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
Toyota/Save Mart 350 Driver Tale of the Tape
Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota)
· One win, five top fives, seven top 10s
· Average finish of 9.2
· Average Running Position of 14.0, fifth-best
· Driver Rating of 95.0, fifth-best
· 35 Fastest Laps Run, eighth-most
· Series-high 591 Green Flag Passes
· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.760 mph, fifth-fastest
· 583 Laps in the Top 15 (58.5%), ninth-most
· 240 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), fifth-most
Kurt Busch (No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
· One win, six top fives, six top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 15.7
· Series-best Average Running Position of 10.1
· Series-best Driver Rating of 106.5
· 58 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
· Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 89.999 mph
· Series-high 845 Laps in the Top 15 (76.3%)
· 221 Quality Passes, sixth-most
Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M's Crispy Toyota)
· One win, one top five, two top 10s
· Average finish of 20.9
· Driver Rating of 85.3, 11th-best
· 50 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
· 540 Laps in the Top 15 (48.8%), 11th-most
Carl Edwards (No. 19 STANLEY Toyota)
· One win, three top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 14.1
· Average Running Position of 14.7, seventh-best
· Driver Rating of 90.1, sixth-best
· 33 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
· 572 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.670 mph, ninth-fastest
· 627 Laps in the Top 15 (56.6%), seventh-most
· 208 Quality Passes, eighth-most
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet)
· Five wins, 14 top fives, 18 top 10s; five poles
· Average finish of 8.0
· Average Running Position of 12.1, fourth-best
· Driver Rating of 103.4, second-best
· 70 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
· 555 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.932 mph, third-fastest
· 768 Laps in the Top 15 (69.4%), fourth-most
· 266 Quality Passes, third-most
Kevin Harvick (No. 4 Folds Of Honor / Outback Steakhouse / Budweiser Chevrolet)
· Three top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 15.9
· Average Running Position of 14.8, eighth-best
· Driver Rating of 84.6, 12th-best
· 32 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
· 540 Green Flag Passes, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.638 mph, 11th-fastest
· 644 Laps in the Top 15 (58.2%), sixth-most
· 194 Quality Passes, 10th-most
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevrolet)
· One win, four top fives, eight top 10s
· Average finish of 12.9
· Average Running Position of 12.0, third-best
· Driver Rating of 98.8, fourth-best
· 56 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.727 mph, eighth-fastest
· 819 Laps in the Top 15 (74.0%), second-most
· Series-high 277 Quality Passes
Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet)
· One win, two top fives, four top 10s; two poles
· Average finish of 19.1
· Average Running Position of 15.9, 10th-best
· Driver Rating of 85.5, 10th-best
· 37 Fastest Laps Run, seventh-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.617 mph, 12th-fastest
· 610 Laps in the Top 15 (55.1%), eighth-most
· 242 Quality Passes, fourth-most
Jamie McMurray (No. 1 CESSNA Chevrolet)
· Two top fives, two top 10s; three poles
· Average finish of 16.7
· Average Running Position of 16.0, 11th-best
· Driver Rating of 87.8, eighth-best
· 20 Fastest Laps Run, 12th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.742 mph, sixth-fastest
· 540 Laps in the Top 15 (48.8%), 11th-most
Ryan Newman (No. 31 WIX Filters Chevrolet)
· Two top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 12.9
· Average Running Position of 14.2, sixth-best
· Driver Rating of 88.4, seventh-best
· 543 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.652 mph, 10th-fastest
· 656 Laps in the Top 15 (59.3%), fifth-most
· 209 Quality Passes, seventh-most
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1 / Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet)
· Two wins, five top fives, nine top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 12.4
· Average Running Position of 12.0, second-best
· Driver Rating of 98.8, third-best
· Series-high 79 Fastest Laps Run
· 568 Green Flag Passes, sixth-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.993 mph, second-fastest
· 773 Laps in the Top 15 (69.8%), third-most
· 274 Quality Passes, second-most
Martin Truex Jr. (No. 78 Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet)
· One win, one top five, two top 10s
· Average finish of 18.7
· Driver Rating of 86.1, ninth-best
· 52 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
· 583 Green Flag Passes, second-most
· Average Green Flag Speed of 89.770 mph, fourth-fastest
· 183 Quality Passes, 11th-most
Toyota/Save Mart 350
By Micah Roberts
VegasInsider.com
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 been Jeff 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.
While Gordon is the all-time best at Sonoma, since NASCAR started keeping 'Loop' data in 2005 that rates a driver on several categories at each track, Kurt Busch has been rated as the best (Gordon is No. 2). Busch won his only Sonoma race in 2011, but he's been equally good on the course for three different teams showing that he can wheel just about anything on the layout to a good finish.
The dominators on the season so far have been Kevin Harvick with two wins and Jimmie Johnson with four, but their edge is completely erased here this week. Johnson is one of those drivers that has advanced on roads very well as time has gone by, including a win in 2010. He's finished ninth or better in his past six Sonoma starts after having only one top-five finish in his first seven starts. Harvick was runner-up in 2007, but has been 10th or worse in his past three starts, including 20th last season in his first year driving for Stewart Haas Racing.
The best long shot this week is Greg Biffle, and not just because he's finished ninth or better in his past three Sonoma starts, but because Roush Fenway Racing have a nice road course set-up for their cars. Edwards won last season for RFR and was third in two of the previous three seasons. The RFR organization knows this may be their best chance to have a driver represented in this years Chase. Win and your in, but Gordon's No. 24 is in the same boat, and I like Gordon in a desperate mode this week a little more.
Top-5 Finish Prediction:
1) #24 Jeff Gordon (6/1)
2) #41 Kurt Busch (7/1)
3) #15 Clint Bowyer (15/1)
4) #19 Carl Edwards (12/1)
5) #16 Greg Biffle (35/1)
Drivers to Watch - Sonoma
By Sportsbook.ag
The drivers head to Sonoma Raceway this week for one of the two unique runs on a “road course”, with the other being Watkins Glen. Currently they run on a 1.99-mile course and go 110 laps (218.9 miles) before crowning a winner here. One unique part of the road courses are that some drivers, also called “road ringers” come to compete only on these types of tracks.
There has been a ton of different winners here in the past decade and there hasn’t been a repeat victor at Sonoma since Jeff Gordon won in both 2004 and 2006. Overall, there are five different men who have multiple wins at this event, and besides Gordon, Tony Stewart (2001, 2005) is the only other active racer to have done so. Carl Edwards was able to earn one of his 24 career victories here last year when he dominated the track in 2:51:30, posting an average speed of 76.583 MPH; the slowest speed since 2011.
Let’s take a look through the entrant list and find some racers who could come through on the road course this week.
Drivers to Watch
Jeff Gordon (6/10) - Gordon earns the best odds here as he has dominated this course in his 22 career starts, winning five times with 14 top-five finishes, but has not taken the victory since 2006. He came in first during three straight attempts (1998-2000) earlier in his career and has an amazing average finish of 8.0. Gordon ranks amongst the best in NASCAR in plenty of stats at the course, tallying a driver rating of 103.4 (second-best) and owns an average green flag speed of 89.932 MPH (third-fastest). The 43-year-old is in the midst of his final season, and he has nine top-10s on the year, but should be able to put up one of his best performances on a course where he has more experience and success than any other driver.
Kurt Busch (6/1) - Busch is coming off of his second win of this year after starting in 24th in Michigan and then leading for just six laps in the rainy race. He has the best driver rating (106.5) when at Sonoma and owns one victory (2011) when he finished in 2:54:10 and averaged 75.411 MPH. Busch is currently in third in the Sprint Cup standing, mainly due to his two wins, but has done worse than 15th just once while finishing in the top-five six times over 12 starts. The 36-year-old has been in the top-10 in 207-of-519 (40%) career races, coming away with the win in 27 of those. Busch should be able to piggy-back his nice run at Michigan International Speedway and once again perform well at this road course.
Tony Stewart (18/1) - Stewart has not had the best of seasons in 2015, ranking 26th in the Sprint Cup Series behind just one top-10 finish. What gets him a spot here and higher odds from Vegas is the prominence he’s had on road courses, winning seven times between Sonoma and Watkins Glen while last being a victor here in 2005. His average running position of 12.0 at Sonoma ranks second-best and he has 274 career quality passes on this road course (second-most). He has not been the same in the past few years, but has finished in the top-21 in four of the last five races and should perform better this week in Sonoma, a course that has been good to him in the past.
Kasey Kahne (20/1) - Kahne has had a solid 2015 campaign and sits in 12th in the Sprint Cup Series thanks to six top-nine finishes with one pole. That pole came last week in Michigan, but he was unable to hold the position, eventually ending in 15th after leading just one lap. His driver rating (85.5) puts him as 10th-best and if he is behind late he could get back up to the front with 242 career quality passes in his time at Sonoma (fourth-most). He used his skills on this type of course to grab one of his 17 career wins when he took down the win in 2009 at a race extended due to a green-white-checker finish. Kahne was unable to capitalize on his pole last week, but he has always done well here and will not make that mistake again if he gets a nice starting position.
Casey Mears (100/1) - Mears has just one top-10 finish in 2015, but has been near the top group plenty of times with a top-20 finish in four of his last six times out. The 37-year-old has been around for a long time with his debut coming back in 2001, but still has a mere one win to his name which came at the 2007 Coca-Cola 600, but he does have three poles and 51 career finishes within the top-10. Mears has finished in the top-16 at each of his last six visits between Watkins Glen and Sonoma and is coming off of a 13th here in the 2014 installment of the race. Look for the veteran to improve on his recent success on road courses and jump into the top-10 this week with a chance to surprise many.
Chassis Selections
Jayski.com
NOTE: Hendrick Motorsports & Michael Waltrip Racing didn't report chassis for Sonoma.
#3-Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 469 in the Sonoma 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Dillon has raced this Chevrolet SS on two previous occasions, finishing 16th at Watkins Glen International and 17th at Sonoma Raceway in 2014.
#4-Kevin Harvick: will pilot the #4 Outback Steakhouse/Budweiser/Folds of Honor Chevrolet SS built on Chassis No. 4-873 in the Save Mart 350k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. Built in 2014, Chassis No. 4-873 made its debut June 22 at Sonoma, where the car started sixth, led 23 laps and finished 20th after being collected in a late-race accident. Chassis No. 4-873 made its second appearance in August at Watkins Glen International. Harvick started fourth and finished seventh.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-874 made its race debut last year at Sonoma, where Stewart finished an uncharacteristic 19th after a pit-road speeding penalty thwarted his top-10 effort. Prior to Sonoma, Chassis No. 14-874 was tested May 27 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia. Its second and most recent start came last August at Watkins Glen International when interim driver Regan Smith finished 37th after a late-race accident.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 470 this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. This Chevrolet SS will be on track for the first time this season during first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice on Friday at 3:00pm/et on Fox Sports 2.
#31-Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 514 in the season's first road course event at Sonoma Raceway. The Sonoma 350 marks the first time this year the #31 team will utilize this Chevrolet in competition.
#32-Boris Said Crew Chief Clinton Cram will be bringing chassis GGR-599, which will serve as the primary car for this weekends race. This chassis previously ran in 2014 at Watkins Glen with Said finishing 25th. Chassis GGR-289 will serve as the backup car.
#41-Kurt Busch will pilot Chassis No. 942 in Sunday's Save Mart 350k at Sonoma Raceway. Built new for 2015, Chassis 942 will see its first laps of competition this weekend.
Driver Handicaps: Sonoma
By: Jeff Wackerlin
Racingone.com
MRN.com's detailed notes and statistics to help you set your fantasy racing lineup for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.
Who's HOT at Sonoma
• Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with five wins and has finished in the top 10 in his last nine starts.
• Jimmie Johnson has finished in the top 10 in the last six races, including a win in 2010.
• Clint Bowyer has finished in the top 10 in the last four races, including a win in 2012.
• Kurt Busch won in 2011 and holds the best Driver Rating in the last 10 races.
• Carl Edwards has finished third or better in three of the last four races, including a win last season.
• Kasey Kahne, who won in 2009, has finished sixth in his last two starts.
• Martin Truex Jr. won the 2013 race and ranks third in laps led (67) in the last five races.
Who to Keep an Eye On at Sonoma
• AJ Allmendinger, who led a race-high 35 laps last season at Sonoma up until sustaining damage, won at Watkins Glen last year and will be back in that same car.
• Kevin Harvick led 23 laps in first Sonoma start with Stewart-Haas Racing last season, but a slow pit stop and damage relegated him to a 20th-place finish.
• Greg Biffle has finished in the top 10 in four of his last five starts at Sonoma.
• Two-time Sonoma winner Tony Stewart has two runner-up finishes in his six track starts with Stewart-Haas Racing.
• Jamie McMurray will be going for his third straight pole at Sonoma. He finished fourth last season.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. recorded his first top 10 at Sonoma last year with a third-place finish.
• Joey Logano has posted a 10.0 average finish in his last four road course starts (Sonoma and Watkins Glen).
• Kyle Busch, winner of the 2008 race, is the only driver not already mentioned that is part of the 10 different winners in the last 10 races. However, Busch has not finished in the top 10 since that win.
• Austin Dillon and Trevor Bayne will each run in Saturday's NASCAR K&N race to gain more experience at Sonoma.
MRN.com Staff Picks
Jeff Wackerlin: Kurt Busch
Pete Pistone: Kevin Harvick
John Singler: Jeff Gordon
Driver Notes - Ordered by Top 20 in Average Finish (More than one start) in Last Five Races at Sonoma
Jeff Gordon: Leads all drivers in a number of statistical categories at Sonoma including wins (five), average finish (8.0), top fives (14), top 10s (18), laps led (457) and poles (five). Gordon has finished ninth or better in every race dating back to his last win in 2006, including two runner-up finishes in the last two races.
Jimmie Johnson: Has finished in the top 10 in his last six starts, including a win in 2010. Johnson has also finished in the top 10 in three of his last four road course starts (Sonoma and Watkins Glen).
Kasey Kahne: Coming off fourth top 10 in his last six starts, which includes a win in 2009 with Richard Petty Motorsports. Kahne has posted an 8.7 average finish in three starts at Sonoma with Hendrick Motorsports.
Clint Bowyer: Has finished in the top 10 in his last four starts, including a win in 2012. A 27th-place finish last year at Watkins Glen snapped Bowyer's streak of five consecutive top 10s at road courses (Sonoma and Watkins Glen).
Kurt Busch: Has finished fourth or better in three of his last four starts, including a win in 2011 when he drove for Team Penske. Busch finished 12th last year in his first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing and will debut a new car (chassis No. 942) in the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
Greg Biffle: Has finished in the top 10 in his last three starts. Biffle ranks third in average finish (9.0) among drivers that have raced in all six of the last road course races (Sonoma and Watkins Glen).
Carl Edwards: Has finished third or better in three of the last four races, including a win last year. Edwards has finished in the top five on the last four road course races (Sonoma and Watkins Glen) and leads all drivers with an 8.0 average finish in the last six races at the two tracks.
Kevin Harvick: Led 23 laps in first track start with Stewart-Haas Racing last season, but a slow pit stop and damage relegated him to a 20th-place finish. Harvick, who finished in the top 10 at Sonoma five times driving for Richard Childress Racing, will return in the same car (chassis No. 873) that he raced at Sonoma last season and at Watkins Glen where he finished seventh.
Joey Logano: Has posted an average finish of 13.5 in two track starts with Team Penske. Logano's two top 10s at Sonoma came with Joe Gibbs Racing with his best finish coming in 2011 from the pole, in sixth.
Jamie McMurray: Is coming off two consecutive poles and a fourth-place finish last year. McMurray's finish in 2014 marked his second top five in 12 starts.
Paul Menard: Is coming off his first top 10 (fifth) in seven starts. The finish was also his first top 10 in 18 overall starts at a road course (Sonoma and Watkins Glen). This weekend, Menard will debut a new car (chassis No. 470) in the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
Ryan Newman: Finished 11th last season in first track start with Richard Childress Racing. Newman's last of five top 10s came in 2008 when he raced with Team Penske. This weekend, Newman will pilot a new car (chassis No. 514) in the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
Austin Dillon: Finished 17th last season in first track start. Dillon, who will also run the K&N West race this weekend at Sonoma, will return in the same car (chassis No. 469) that he posted a 16.5 average finish in both road course races last season (Sonoma and Watkins Glen).
Martin Truex Jr.: Finished 15th in first track start with Furniture Row Racing last season. Truex won the 2013 race driving for Michael Waltrip Racing. This weekend, Truex will look to continue his strong start to the season where he has finished in the top 10 in 14 of the 15 races this season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Is coming off his first top 10 in 15 starts. The finish was his fourth top 10 in 30 overall road course starts (Sonoma and Watkins Glen).
AJ Allmendinger: Led a race-high 35 laps last season, but finished 37th after getting involved in a late race accident. Allmendinger will be looking for his second straight road course win driving a JTG Daugherty Racing house car, the same won he won with at Watkins Glen.
Tony Stewart: Has finished in the top 10 three times in his six Sonoma starts with Stewart-Haas Racing, including two runner-up efforts. Stewart's last of two wins came in 2005 with Joe Gibbs Racing and his 12.4 average finish ranks second among drivers that have raced in 15 or more races. This weekend, Stewart will return in the same car (chassis No. 874) that he finished 19th with at Sonoma following a pit-road speeding penalty.
Casey Mears: Has posted a 14.7 average finish in his last three starts. Mears' last top 10 in 22 overall road course starts came at Sonoma in 2008 when he drove for Hendrick Motorsports.
Brad Keselowski: Has posted a 20.0 average finish in five starts. Keselowski's lone top 10 came in 2011, in 10th. He does own three second-place finishes at Watkins Glen.
David Gilliland: Has posted a 21.4 average finish in nine starts. His best finish in five track starts with Front Row Motorsports is 12th, in 2011. Gilliland did finish second in 2008 when he drove for Yates Racing.