsports in February 2011 as a 15-year-old high school freshman, has emerged as one of NASCAR’s rising stars. In 2016, he earned a Cup playoff berth and was the series' top rookie after posting 10 top-five finishes, 17 top-10s and two pole positions, including the season-opening Daytona 500. Through 16 points races of his sophomore season, he is sixth in the Cup standings.

At just 18 years old, Elliott became a second-generation NASCAR champion after winning the 2014 XFINITY Series title while driving for Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports. Now 21, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native and son of 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott has already earned seven wins, 54 top-five finishes and 96 top-10s across NASCAR’s three national series.

“It means the world to me to be a part of this organization, and I couldn’t be happier (about the extension),” said Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS. “I wouldn’t want to drive for anybody else but Hendrick Motorsports. I am very proud to be where I am, and I definitely take it upon myself to work hard and make sure I do my part for the company as we move forward.”

In addition to his performance on the track, Elliott has been voted by fans as most popular driver four times across two NASCAR divisions: K&N Series East (2011 and 2012) and XFINITY Series (2014 and 2015). Fans voted him into the NASCAR All-Star Race in each of the last two seasons (2016 and 2017), and he currently ranks in the top three among all drivers in licensed merchandise sales.

Earlier this year, Elliott established the non-profit Chase Elliott Foundation, which is dedicated to providing support and financial assistance to well-qualified charitable organizations with an emphasis on helping others live healthier, happier lives. Already, the foundation has raised more than $60,000 in support of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta through its “24 Days of Christmas” online auction and “Design 2 Drive 4 Children’s” racing shoe program.

“As both a driver and a person, where Chase is today at 21 years old is unbelievable,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “With all the expectations and pressure, he’s stayed focused on being himself and working as hard as he can. The pure driving talent has always been obvious, and he’s doing so many great things off the track. He’ll be a big part of our organization and our sport for many years. I’m looking forward to watching him continue to grow with us.”

Elliott’s previous contract with Hendrick Motorsports ran through 2018.

ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 248 points-paying race victories and a record 12 car owner championships in the premier NASCAR Cup Series. The organization fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Cup circuit with drivers Kasey Kahne, Chase Elliott, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs more than 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Kevin Harvick gets first 2017 win in new Ford at Sonoma

Kevin Harvick wins Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

Sonoma Race Results

Final Sonoma Driver Ratings: 2017 Toyota/Save Mart 350

Martin Truex Jr. has a nice set-up in his car this weekend; he should compete for the win on Sunday.

Micah Roberts' Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Driver Ratings
Toyota/Save Mart 350
Sonoma Raceway
Sunday, June 25, 2017 - 3:16 pm ET
RATED DRIVER     ODDS                  PRAC 1      PRAC 2       START 
 1. Kyle Busch 5/1                  9th         2nd         4th
 2. Kyle Larson 12/1              14th         1st         1st
 3. Denny Hamlin 18/1            2nd        27th       14th
 4. Clint Bowyer 8/1                 4th         8th        13th
 5. Martin Truex Jr. 9/2            1st        10th         3rd
 6. A.J. Allmendinger 8/1         7th          4th         5th
 7. Kevin Harvick 7/1              15th         7th        12th
 8. Kurt Busch 7/1                  18th         6th        17th
 9. Jamie McMurray 25/1        20th         5th         2nd
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 40/1      5th         3rd        10th
11. Chase Elliott 30/1              8th        11th         8th
12. Jimmie Johnson 8/1          16th       21st        24th
13. Danica Patrick 500/1         13th       12th         6th
14. Brad Keselowski 25/1        17th        9th        23rd
15. Joey Logano 18/1              10th       16th       18th

Opening odds courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

Micah Roberts, a former Las Vegas sports book director, has been setting auto racing odds in Las Vegas since 1994.

Hamlin carries road course confidence into Sonoma

Denny Hamlin is 18/1 to win at Somona. He was second in 2016.

Denny Hamlin
#11 FedEx Ground Toyota
Joe Gibbs Racing

Race Info:
Race: Toyota/Save Mart 350
Date/Time: June 25/3 PM ET
Distance: 110 Laps/218.9 Miles
Track Length: 1.99-mile
Track Shape: Road Course
Turns: 12
2016 Winner: Tony Stewart

Express Notes:

Michigan Recap: Denny Hamlin finished fourth in Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, capturing his third top-five finish of the season in the #11 FedEx Office Toyota. Hamlin lined up second for the final restart alongside Kyle Larson with five laps remaining, but the non-preferred inside line proved menacing, as Hamlin slipped to third by Turn 2. He battled with Joey Logano for the remaining circuits and took the checkered flag in fourth. Hamlin started fifth and showed strong speed throughout the 200-lap race. He finished fourth in Stage 1, but a lengthy pit stop during the break moved him outside the top-10 for the start of Stage 2. He worked his way through traffic to finish that stage in seventh. The race’s final segment saw a lengthy green-flag run, with Hamlin methodically moving up in the running order. A flurry of late-race cautions bunched the field, with drivers in the outside groove on restarts having a decided advantage. Hamlin’s finish keeps the #11 team ninth in the current NASCAR standings following Michigan.

Sonoma Preview: The Series heads to Sonoma Raceway for the first road course event on the 2017 NASCAR schedule. In 11 starts at the California track, Hamlin has two top-five and three top-10 finishes. He has led 81 laps at the road course, notching 33 of those laps after a stellar performance during last year’s race at the 1.99-mile track; the same race where Hamlin went on to score a career-best second-place finish, narrowly missing the win after a thrilling last-lap battle with Tony Stewart.

Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares: This season, FedEx is tying the performance of the #11 FedEx Toyota on the track to its efforts to improve road safety through a new program, Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares, by donating $111 for each lap Hamlin leads and $11,000 for each race victory to Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit working to protect kids on the road, at home and at play. FedEx will also contribute $111,000 to Safe Kids if the #11 team wins the 2017 NASCAR championship.

To date, FedEx has donated $16,761 to Safe Kids through the Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares program. Fans can track the total amount donated to date from the Delivering Laps for FedEx Cares program on the homepage of FedExRacing.com.

Press Kit: Download the 2017 FedEx Racing press materials at www.fedexracing.com/presskit, including bios for Denny Hamlin, Mike Wheeler and Joe Gibbs Racing leadership, program highlights, statistics and 2017 crew roster.

Hamlin Statistics:
Track: Sonoma Raceway
Races: 11
Wins: 0
Top-5: 2
Top-10: 3
Poles: 0
Average Start: 18.1
Average Finish: 20.8
Laps Led: 81

Hamlin Conversation – SONOMA:

You had great success at road courses in 2016. How are you feeling heading back to Sonoma this weekend?
“Obviously, I still think about that battle with Tony (Stewart) last year (at Sonoma). We came so close to the win that weekend, and it was pretty disappointing to come up just short. It definitely restored our confidence when we went to Watkins Glen later that year, and I got my first-career road course win. We’ll use that momentum to our advantage this weekend to hopefully repeat similar results.”

Great Plains District Team Along for the Ride at Sonoma: The FedEx Ground Great Plains District team will be recognized for their excellent customer service by having its “GPLS” code letters on the b-post of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota at Sonoma Raceway.

Sonoma Betting Preview: 2017 Toyota/Save Mart 350

The Las Vegas Busch brothers finished 1-2 at Sonoma in 2015. 

LAS VEGAS -- My favorite type of racing has always been on a road course whether asphalt or dirt watching BMX, go-karts, motorcycles, Formula One, Indy Cars or NASCAR's stock cars. Nothing against racing on ovals, but making 1,000 left turns while going in circles can get a little repetitive. And to me, the true mark of a great driver is how they perform on the roads when they have to also make right turns. 

The two-race road course season starts Sunday at Sonoma Raceway located within the scenic wine country in northern California. There's nothing quite like it on the tour just because of the scenery and the drivers all take advantage of their surroundings. 

“It’s a fun weekend for everyone in the garage area,” said 2012 Sonoma winner Clint Bowyer. “It’s almost like vacation, it really is for everybody — the wives, the girlfriends – they all go on wine tours, we get done with practice and have our hands full with a complete mess on our hands. Nonetheless, everybody is having a lot of fun.” 

Yes, spas, wineries and total tranquility despite these big heavy stock cars making some serious noise over the weekend. It's beautiful! So let's do the double date thing. Get the girls, grab a blanket, fill the picnic basket up with a variety of nuts and cheeses and I'll grab the bottles of wine and get us entry into the track. We'll find a nice spot on top one of Sonoma Raceway's rolling hills and we'll watch NASCAR in a way like you've never imagined stock car racing could be viewed. 

Read More Here.......Top-5 Finish Prediction on VegasInsider.com

Sonoma has been a part of Kevin Harvick's entire racing life

Kevin Harvick is 7/1 to win at Sonoma.

KEVIN HARVICK, Driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion: 

What is the first thing you think of when you think of Sonoma? 

“The first thing I think of when we are going to Sonoma is that we are going road racing. It’s definitely the first road race of the year and Sonoma is a very technical, slower-type road course. I’ve been fortunate to race there for a long time and look forward to going there every year.” 

Sonoma is one of only two road courses on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule and it’s widely regarded as the more technical of the two. What are the big differences between Sonoma and Watkins Glen? 

“I think the biggest difference between Sonoma and Watkins Glen is that the speeds are drastically different. Sonoma is a much tighter course with sharper corners and a lot less speed, where you don’t really even use fourth gear, unless you’re saving gas. It’s a much slower track than Watkins Glen and the tires fall off a lot more than they do at The Glen. So, you’ve got to get your car to technically be very good as it turns the corner, but also keep track of the forward grip as you go through a run.” 

What can you tell me about your days in the late 1990s running in the West Series? 

“I guess it was the middle of 1997, I went to work for Wayne and Connie Spears to basically be a mechanic for about $24,000 a year. I just wanted the opportunity to race something. We had kind of gone through the point of all of our family stuff and where we were on that stuff because we couldn’t really afford to keep going racing cars and doing all the things that we were doing. I went to work there as a mechanic hoping I would get a shot to drive. I got the shot to drive my first race in Bakersfield (California) in the Winston West Series. Then I got to drive in the Truck Series at Louisville (Kentucky). I think the track in Louisville was nine turns and a jump. That was the coolest racetrack. Every time we showed up, there would be 15,000 people packed around this little D-shaped racetrack. It was one of those racetracks that you never got full throttle. You’d wait for the jack stub to hit in the last corner, then you’d jump toward the finish line. I only went there a couple years but, every year I went there, someone would back into the fence in qualifying trying to get to the start-finish line. If you drove it to the finish line, you’d back into the fence in turn one. Mike Wallace can vouch for that because I remember seeing him back it into the fence there. 

“That all led into the 1998 season. I drove the second half of the Truck Series season for Wayne and Connie Spears. So we decided going in to 1998 that we were going to start off running the full truck series schedule and the first part of the Winston West schedule. I think we started (the K&N Pro Series West season) off in Tucson (Arizona). We had a good run there. We wound up going to Las Vegas and winning the race. The next thing we know, we are two or three races into the season and leading the points. So Wayne – you just have to know Wayne to be able to understand his enthusiasm for racing and the way that he approaches things, he’s a cool old dude – he said, ‘Alright, we’re going to run them both.’ So I’m like, ‘Perfect.’ I was 21 or 22 years old and I was going to go run the full Truck Series schedule and the full West Series. We wound up winning the third (West Series) race of the season in Las Vegas. I think we won five West Series races that season – we won in Las Vegas, Altamont Raceway, Pikes Peak – which is one of the coolest racetracks I’ve ever raced at, Sonoma, and probably the biggest win that we had that year was at California Speedway. I got to race against Ken Schrader. It was the first time I’d ever been around his car close enough on a racetrack to even see what was on the back bumper, the side of his car or what the front bumper looked like, because he won pretty much every Southwest Tour race, Winston West race and he ran pretty much every type of race you could run in the country. It was just one of those years where we had fun everywhere we went. 

“So we get done with the second or third race of the season and Wayne decides we are going to run the whole schedule, but he said he had some rules about what we have to do in order to get to that. He told me he wasn’t buying another truck and trailer and you only have one car. I was like, ‘OK.’ We were all pretty enthusiastic about the things we were doing. Well, he told us there was a 1977 Winnebago that sat outside for 15 years. He told us that was our tow vehicle and there was a 28-foot trailer and that’s all you get on the weekends, where there is no truck and trailer that’s gone racing trucks. So we went out back and we fixed this 1977 Winnebago to get it running. That’s what we traveled up and down the road with when the truck hauler was gone. It had green shag carpet throughout the whole thing and the tires were literally buried halfway up. We had to put all new tires on this thing. It wouldn’t run. We got it running and had a lot of fun going up and down the road. We won some races and had a lot of good stories. 

“We ended up winning the West Series championship in Las Vegas. We had gone out and had too much fun the night before and I apparently showed up to the racetrack the next day still hung over, so we qualified that morning and they sent me back home to take a shower. Then we came back and won the championship on that particular night. This was 20 years ago, so don’t hold that against me. Things have changed and we’re more responsible these days, but that was a time. Riding in the Winne.”

Chassis Information: Chassis No. 4-1034: Kevin Harvick will pilot the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion built on Chassis No. 4-1034 in the Save Mart 350k NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. Built new in 2017, Chassis No. 4-1034 will make its NASCAR Cup Series debut Sunday afternoon. 

Sonoma Raceway Notes of Interest: 

 Fast and Reliable Since 2014: Harvick is in his 17th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season and his fourth at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) with crew chief Rodney Childers at the helm. In their first three seasons together, Harvick and Childers combined to produce 12 victories, 11 poles, 54 top-five finishes and 75 top-10s; led 5,815 laps; won the 2014 Cup Series title; finished runner-up in 2015 to champion Kyle Busch and eighth in 2016. 

 Points Position: Harvick arrives at the Save Mart 350k at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway ranked fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 508 points after a 14th -place finish at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. He trails leader Kyle Larson by 132 points. Harvick is not currently qualified for NASCAR’s playoffs as he has yet to record a win in 2017. 

 Leading Laps: Through the first 15 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series events of 2017, Harvick ranks fourth in laps led with 514 of 4,666 total laps contested – more than 11 percent. Harvick has led at least one lap in eight of the 15 points-paying events of 2017. 

 Harvick at Sonoma in the NASCAR Cup Series: Harvick will make his 17th NASCAR Cup Series start Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. His career-best Cup Series effort at Sonoma came in June 2007, when he finished runner-up to Juan Pablo Montoya by 4.097 seconds. Harvick’s Sonoma resume shows four top-five finishes, seven top-10s and 36 laps led with an average finish of 14.6. Sonoma remains one of only four current Cup Series venues where Harvick has yet to reach victory lane in NASCAR’s premier series. Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth are the other three. 

 Harvick at Sonoma in the K&N Pro Series West: Harvick won his only start at Sonoma in the K&N Pro Series West in October 1998. Harvick, driving for Spears Motorsports, started third and led only the final lap to secure the victory over Brandon Ash by 0.154 of a second. 

 Passing a Legend: Harvick scored his 49th career second-place finish in the NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono in June, breaking a tie with Lee Petty and taking sole possession of 10th on the all-time Cup Series second-place-finishes list. 

 Upcoming Milestone: Harvick also needs 245 laps led to become the 17th Cup Series driver of all-time to lead 11,000 or more laps. 

 Career NASCAR Cup Series Totals: Harvick has 35 wins, 159 top-fives, 292 top-10s and 20 poles in 589 career Cup Series starts heading into Sunday’s event at Sonoma.

Kurt Busch has turned himself into quite an accomplished road racer

Kurt Busch is 7/1 to win at Sonoma.

KURT BUSCH, Driver of the No. 41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing: 

We just came from Michigan International Speedway where terms like aerodynamic downforce and clean air versus dirty air were often heard. How much are you looking forward to a road-course race where those terms aren’t really a factor? 

“I really enjoy the road courses and yes, there’s not much of an aerodynamic problem as far as clean air and dirty air goes at Sonoma. It will be great to go left, go right, go up and down the hills and shift gears, then at the end of the race it’s just all-out chaos.” 

How has road-course racing changed over the years? 

“The way that we respected each other on road courses early in my career is out the window. It feels like it’s rip and gouge and take all you can get at any moment. In a way, it’s a shame that some of the respect and putting on a bit of the collared shirts and class is gone, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to win.” 

Are road courses the new short track when it comes to tight racing and short tempers? 

“It definitely seems like it’s easier for payback at the road courses.” 

We used to see supposed road-course ringers show up at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, but that’s pretty rare now. Why do you think that is? 

“If you’re a good driver and you want to be in the top tier of NASCAR, you’ve got to drive well everywhere. The road courses were a bit more of a specialty back in the day and you used to be able to take advantage of the guys that didn’t put forth the full effort in the road courses, but not anymore.” 

You’ve proven to be a pretty good road-course driver. Was it something you took to right away or did you really have to work at it to enjoy the success you’ve had? 

“I really enjoyed it right off the bat. I thought it was fun and different and I worked at it to develop the skills that I have in Legends car races and Late Model races. I even went to the Bob Bondurant Driving School. My first professional type of road-course race was in the Truck Series. I jumped right in there. (Greg) Biffle won that day and I beat Ron Fellows.” 

You mentioned that racing Legends cars was how you were first introduced to road-course racing. Where did you race? 

“Legends racing was big in the mid-90s in the desert southwest and they would let us run on the infield road course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as well as the exterior road course there. We also ran road-course races at Buttonwillow (Raceway Park) and they had a street-course race in Los Angeles and they raced up in Sonoma. I was just kind of thrown into the fire with road-course racing, but I loved it from the first time I jumped on track.” 

You won the 1999 NASCAR Southwest Tour race at Sonoma. Was that your first road-course win in a stock car? Was it a pivotal victory considering NASCAR teams were there and you were able to showcase your talents to Cup Series car owners and crew chiefs? 

“That was my first win in a stock car at a road course. I’ve always believed that Saturday race was the most important stage to stand on because there wasn’t a Truck Series race or an Xfinity Series race. Back in the day, the Southwest Tour race was the support race, and my race was live on ESPN. I’ve always thought Sonoma helped springboard me into the spotlight, and I’m very thankful for that chance.” 

How important is it to have a positive mindset when you come into a road-course race? 

“I love road racing and I think it’s fun. It’s important to have appositive mindset everywhere, but it’s not problem for me at the road courses.” 

What do you like best about road-course racing? 

“I just like the rhythm. I like how you use one corner to help you in the next corner. You have to be thinking three corners ahead.” 

Is there more opportunity on a road course because mistakes are magnified and because the race is more in the driver’s hands? 

“Everything seems to have a larger consequence because track position is so important. So as soon as you have a flat tire or a fender rub or you go off track, it’s very difficult to get back the track position you once had.” 

You have a history of success on road courses. Stewart-Haas Racing has a history of success on road courses. What are your expectations for this weekend at Sonoma? 

“We hope that we can win. The No. 14 car won last year with Tony Stewart. I know (Clint) Bowyer is really excited for the weekend and so are we. We could’ve won this race two years ago and I finished second to my little brother Kyle in the first Busch one-two finish, and last year we just burned the rear tires off of the car. We just have to get a hang of the tires that are constantly changing to get our Monster Energy/Haas Automation Ford where we want it to be.”


Chassis No. 1018: This is a brand-new racecar that has never turned a wheel on the racetrack.

 
Sonoma Raceway Note of Interest: 

 The Save Mart 350k will mark Busch’s 592 nd career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start, his 17th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Sonoma and his 33rd Cup Series start on a road course.

Sonoma NASCAR Cup Series Notes: 2017 Toyota/Save Mart 350

Denny Hamlin was the best on road courses last season

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Toyota/Save Mart 350

The Place: Sonoma Raceway

The Date: Sunday, June 25

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: FS1, 1:30 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 218.9 miles (110 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 25),

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 50), Final Stage (Ends on lap 110)

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Next Race: American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen

The Place: Iowa Speedway

The Date: Saturday, June 24

The Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 218.75 miles (250 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 60),

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on lap 250)

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Next Race: M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store

The Place: Iowa Speedway

The Date: Friday, June 23

The Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 175 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 60), 

Stage 2 (Ends on lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200)

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Larson Wins Second Race Of Season, Takes Back Points Lead

Kyle Larson led a race-high 96 laps on his way to his second win of the season in last Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. In the process, he passed Martin Truex Jr. for the points lead and now holds a five-marker advantage over him.

The Elk Grove, California, native will look to build up his points edge when he returns to his home track – Sonoma Raceway – for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). In three career starts at Sonoma, Larson has finished 12th (2016), 15th (2015) and 28th (2014).

Larson is enjoying a breakout season in his fourth full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series campaign. The 24-year-old Chevrolet driver boasts seven top-two finishes in 15 starts this year.

Stage Master: Truex Continues To Pick Up Playoff Points

It’s doubtful anyone enjoys stage racing more than Martin Truex Jr. The No. 78 Furniture Row Racing driver won the first two stages at Michigan to up his stage victories total to a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series-leading 10. He now has a series-high 20 playoff points via his two checkered flags and 10 stage wins.

Truex ended up finishing sixth at Michigan, but picked up the second-most points (51) during the race. Despite his strong effort, he dropped to second in the standings where he trails Kyle Larson by five points.

Truex will attempt to take back his perch atop the standings in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway – a track where he won in 2013.

He leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in an abundance of statistical categories, including: average running position (7.1), driver rating (113.9), fastest laps run (525), and laps led (938).

Elliott Eyes First Win

Chase Elliott is still searching for his first career win, but has started to heat up as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season nears its midpoint.

Elliott has logged finishes of fifth (Dover), eighth (Pocono) and second (Michigan) in his last three starts. He now sits fifth in the standings – 162 points behind leader Kyle Larson.

In his two road course races as a Sunoco Rookie last year, Elliott placed 21st at Sonoma and 13th at Watkins Glen.

Road Course Ace Allmendinger Revved Up For Sonoma

JTG-Daugherty Racing’s AJ Allmendinger is always a threat to win at NASCAR’s road courses.

In 2014, he visited Victory Lane at Watkins Glen to make the playoffs.

The last three years, he’s started in the top-two at Sonoma, but self-inflicted mistakes – such as the tire he lost on pit road last year – have hurt his results. He’s finished 14th (2016), 37th (2015) and 37th (2014). Allmendinger’s 56 laps led in those three races are the most in the series.

“Sonoma is a real technical racetrack,” Allmendinger said. “It’s like a short track. You are beating and banging on each other. You can make passes there. The tires go away quick, but if you can conserve the tires better you can make passes. It’s a challenging racetrack.

“The strategy has got you wondering when that last yellow is going to fall. If that yellow falls, do you pit, do you not pit? It’s a challenge from start to finish because the opportunity is there to make a lot of mistakes and slide off the racetrack or to run into each other, which makes for great racing. In the end, I think it puts on one of the best races.”

Parity At Sonoma

Eight different drivers have won the last eight races at Sonoma: Tony Stewart (2016), Kyle Busch (2015), Carl Edwards (2014), Martin Truex Jr. (2013), Clint Bowyer (2012), Kurt Busch (2011), Jimmie Johnson (2010), Kasey Kahne (2009).

In the last 12 years, Sonoma has had 10 different winners.

Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Truex, Bowyer, Johnson and Kahne are the only active drivers with wins at the Northern California road course. Kyle Busch is the only active driver to visit Victory Lane at Sonoma twice.

Hamlin Tops At Road Courses In 2016

Denny Hamlin was the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ top driver at road courses in 2016. The No. 11 Toyota driver won at Watkins Glen for his first career road course victory. Before that, he placed runner-up at Sonoma after leading a race-high 33 laps and getting passed by Tony Stewart on the final turn.

Hamlin’s road course win cemented his position as one of NASCAR’s most versatile drivers. He has won at least one race at a superspeedway, an intermediate track, a short track, a road course, a restrictor-plate track and three-turn Pocono Raceway.

Golden State Warriors

More active Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers hail from California than any other state. The drivers from the Golden State entered in Sunday's race include: Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield), Matt DiBenedetto (Grass Valley), Kyle Larson (Elk Grove), Jimmie Johnson (El Cajon), AJ Allmendinger (Los Gatos), Cole Whitt (Alpine) and Tommy Regan (Tracy).

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.

America’s Top Movie Cars 3 Will Be On Center Stage: Last weekend’s top-rated movie at the box office, “Cars 3,” will be on center stage for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma raceway. Comedian and actress Cristela Alonzo, the voice of Cruz Ramirez in “Cars 3,” has been named Grand Marshal of the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Disney•Pixar’s John Lasseter will serve as the official pace car driver.

Allmendinger listed among favorites at 8-to-1 odds to win at Sonoma

A.J. Allmendinger's only Cup series win was at Watkins Glen. 

AJ ALLMENDINGER
NO. 47 KROGER CLICKLIST CHEVROLET
SONOMA RACEWAY PREVIEW

Date/Time: Sunday, June 25th
TV Network / Radio: FS1 / PRN Radio / SIRIUSXM

QUOTES:

Technical track: “Sonoma is a real technical racetrack,” Allmendinger said. “It’s like a short track. You are beating and banging on each other. You can make passes there. The tires go away quick, but if you can conserve the tires better you can make passes. It’s a challenging racetrack. The strategy has got you wondering when that last yellow is going to fall. If that yellow falls, do you pit, do you not pit? It’s a challenge from start to finish because the opportunity is there to make a lot of mistakes and slide off the racetrack or to run into each other, which makes for great racing. In the end, I think it puts on one of the best races. It’s a home race for me. So, hopefully, we’ll get the Kroger ClickList Chevy finally in Victory Lane or at least a top-10, a top-five, something!”

Much love for Sonoma Raceway: “It’s a place I truly love,” Allmendinger said. “It’s my home race. We haven’t really capitalized yet in a three-year span. Hopefully, we can do that this weekend.”

Road course racing: “It’s been always my passion – – left and right,” Allmendinger said. “You must have a good car, but I feel like a driver can make more of a difference on a road course. I take pride in that. I really enjoy it. I’m always trying to work on my craft and make it better. Sonoma is a place that we’ve been fast at the last three years, but we haven’t got the results whether it’s bad luck or mistakes.”

Stage racing: “It can be (complicated) and then again it may not be and it may help actually,” Allmendinger said. “The stages depending on where they fall, Sonoma is always a place where you are trying to save tires or maybe you are trying to stretch the fuel. So, stage racing may make planning the strategy of the race a little bit easier. You’re still going to have to figure out when the time is right to pit. The last stage is always going to be the most difficult. Road course racing, you race the pit stop strategy kind of backwards. It may take a little bit of that out and help just the strategy overall.”

Sonoma versus Watkins Glen: “It’s very different than Watkins Glen International where we got our first win,” Allmendinger said. Tires at Sonoma are critical. It’s so easy to burn the rear tires up. I think it’s a completely different racetrack. It’s always interesting to see the people that are good at Sonoma and if they can carry it over to Watkins Glen. I think you have guys that are good at both places. And, then you have certain guys that just have Sonoma down. It’s like a short track to a certain degree. It’s all about conserving your rear tires and not overdriving the car there. It is really easy to do. And, it’s the same deal where track position is critical there, but strategy really plays out too.”

Heartbreaker: “Sonoma is one of those racetracks that’s broken our hearts a little bit,” Allmendinger said. “Self-induced at times for sure. We’ve had speed there. Qualified on the pole. We haven’t had a good finish there since I’ve been here at the race team. Last year, I thought we had a chance to win for Kroger and all our partners. We lost a tire on pit road and had to start at the back and it cost us a chance to go win the race. We’ve got to clean up our own mistakes and make sure we are on point. If you can conserve rear tires – if you can do that – you have a great shot to win the race. We hope to go into Sonoma strong and come out on top.”

Road course car versus oval car: “The car is a little bit different for sure,” Allmendinger said. “You don’t have to set up to obviously turn one direction. You got to evenly balance the car. There’s definitely different setups, the chassis is a little bit different. In the end, these races don’t just jump up and surprise us. There’s a lot of planning that goes on for each race. It’s like any other race except for turning left and right.”

Competition director and crew chief: “Ernie (Cope) and I work well together,” Allmendinger said. “We like to golf together. We have similar interests. He’s a great leader. During practices, we always have a plan. We learn a lot and then during the race, I feel like we maximize what we can do during the course of the race. He has a strong voice. So, he’s always giving me the kind of information that I need. Maybe the results haven’t shown it, but the weekends have ran smooth. We try a lot of different things and we are learning a lot constantly. That’s all you can do when you are struggling. We just keep trying things. The toughest thing about us, when it comes to resources, wind tunnel-wise and stuff like that, we don’t have that. A lot of these race weekends, especially with this package we are learning on the fly. That’s all you can do to get better.”

Teammate: “Chris (Buescher) and I get along really well,” Allmendinger said. “Obviously, he has a lot of talent when it comes to winning a NASCAR XFINITY Series championship and winning races. We can bounce ideas off of each other and the teams can do the same thing. It’s been good having him. People ask me if our struggles are because of a second car and I don’t think so. We have brand new race cars and all the things we need to go out there and keep getting better. It’s been fun to have him. I’ve learned a lot just talking to him, where his strengths are and some of the stuff I can continually work on. It’s a fun group and hopefully, the good thing is we run good together every weekend. We are trying to maximize the speed we have in the race car. I think having him here trying to get better as an organization, we will get better quicker.”

Paul Tracy and others helped growth: “There’s not just one person that specifically helped me because I learned from a lot of great people growing up,” Allmendinger said. “Paul Tracey took me under his wing when I was in karting. Because of him, I was able to be around and close to a lot of those Indy car guys and learn a lot. I just always tried to pick up from guys at these road courses when I was growing up until even now. I watched guys like Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon because they were always so good – – to get better from.”


FAST FACTS:
Career Starts: 314
Wins: 1
Top-fives: 10
Top-10s: 49
Pole Awards: 4
First Start: 3/25/2007 Bristol
First Pole: 4/10/2010 Phoenix
Last Pole: 8/8/15 Watkins Glen
Best Start: 1 – 4/10/2010 Phoenix
Best Finish: 1 – 8/10/2014 Watkins Glen
Driver DOB: 12/16/1981
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
Crew Chief: Ernie Cope

Chase Elliott still figuring out how to tackle Sonoma

Chase Elliott is 30-to-1 to win at Sonoma on Sunday.

Chase Elliott on racing at Sonoma
“I like road courses, but I’m not sure what I need to do to improve at Sonoma. It’s just a very slow-feeling track with very little grip and a lot of finesse, kind of like Martinsville. I'm looking forward to getting there this weekend and seeing what we can do.”

KELLEY BLUE BOOK CHEVROLET: This weekend at Sonoma Raceway, Chase Elliott will pilot the No. 24 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet SS for the first time this season. Kelley Blue Book is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week, the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website KBB.com, including its famous Blue Book Trade-In Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new and used cars this week. Kelley Blue Book extended its relationship with Hendrick Motorsports prior to the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series season. In addition to Sonoma, Kelley Blue Book is scheduled to be on the No. 24 Chevrolet SS later this season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September.

#CHASETHEEXPERT: Kelley Blue Book kicked off its Everyday Expert series on Monday with Elliott showing you how to ping pong like a pro. Kelley Blue Book’s video series will continue this weekend on its Facebook and Twitter channels. Fans can tune in to watch Elliott try his hand at remote control cars, frisbee and more.

SONOMA STATS: The Dawsonville, Georgia, native is set to make his second Cup Series start at the 10-turn track this weekend. In his first Cup start at Sonoma last season, he qualified 16th and finished 21st. Elliott also got behind the wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma last season, starting from the pole position, leading nine laps and winning the 64-lap event.

MICHIGAN REWIND: Last weekend at Michigan, Elliott started 10th and maintained his top-10 position in Stages 1 and 2, finishing eighth and earning three bonus points in the first stage and taking the green-checkered flag ninth in second stage, claiming two additional bonus points. When the final stage began, Elliott restarted eighth and wasted no time moving his way inside the top five. A quick pit stop by the No. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS team put Elliott in position for a successful restart that allowed him to climb his way to third. Elliott continued to race inside the top five for the remainder of the race and when the final caution waved on Lap 192, he found himself running third. A masterful restart with five laps remaining allowed Elliott to take over second, where he would ultimately finish the race.

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2017 Season 5th in standings 15 starts 0 race wins 2 stage wins 1 pole position 5 top-five finishes 9 top-10 finishes 169 laps led     Career 56 starts 0 wins 3 pole positions 15 top-five finishes 26 top-10 finishes 527 laps led     Track Career  1 start 0 wins 0 pole positions 0 top-five finishes 0 top-10 finishes 0 laps led

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Stenhouse crew chief won at Sonoma with Bowyer in 2012

Ricky Stenhouse is 200/1 to win at Sonoma.

Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie
Twitter: @Stenhouse17Team @Stenhousejr @FastenalRacing and @roushfenway

ADVANCE NOTES

Stenhouse Jr. at Sonoma Raceway
Stenhouse Jr. has four Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) starts at Sonoma Raceway with an average starting position of 32.0 and average finishing position of 26.0.
Stenhouse has completed 439 of 440(99.8%) laps in his four previous starts at the 1.99-mile road course.

One Year Ago at Sonoma
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. drove his No. 17 Fastenal Ford to a 26th-place finish in Sunday’s NASCAR road course race at Sonoma Raceway. Stenhouse’s Fusion was solid on long runs, but suffered on restarts during the 110-lap event.

In the Points
Stenhouse Jr. is locked into the 2017 Playoffs with his win at Talladega SuperSpeedway on May 7.

On the Car
Fastenal is currently in its sixth season as a primary partner in the MENCS for Roush Fenway. They spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping over to the No. 17 entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 XFINITY team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Stenhouse Jr. on racing at Sonoma:
“Last year our car was really good on the long runs but we struggled on the restarts. Pit strategy usually comes into play at Sonoma. Brian (Pattie) won here in 2012 so he knows what strategy it takes to win. Seat time is really important for me at these road course races. If I can hit my marks and not make any mistakes, I’m confident we can leave Sonoma with a solid finish.”

Martin Truex Jr has amazing 3.8 average finish in past five races

Martin Truex jr is the 9/2 favorite at Sonoma.

DENVER, Colo. (June 20, 2017) – Martin Truex Jr. has posted an impressive finishing average of 3.8 in the previous five NASCAR Cup Series races.

The streak started with a victory in Kansas, followed by third-place finishes in Charlotte and Dover and a pair of sixth-place results in Pocono and Michigan.

“No question the guys have given me fast race cars every week,” said Truex. “The performances by our Toyota Camrys have been strong. The only hiccup is that we had a shot at winning each of the races since Kansas and didn’t close the deal. The competition is tough and we’ve battled hard in every race. Believe me it’s only going to get harder to win as the season wears on.”

When Truex says it’s only going get harder he is right since the next stop on the Cup schedule is the season’s first road race – The Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.

The highly technical 11-turn, 1.99-mile road circuit has provided plenty of anxiety to the world’s best stock car drivers since the track’s first Cup event in 1989.

Truex, who will drive the No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota this weekend, is not an exception. He has experienced the ultimate high and ultimate low at Sonoma Raceway, winning in 2013 and finishing second to last (42nd) twice in 2010 and 2015.

“It’s a wild race and you have to be ready to expect the unexpected,” said Truex, who finished fifth in last year’s Sonoma race. “You’re out there banging each other through the tight corners. One little mistake will put you in the tire wall or sand trap and end your day.

“But no matter the difficulty of Sonoma’s road course, I love road racing. We’ve not only had good runs at Sonoma but also at Watkins Glen. Actually, the first racing I ever did was on road courses in a go-kart. I had to pick it up early. You couldn’t race on ovals in New Jersey until you were 18 so I raced a lot of road courses early and learned what it takes to do well on them.”

With his sixth-place finish in Michigan coupled with Kyle Larson’s win, Truex dropped from first to second in overall driver points, five markers behind Larson.

On a brighter side, Truex, who won both stages in Michigan, increased his series’ stage wins to 10. The next closest competitor in stage victories has four. Truex’s 20 playoff bonus points also leads the NASCAR Cup Series.

The stages for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 will be 25/25/60 laps for a race total of 110 laps.

Truex career record at Sonoma Raceway includes: 11 starts, one win, two top fives and three top 10s. His starting average is 14.9 and finishing average is 19.5.

Jimmie Johnson has second-best loop data at Sonoma

Jimmie Johnson is 8/1 to win at Sonoma.

Jimmie Johnson on racing at Sonoma
“Sonoma is tricky. Track position is important and there are all kinds of different strategies going on throughout the field, which keeps the engineers on their toes. We hope to qualify well and if you can save fuel, it usually creates more opportunities toward the end of the race. As a native of California, I’m always happy to get back there. It’s a great area with a lot to do.”

ICYMI JOHNSON EXTENDS CONTRACT: Hendrick Motorsports and defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson announced last week that they have agreed to a three-year extension that will keep Johnson behind the wheel of the No. 48 Chevrolet SS through 2020. In addition, Lowe’s Companies Inc. has extended its longstanding relationship with Hendrick Motorsports after signing an agreement that will continue its full-season, 38-race primary sponsorship of Johnson and the No. 48 team through 2018. Click here to see some of Johnson’s "storybook" accomplishments.

ONE WIN IN SONOMA: Johnson has been able to sip wine in Victory Lane one time at Sonoma Raceway over the course of his career. His win at the 1.99-mile road course came on June 20, 2010, when he led 55 of 110 laps en route to the victory. In 2015, Johnson led 45 laps before finishing sixth.

SONOMA DRIVER RATING: According to NASCAR's loop data statistics since 2005, Johnson has the second-best driver rating at Sonoma with an average score of 99.9 at the track during that span. The driver rating is a formula that combines wins, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The driver rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator.

CALIFORNIA CREW MEMBER: No. 48 team race engineer Julian Pena hails from Aliso Viejo, California, and graduated from Stanford University with a degree in mechanical engineering.

GUEST PHOTOGRAPHER: As part of an ongoing photography project designed to showcase life at the track with a unique perspective, Johnson has invited photographer Victor Cobian to Sonoma Raceway. Cobian is an up-and-coming photographer who was recommended for the program by Lyle Owerko, who photographed Johnson's 2017 Daytona 500 weekend. As part of Johnson’s 2017 photography project, several amateur photographers will be invited to the track as a guest of Johnson and the 48 team with the potential to win a grant to further their art and photography career. With a social media takeover on Johnson’s handles (@JimmieJohnson on Instagram & Twitter, Jimmie Johnson on Facebook), Cobian’s work will be highlighted for all NASCAR fans to enjoy.

MALEC WINS AT ROAD AMERICA: No. 48 team car chief Ron Malec was absent from Michigan last week as he took his first weekend off of his NASCAR Cup Series career, which spans over 17 years. Instead, Malec spent his weekend at Road America, a road course racetrack in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, racing as a competitor in the Chicago Region SCCA June Sprints. Malec participated in two events, finishing second on Saturday and then winning the GT-1 class on Sunday.

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2017 Season 8th in standings 15 starts 3 race wins 0 stage wins 0 pole positions 3 top-five finishes 6 top-10 finishes 172 laps led     Career 558 starts 83 wins 35 pole positions 221 top-five finishes 336 top-10 finishes 18,618 laps led     Track Career  15 starts 1 win 0 pole positions 4 top-five finishes 9 top-10 finishes 131 laps led

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