Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California going into the Toyota / Save Mart 350 on June 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

2024 Top 34 In Points2024 Driver Playoff Outlook Following Race No. 15
RankDriverPtsLdr.RankDriverPointsWinsStagesPlayoff PtsPts From Cutoff
1Denny Hamlin53401Denny Hamlin5343318In On Wins
2Kyle Larson513-212William Byron4883116
3Chase Elliott507-273Kyle Larson*5132717
4Martin Truex Jr.490-444Christopher Bell4372616
5William Byron488-465Chase Elliott507116
6Tyler Reddick473-616Tyler Reddick473127
7Ty Gibbs465-697Brad Keselowski437105
8Christopher Bell437-978Austin Cindric305127
9Brad Keselowski437-979Daniel Suarez290105
10Alex Bowman417-11710Martin Truex Jr.490022132
11Ross Chastain417-11711Ty Gibbs465022107
12Ryan Blaney405-12912Alex Bowman41700059
13Bubba Wallace371-16313Ross Chastain41701159
14Chris Buescher368-16614Ryan Blaney40501147
15Chase Briscoe358-17615Bubba Wallace37100013
16Joey Logano354-18016Chris Buescher36801110
17Kyle Busch348-18617Chase Briscoe358000-10
18Austin Cindric305-22918Joey Logano354011-14
19Daniel Suarez290-24419Kyle Busch348000-20
20Josh Berry #264-27020Josh Berry #264000-104
21Carson Hocevar #259-27521Carson Hocevar #259000-109
22Todd Gilliland258-27622Todd Gilliland258000-110
23Noah Gragson255-27923Noah Gragson255000-113
24Michael McDowell255-27924Michael McDowell255011-113
25John H. Nemechek228-30625John H. Nemechek228000-140
26Erik Jones228-30626Erik Jones*228000-140
27Ricky Stenhouse Jr.223-31127Ricky Stenhouse Jr.223000-145
28Daniel Hemric217-31728Daniel Hemric217000-151
29Ryan Preece211-32329Ryan Preece211000-157
30Austin Dillon210-32430Austin Dillon210000-158
31Justin Haley205-32931Justin Haley205000-163
32Corey LaJoie194-34032Corey LaJoie194000-174
33Harrison Burton155-37933Harrison Burton155000-213
34Zane Smith #131-40334Zane Smith #131000-237
Note: Kyle Larson and Erik Jones have received a waiver from NASCAR to be eligible for the Playoffs.

SONOMA RACEWAY-SPECIFIC STATISTICS

(Driver stats in the below section are from 2005-Present)

AJ Allmendinger (No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet)

  • Three top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 22.083, 13th-best
  • Average Running Position of 19.063, 13th-best
  • Driver Rating of 83.5, eighth-best
  • 658 Laps in the Top 15 (49.6%), 11th-most

Ryan Blaney (No. 12 Team Penske Ford)

  • One top five, four top 10s
  • Average Finish of 16.571, ninth-best
  • Average Running Position of 15.950, 10th-best
  • Driver Rating of 76.8, 12th-best
  • 394 Laps in the Top 15 (53.8%), ninth-most

Chris Buescher (No. 17 RFK Racing Ford)

  • Two top fives, two top 10s
  • Average Finish of 14.143, fifth-best
  • Average Running Position of 15.294, seventh-best
  • Driver Rating of 81.9, ninth-best
  • 415 Laps in the Top 15 (56.7%), seventh-most

Kyle Busch (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet)

  • Two wins, seven top fives, nine top 10s
  • Average Finish of 14.778, seventh-best
  • Average Running Position of 15.081, sixth-best
  • Driver Rating of 93.3, fourth-best
  • 1,198 Laps in the Top 15 (61.5%), fourth-most

William Byron (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

  • One top 10
  • Average Finish of 20.400, 12th-best
  • Average Running Position of 15.525, eighth-best
  • Driver Rating of 76.7, 13th-best
  • 280 Laps in the Top 15 (54.7%), eighth-most

Chase Elliott (No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

  • Three top fives, five top 10s
  • Average Finish of 12.143, second-best
  • Average Running Position of 11.005, series-best
  • Driver Rating of 97.9, third-best
  • 513 Laps in the Top 15 (70.1%), second-most

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

  • Four top fives, seven top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 19.000, 11th-best
  • Average Running Position of 16.595, 12th-best
  • Driver Rating of 84.9, sixth-best
  • 907 Laps in the Top 15 (49.3%), 12th-most

Brad Keselowski (No. 6 RFK Racing Ford)

  • One top five, three top 10s
  • Average Finish of 16.077, eighth-best
  • Average Running Position of 16.372, 11th-best
  • Driver Rating of 79.6, 11th-best
  • 734 Laps in the Top 15 (52.7%), 10th-most

Kyle Larson (No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet)

  • One win, one top five, three top 10s; four poles
  • Average Finish of 14.333, sixth-best
  • Average Running Position of 11.714, third-best
  • Driver Rating of 92.2, fifth-best
  • 664 Laps in the Top 15 (69.7%), third-most

Joey Logano (No. 22 Team Penske Ford)

  • Four top fives, six top 10s; one pole
  • Average Finish of 12.929, third-best
  • Average Running Position of 14.052, fifth-best
  • Driver Rating of 84.0, seventh-best
  • 907 Laps in the Top 15 (60.2%), sixth-most

Daniel Suarez (No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet)

  • One win, one top five, one top 10
  • Average Finish of 13.833, fourth-best
  • Average Running Position of 15.730, ninth-best
  • Driver Rating of 81.8, 10th-best
  • 291 Laps in the Top 15 (46.8%), 13th-most

Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota)

  • Four wins, six top fives, seven top 10s
  • Average Finish of 16.706, 10th-best
  • Average Running Position of 13.996, fourth-best
  • Driver Rating of 98.5, series-best
  • 1,122 Laps in the Top 15 (61.0%), fifth-most

The NASCAR Cup Series 2024 Top 16 in the Driver Standings at Sonoma Raceway

RankDriverRacesPolesWinsTop FivesTop 10sDNFsAverage FinishDriver Rating
1Denny Hamlin171047219.084.9
2Kyle Larson94113014.392.2
3Chase Elliott70035112.197.9
4Martin Truex Jr170467316.798.5
5William Byron50001120.476.7
6Tyler Reddick30000029.070.4
7Ty Gibbs10000018.076.2
8Christopher Bell30001020.076.2
9Brad Keselowski130013116.179.6
10Alex Bowman70002017.670.2
11Ross Chastain40003014.276.3
12Ryan Blaney70014016.676.8
13Bubba Wallace50000124.445.0
14Chris Buescher70022014.181.9
15Chase Briscoe30000019.763.3
16Joey Logano141046012.984.0

* – Based on last 19 races at Sonoma Raceway (Loop Data from 2005-Present).

 Sonoma Raceway – Statistics & Tidbits:

TRACK DATA

Season Race #: 16 of 36 (06-09-24)

Purse: $8,426,274

Track Size: 1.99-miles

Number of Turns: 12

Track: Multi-Elevational Paved Road Course

Race Length: 110 laps / 218.9 miles

Stage 1 Length: 25 laps

Stage 2 Length: 30 laps (ends on Lap 55)

Final Stage Length: 55 laps (ends on Lap 110)

 QUALIFYING / RACE RECORDS

Track qualifying record (1.99-miles):                                        

Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 96.568 mph, 74.186 secs. June 27, 2015, (Set in Round 1 of 2)

Track race record (1.99-miles):

Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 83.624 mph, (02:39:55), June 24, 2012

2023 pole winner (most recent race/ 1.99-miles):

Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 92.178 mph, 77.719 secs. June 10, 2023

 2023 race winner (most recent race/ 1.99-miles):

Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 81.989 mph, (02:40:12), June 11, 2023

HISTORY

  • The track known today as Sonoma Raceway, was opened as a 2.52-mile, multi-elevational paved road course and drag strip in 1968 located just outside of Sonoma, California. The track also has a 1.99-mile configuration of the road course and that is what the NASCAR national series currently compete on.
  • Over the course of the existence of the facility, it has held a few different names – Sears Point Raceway, Sears Point International Raceway and Infineon Raceway prior to being renamed Sonoma Raceway.
  • The first NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway was held on June 11, 1989 and was won by Ricky Rudd driving a Buick for car owner Kenny Bernstein. Rudd ran the race at an average speed of 76.088 mph. He led 61 of 74 scheduled laps.
  • The first nine NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway were 300 kilometers and then 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.
  • In 2019 and 2021, the track was reconfigured back to the original 2.52-mile configuration with races being 90 laps – 226.8 miles.
  • Starting in 2022, Sonoma Raceway returned the track configuration back to the 1.99-mile configuration with the return of the ‘chute’.
  • In total there have been 34 NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway since the inaugural race there in 1989 – one race per season, until the 2020 season due to the pandemic the series did not compete at Sonoma Raceway.

STARTS

  • A total of 243 different drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway; 171 have competed in more than one.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in starts at Sonoma Raceway with 23 starts.
  • Top Five All-Time in Sonoma Cup Starts: Jeff Gordon (23), Kevin Harvick (22), Bobby Labonte (21), Kurt Busch (21), Mark Martin (21) and Terry Labonte (21).
  • Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in starts at Sonoma Raceway with 18 starts.
  • Top Five Active in Sonoma Cup Starts: Kyle Busch (18), Denny Hamlin (17), Martin Truex Jr. (17), Joey Logano (14) and Brad Keselowski (13).
  • A total of 50 different drivers have made their first series start at Sonoma Raceway; the most recent was Grant Enfinger on June 11, 2023.

RankFirst-Time DriversDateRankFirst-Time DriversDateRankFirst-Time DriversDate
1Grant Enfinger6/11/202318Marcos Ambrose6/22/200835Dirk Stephens5/16/1993
2Ben Rhodes6/6/202119Max Papis6/22/200836P.J. Jones5/16/1993
3Alon Day6/25/201720David Gilliland6/25/200637Rick Carelli6/7/1992
4Billy Johnson6/25/201721Chris Cook6/26/200538Rick Scribner6/7/1992
5Josh Bilicki6/25/201722Brandon Ash6/27/200439Ron Hornaday Jr6/7/1992
6Kevin O’Connell6/25/201723Klaus Graf6/27/200440R.K. Smith6/9/1991
7Tommy Regan6/25/201724Johnny Miller6/22/200341Robert Sprague6/9/1991
8Dylan Lupton6/26/201625Austin Cameron6/23/200242Scott Gaylord6/9/1991
9Alex Kennedy6/23/201326Jim Inglebright6/23/200243Butch Gilliland6/10/1990
10Justin Marks6/23/201327Brian Simo6/25/200044Jack Sellers6/10/1990
11Paulie Harraka6/23/201328Sean Woodside5/4/199745Mike Chase6/10/1990
12Victor Gonzalez Jr6/23/201329Tom Hubert5/4/199746Bill Cooper6/11/1989
13David Mayhew6/24/201230Jeff Krogh5/5/199647Darin Brassfield6/11/1989
14Tomy Drissi6/24/201231Larry Gunselman5/5/199648Dick Johnson6/11/1989
15Andy Pilgrim6/26/201132Dan Obrist5/7/199549Terry Fisher6/11/1989
16Jan Magnussen6/20/201033Doug George5/7/199550Troy Beebe6/11/1989
17Mattias Ekstrom6/20/201034Ken Pedersen5/7/1995

Average Starting Position

  • Kyle Larson leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average starting position at Sonoma Raceway with a 3.667 in nine starts.

Top 10 in Average Starting Position at Sonoma Raceway (All-Time and Active)

RankAll-Time DriversAvg. StartRacesRankActive DriversAvg StartRaces
1Kyle Larson3.66791Kyle Larson3.6679
2Tyler Reddick5.66732Tyler Reddick5.6673
3Chase Elliott6.42973Chase Elliott6.4297
4Rusty Wallace6.941174Daniel Suárez10.8336
5Marcos Ambrose7.14375AJ Allmendinger10.91712
6Jeff Gordon7.696236Joey Logano11.64314
7Ricky Rudd9.056187William Byron11.8005
8Mark Martin9.952218Kyle Busch13.22218
9Alan Kulwicki10.50049Martin Truex Jr13.64717
10Jerry Nadeau10.600510Chris Buescher14.5717
  • A total of seven different manufacturers have made starts at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series – Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, Buick, Dodge, Oldsmobile and Pontiac.

POLES

  • A total of 19 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at least one pole at Sonoma Raceway since 1989.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series pole at Sonoma Raceway in 1989 with a speed of 90.041 mph driving a Pontiac for car owner Raymond Beadle.
  • Of the 19 NASCAR Cup Series Sonoma Raceway pole winners, four are entered this weekend.

Active Pole WinnersPolesSeasons
Kyle Larson42022, 2019, 2018, 2017
Denny Hamlin12023
AJ Allmendinger12015
Joey Logano12011
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Sonoma Raceway with five poles (1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005).
  • Kyle Larson leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in poles at Sonoma Raceway with four poles (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022).
  • Four drivers have won consecutive NASCAR Cup Series poles at Sonoma Raceway: Ricky Rudd (three: 1990, 1991, 1992), Jeff Gordon (1998, 1999 and 2004, 2005), Jamie McMurray (2013, 2014) and Kyle Larson (four: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 – Note: series did not race at Sonoma in 2020 and qualifying was canceled in 2021).
  • Youngest Cup Series Sonoma pole winner: Joey Logano (June 26, 2011 – 21 years, 1 month, 2 days).
  • Oldest Cup Series Sonoma pole winner: Rusty Wallace (June 25, 2000 – 43 years, 10 months, 11 days).
  • Only one NASCAR Cup Series driver has posted his first series career pole at Sonoma – Boris Said (June 22, 2003).
  • A total of 13 different organizations have won at least one pole in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway; six of the 13 are active this weekend.

RankActive OrganizationsPolesSeasons
1Hendrick Motorsports102022, 2005, 2004, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1996, 1992, 1991, 1990
2Joe Gibbs Racing42023, 2016, 2011, 2002
3RFK Racing22007, 1997
4Team Penske22006, 2000
5JTG Daugherty Racing12015
6Richard Childress Racing11993
  • Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in poles at Sonoma Raceway with 10 among four drivers: Jeff Gordon (five: 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005), Ricky Rudd (three: 1990, 1991, 1992), Kyle Larson (2022), Terry Labonte (1996).
  • Five different manufacturers in the NASCAR Cup Series have won a pole at Sonoma Raceway; led by Chevrolet (17 poles), followed by Ford (seven), Toyota (four), Pontiac (three) and Dodge (two).
  • Four drivers have won NASCAR Cup Series poles at Sonoma in two different manufacturers; see chart below:

DriversPoles
Ricky Rudd3 (Chevrolet)1 (Ford)
Jamie McMurray2 (Chevrolet)1 (Ford)
Kasey Kahne1 (Dodge)1 (Ford)
Rusty Wallace1 (Ford)1 (Pontiac)
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip leads the series in road course poles (all-time) with nine poles – all at Riverside International Raceway (1980, three-race sweep in 1981, 1982, two races in 1983, 1985 and 1986).
  • William Byron leads all active drivers in road course poles in the NASCAR Cup Series with five poles (Charlotte ROVAL 2019, Road America 2021, Indianapolis R.C. 2021, COTA 2023 and 2024).
  • Kyle Larson has the second-most road course poles among active drivers in the series with four poles; all at Sonoma Raceway (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022).

 WINS

  • A total of 21 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have won at Sonoma Raceway since 1989.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Ricky Rudd (Class of 2025) won the first NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway on June 11, 1989 driving a Buick for car owner Kenny Bernstein.
  • Of the 21 NASCAR Cup Series Sonoma Raceway winners, four are entered this weekend.

Active Sonoma WinnersWinsSeasons
Martin Truex Jr42023, 2019, 2018, 2013
Kyle Busch22015, 2008
Daniel Suárez12022
Kyle Larson12021
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Sonoma Raceway with five victories (1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006).
  • Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. leads all active drivers in wins at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series with four victories (2013, 2018, 2019, 2024).
  • Only two drivers have posted consecutive NASCAR Cup Series wins at Sonoma Raceway:

o   Jeff Gordon (1998 and 1999 were each from the pole and the 2000 win was from the fifth starting position).

o   Martin Truex Jr. (2018 was from the outside front row and 2019 was from eighth starting position).

  • Youngest Cup Series Sonoma Raceway winner: Kyle Busch (June 22, 2008 – 23 years, 1 month, 20 days).
  • Oldest Cup Series Sonoma Raceway winner: Ricky Rudd (June 23, 2002 – 45 years, 9 months, 11 days).
  • Two drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Cup Series win at Sonoma Raceway – Juan Pablo Montoya (2007) and Daniel Suárez (2022).
  • A total of 15 different starting positions on the grid have led to victories in the 34 NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway.
  • The pole or first starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more series wins (six) than any other starting position at Sonoma Raceway.
  • In total six of the 34 (17.6%) NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway have been won from the pole or first starting position; the most recent was Kyle Larson in 2021.
  • In total four different drivers have won a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway from the pole or first starting position.

o   Jeff Gordon – leads series with three victories from the pole (1998, 1999 and 2004)

o   Ernie Irvan (1994)

o   Mark Martin (1997)

o   Kyle Larson (2021)

NASCAR Cup Series Wins by Starting Positions at Sonoma Raceway

Starting PositionWinsWinning %Starting PositionWinsWinning %
1617.65%1012.94%
2411.76%11411.76%
325.88%1212.94%
438.82%1312.94%
525.88%1412.94%
612.94%3012.94%
738.82%3212.94%
838.82%
StatsWinning %Wins
Winning from the First Starting Position:17.6%6
Winning from the Front Row:29.4%10
Winning from a Top-Five Starting Position:50.0%17
Winning from a Top-10 Starting Position:73.5%25
Winning After Starting Outside the Top 10:26.5%9
Winning After Starting Outside the Top 20:5.9%2
  • The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Sonoma is 32nd, by Juan Pablo Montoya in 2007.
  • Only one other time has a NASCAR Cup Series race been won from a starting position outside the top 15 at Sonoma Raceway – Kyle Busch’s 2008 win; he started from 30th.
  • Denny Hamlin leads the series among active drivers this weekend with the most NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway without visiting Victory Lane at 17 appearances.
  • In total 17 different organizations have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway.
  • Of the 17 organizations that have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway, seven are active this weekend.

RankActive OrganizationsSonoma WinsSeasons
1Hendrick Motorsports72021, 2010, 2006, 2004, 2000, 1999, 1998
2Joe Gibbs Racing62023, 2019, 2015, 2008, 2005, 2001
3Stewart-Haas Racing22017, 2017
4RFK Racing22014, 1997
5Team Penske22011, 1996
6Richard Childress Racing22003, 1995
7Trackhouse Racing12022
  • Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Sonoma Raceway with seven victories among three drivers: Jeff Gordon (five: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006), Jimmie Johnson (one: 2010) and Kyle Larson (one: 2021).
  • Six different manufacturers have won in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway; led by Chevrolet with 13 victories; followed by Ford with eight, Toyota (seven), Dodge (three), Pontiac (two) and Buick (one).
  • Chevrolet holds the record for the longest streak of consecutive NASCAR Cup Series wins at Sonoma Raceway at four straight from 2003-2006.
  • Four drivers have won in two different manufacturers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma; see chart below:

DriversWins
Tony Stewart2 (Chevrolet)1 (Pontiac)
Ricky Rudd1 (Buick)1 (Ford)
Ernie Irvan1 (Chevrolet)1 (Ford)
Rusty Wallace1 (Ford)1 (Pontiac)
  • Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series all-time in road course wins with nine victories (Sonoma, five; Watkins Glen, four);
  • Tony Stewart has the second-most road course wins all-time with eight victories (Watkins Glen, five; Sonoma, three).
  • Hendrick Motorsport’s Chase Elliott leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in road course wins with seven victories (Watkins Glen, two; Charlotte ROVAL, two; Daytona R.C.; COTA; Road America).
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison holds the NASCAR Cup Series record for the most wins at a single road course track – with six victories at Riverside International Raceway (1971, 1973, 1975, 1979, 1981-1, 1981-3).

ADDITIONAL FINISHING POSITIONS

Runner-Up Finishes:

  • A total of 21 drivers have finished runner-up in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Sonoma with five.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in the Cup Series in runner-up finishes at Sonoma Raceway with two.

Top Five in Runner-Up Finishes at Sonoma Raceway (All-Time & Active)

RankAll-Time DriversRunner-UpsRankActive DriversRunner-Ups
1Jeff Gordon51Kyle Busch2
2Mark Martin42Chase Elliott1
3Tony Stewart33Chris Buescher1
4Kevin Harvick24Denny Hamlin1
5Kyle Busch2 
Ricky Rudd2 
Robby Gordon2 

Top-Five Finishes:

  • A total of 57 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished in the top-five at Sonoma Raceway.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the Cup Series in top-five finishes at Sonoma with 14 top fives.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top-five finishes at Sonoma with seven.

Top Five in Top-Five Finishes at Sonoma Raceway (All-Time & Active)  

RankAll-Time DriversTop FivesRankActive DriversTop Fives
1Jeff Gordon141Kyle Busch7
2Ricky Rudd102Martin Truex Jr6
3Rusty Wallace93Denny Hamlin4
4Clint Bowyer84Joey Logano4
5Kevin Harvick75Chase Elliott3
Kurt Busch7 
Kyle Busch7 
Mark Martin7 

 Top-10 Finishes:

  • A total of 85 different NASCAR Cup Series drivers have finished in the top-10 at Sonoma Raceway.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in top-10 finishes at Sonoma with 18.
  • Kyle Busch leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in top 10s at Sonoma with nine.

Top Five in Top-10 Finishes at Sonoma Raceway (All-Time & Active)

RankAll-Time DriversTop 10sRankActive DriversTop 10s
1Jeff Gordon181Kyle Busch9
2Mark Martin132Denny Hamlin7
3Kevin Harvick113Martin Truex Jr7
4Kurt Busch114Joey Logano6
5Ricky Rudd115Chase Elliott5
Rusty Wallace11

Average Finishes:

  • Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in average finishing position at Sonoma with an 8.3 in 23 starts.
  • Chase Elliott leads all active NASCAR Cup Series drivers in average finish at Sonoma with a 12.143 in seven starts.

Top 10 in Average Finishing Positions at Sonoma Raceway (All-Time & Active)

RankAll-Time DriversAvg FinishRacesRankActive DriversAvg FinishRaces
1Jeff Gordon8.304231Chase Elliott12.1437
2Dale Earnhardt8.583122Daniel Suárez13.8836
3Clint Bowyer10.143143Joey Logano12.92914
4Rick Wilson10.50044Chris Buescher14.1437
5Marcos Ambrose11.28675Ross Chastain14.2504
6Daniel Suárez11.66736Kyle Larson14.3339
7Ricky Rudd11.722187Kyle Busch14.77818
8Tony Stewart11.778188Austin Cindric15.0002
9Mark Martin11.857219Daniel Hemric15.0001
10Chase Elliott12.143710Brad Keselowski16.07713

LAP LEADERS

  • A total of 77 different drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have led at least one lap at Sonoma Raceway.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Cup Series in laps led at Sonoma Raceway with 457 laps led in 23 starts.
  • Martin Truex Jr. leads all active Cup drivers in laps led at Sonoma (second-most all-time) with 264 laps led in 17 Sonoma Raceway starts.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon has led the most laps at Sonoma Raceway in a single NASCAR Cup Series race and won with 92 laps led of the scheduled 110 laps (83.6%) on June 27, 2004.
  • NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin led the most laps at Sonoma Raceway in a single NASCAR Cup Series race and did not win (finished second) after leading 66 of the 74 scheduled laps (89.1%) on May 7, 1995.
  • The fewest laps led by a NASCAR Cup Series winner at Sonoma Raceway is two laps and it has happened twice: In 1991, Davey Allison led just two laps en route to the win at Sonoma and in 1995 Dale Earnhardt led just two laps en route to the win.

Top 10 in Laps Led at Sonoma Raceway (All-Time)

RankAll-Time Lap LeadersRacesLedCompleted% Led
1Jeff Gordon234572,34319.5%
2Martin Truex Jr172641,69215.6%
3Kurt Busch212062,2649.1%
4Rusty Wallace171711,51611.3%
5Mark Martin211611,9758.2%
6Robby Gordon151581,49910.5%
7Jimmie Johnson181431,9607.3%
8Denny Hamlin171351,7897.5%
9Ricky Rudd181341,6378.2%
10Kyle Busch181321,9016.9%

Top 10 in Laps Led at Sonoma Raceway (Active)

RankActive Lap LeadersRacesLedCompleted% Led
1Martin Truex Jr172641,69215.6%
2Denny Hamlin171351,7897.5%
3Kyle Busch181321,9016.9%
4Kyle Larson9949519.9%
5AJ Allmendinger12651,2275.3%
6Chase Elliott7497027.0%
7Daniel Suárez64731215.1%
8Brad Keselowski13271,3861.9%
9Joey Logano14271,5051.8%
10William Byron5264955.3%

TRACK SPECIFIC STATS

  • Since the advent of electronic scoring in 1993, the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway is the June 27, 1999 race won by Jeff Gordon over Mark Martin with a margin of victory of 0.197 second.

Top Five Closest Margins of Victory at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series

Margin of VictoryDateRace WinnerRunner-Up
0.1976/27/1999Jeff GordonMark Martin
0.3205/7/1995Dale EarnhardtMark Martin
0.4605/5/1996Rusty WallaceMark Martin
0.5326/28/2015Kyle BuschKurt Busch
0.5536/22/2003Robby GordonJeff Gordon

Top Five Largest Margins of Victory at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series

Margin of VictoryDateRace WinnerRunner-Up
10.5136/24/2018Martin Truex JrKevin Harvick
9.5605/15/1994Ernie IrvanGeoff Bodine
8.1336/23/2013Martin Truex JrJeff Gordon
4.1016/25/2000Jeff GordonSterling Marlin
4.0976/24/2007Juan Pablo MontoyaKevin Harvick
  • Qualifying has never been cancelled in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway due to weather. But the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series event, set the starting lineups by Metric Qualifying due to the pandemic restrictions.
  • None of the 34 NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions.
  • None of the 34 NASCAR Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway have been postponed to a later date.
  • There have been four NASCAR Cup Series races resulting in NASCAR Overtime at Sonoma Raceway:

DateMOVScheduledActualDifferenceWinnerRunner-Up
6/6/20210.61490922Kyle LarsonChase Elliott
6/24/20120.8291101122Clint BowyerTony Stewart
6/21/20090.7481101133Kasey KahneTony Stewart
6/22/20081.7161101122Kyle BuschDavid Gilliland
  • The most leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway is 10, set in 2017.
  • The fewest leaders in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway is three, set in the inaugural event in 1989.
  • The most lead changes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway is 13, and it has happened twice in 2017 and 2021.
  • The fewest lead changes in a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway is three, set in the inaugural event in 1989.
  • Three times the final lead change of the race occurred in the final five laps of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway:

o   Ricky Rudd passed Jerry Nadeau with three laps to go to win the 2002 NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

o   Dale Earnhardt passed Mark Martin with two laps to go to win the 1995 NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

o   Davey Allison passed Ricky Rudd on the final lap of the race to win the 1991 NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

 FEMALE COMPETITORS

  • Danica Patrick is the only female driver in the NASCAR Cup Series to compete at Sonoma Raceway.

DriverStarting PositionFinishing PositionDriver RatingDate
Danica Patrick61766.56/25/2017
Danica Patrick111969.86/26/2016
Danica Patrick212461.66/28/2015
Danica Patrick111869.66/22/2014
Danica Patrick312943.06/23/2013
Averages16.021.462.1 

 NASCAR IN CALIFORNIA

  • There has been a total of 215 NASCAR national series points-paying races held in the state of California among 17 different tracks.
  • The NASCAR Cup Series has also competed at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2022 – 2024 – a special non-points event to start the season.

NASCAR Tracks in CaliforniaCityCupXfinityTruckCombinedFirst Year
Auto Club SpeedwayFontana333313791997
Sonoma RacewaySonoma3415401989
Ascot StadiumLos Angeles30031957
Bay Meadows Race TrackSan Mateo30031954
California State FairgroundsSacramento60061956
Capitol SpeedwaySacramento10011957
Carrell SpeedwayGardena40041951
Marchbanks SpeedwayHanford30031951
Merced FairgroundsMerced10011956
Mesa Marin RacewayBakersfield00991995
Oakland StadiumOakland30031951
Ontario Motor SpeedwayOntario90091971
Redwood SpeedwayEureka20021956
Riverside International RacewayRiverside4800481958
Santa Clara FairgroundsSan Jose10011957
Saugus SpeedwaySaugus00111995
Willow Springs SpeedwayLancaster20021956
Totals1533428215
  • The first NASCAR national series event held in the state of California was a NASCAR Cup Series race on April 8, 1951 at Carrell Speedway – the race was won by Marshall Teague (Hudson).

CALIFORNIA DRIVERS IN NASCAR

  • A total of 463 drivers in NASCAR national series history have their home state recorded as California.
  • Of the 463 Californian drivers in NASCAR, 45 have posted at least one win in one of NASCAR’s three national series. The list of winners is below:

NASCAR Winners From CaliforniaCupXfinityTruckCombined
Jeff Gordon935098
Jimmie Johnson831084
Kevin Harvick604714121
Kyle Larson2515343
Marvin Panch170017
Ernie Irvan153018
Dick Rathmann130013
Tyler Reddick610319
Dan Gurney5005
Eddie Gray4004
Parnelli Jones4004
Eddie Pagan4004
AJ Allmendinger317020
Robby Gordon3104
Ray Elder2002
Danny Letner2002
Marvin Porter2002
Dick Brooks1001
Marvin Burke1001
Jim Cook1001
Cole Custer113216
Lou Figaro1001
Danny Graves1001
Johnny Mantz1001
Casey Mears1102
Bill Norton1001
John Soares1001
Danny Weinberg1001
Ron Hornaday Jr045155
Jason Leffler0213
Ryan Reed0202
David Gilliland0101
Jesse Love0101
Justin Marks0101
Joe Ruttman011314
Boris Said0112
Mike Skinner012829
Matt Crafton001515
Zane Smith0099
Sheldon Creed0088
Tyler Ankrum0011
Matt DiBenedetto0011
Justin Lofton0011
Scott Speed0011
Brandon Whitt0011
Totals352127153632

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