Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske have combined to win 14 of the first 15 points races of the season. Can anyone beat them? Will it happen today at Sonoma Raceway?
Today’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 marks the first event of the season on a road course. It also features the return of Sonoma’s Carousel. Cup cars last ran on that portion of the course in 1997 before this weekend.
Here’s all the info for today’s event:
(All times are Eastern)
START: David Wilson, Toyota Racing Development President and General Manager, will give the command to start engines at 3:01 p.m. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 3:13 p.m.
PRERACE: Garage opens at 11 a.m. The driver/crew chief meeting is at 1 p.m.. Driver introductions begin at 2:20 p.m. The invocation will be given by Peadar Dalton, Rev. Member of Sonoma Valley Interfaith Ministerial Association, at 2:54 p.m. Tower of Power will perform the National Anthem at 2:55 p.m.
DISTANCE: The race is 90 laps (226.8 miles) around the 2.52-mile road course.
STAGES: Stage 1 ends on Lap 20. Stage 2 ends on Lap 40.
TV/RADIO: FS1 will broadcast the race at 3 p.m. Coverage begins at 2 p.m. with NASCAR RaceDay. Performance Racing Network will broadcast the race. PRN’s coverage begins at 2 p.m. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry PRN’s broadcast, which is also available at goprn.com.
FORECAST: wunderground.com calls for mostly sunny skies with a high of 82 degrees and a 0% chance of rain for the start of the race.
LAST TIME: Martin Truex Jr. won and was followed by Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer.
TO THE REAR: Daniel Suarez (engine change), Erik Jones (unapproved adjustments), JJ Yeley (unapproved adjustments), Ross Chastain (driver change, Kyle Weatherman qualified car).
STARTING LINEUP: Click here for the full lineup.