Another week, another NASCAR race for us all to enjoy! This week, the drivers take on Sonoma Raceway for the Toyota Save Mart 350! The second road course of the season. The raceway is just over two and a half miles long. Built on hills and has 12 turns for the drivers to navigate.
Last year it was #99 Daniel Suarez who took home the checkered flag on the difficult road course. With Chris Buescher, Michael McDowell, and a previous winner at Sonoma Kevin Harvick right behind him. This week, as usual, I’m going to give you five drivers I’m looking at for this weekend’s race. Either because I think they have a legitimate chance of winning, or they’ll just be interesting to watch. Without further delay, here is your Toyota Save Mart 350 preview!
#4 Kevin Harvick
As we alluded to previously, Harvick has been pretty damn good at Sonoma. In 21 races he’s got a win, seven top-five finishes, and an additional four top-10 finishes in 21 races all-time at the track. He also has the second-highest driver rating of full-time Cup Series drivers of anybody currently in the standings. Harvick is still itching for that first win of his final year. He’s come close, but no cigar yet. Sonoma will be a track that surely benefits experience, and Harvick will certainly be a favorite in California this weekend.
#9 Chase Elliott
The best driver rating at Sonoma among full-time drivers? The #9 of Chase Elliott. It’s been a weird year for NASCAR’s most popular driver. He missed six weeks due to a broken leg. And this week he’s fresh off a suspension for an intentional wrecking of #11 Denny Hamlin. But Elliott is all around a fantastic driver. And his rating here at Sonoma proves his versatility. In six races he’s got two top-five finishes and an additional two in the top 10. This year Elliott hasn’t graced victory lane yet. But he’s got a 2nd and a 3rd place finish to his name in eight races. He’ll be a car to watch for sure. Not only for the sake of his return (again) but because he can win.
#16 A.J. Allmendinger
There are few road course specialists in the Cup Series today… But A.J. Allmendinger is one of them for sure. Back at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas a few months ago, Dinger tore it up. Winning the Xfinity race and running pretty damn well at the Cup Series level despite not having communications with his pit crew. In 11 races at Sonoma, Dinger has two top-10 finishes. But it’s worth noting his lone win and his best averages are posted at road courses just like these. Sonoma ranks as one of his better tracks thanks to this. There are few races where the 42-year-old driver is viewed as a viable threat for a win, but the Toyota Save Mart 350 is absolutely one of those times. The #16 car will be an interesting one without a doubt.
#19 Martin Truex Jr
Speaking of 40+-year-old drivers, Martin Truex Jr has three wins at this track. The most of anybody in the Cup Series. He’s also had a pretty good season. He’s got his win at Dover, along with four top-five finishes. He’s averaging a 12th-place finish and has been one of the more consistent drivers this year. It hasn’t been easy for the veteran, a lot of times this year he’s had to overcome penalties, and bad pit stops, but he keeps fighting. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver hasn’t lost a step, and his three wins at the course make him an immediate favorite.
#48 Alex Bowman
Alex Bowman is much more versatile than Allmendinger, but they both have a common area of expertise on these tracks. Sonoma has been one of the more challenging places for the #48 driver. He’s got two top-10 finishes in six races, and a driver rating of 86.7. His best finish is 9th, but his worst is just 16th. So, he’s never terrible at the track, he just hasn’t been in the mix at the end.
2021 was his best outing at the track, finishing in the top five in the first two stages before finishing 9th in the third. Bowman’s first two races back from injury have been solid. Finishing inside the top-15 at the Coca-Cola 600 and running alright last week before his transmission failed in overtime. The #48 will likely be a major factor again and be worth watching all race long.
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