Motorsports

Corey Heim, NASCAR Trucks points leader, on his path in racing and room for improvement: 12 Questions

Each week, The Athletic asks the same 12 questions to a different race car driver. Our series continues with our fourth consecutive series points leader interview: Corey Heim, current leader in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Tricon Garage. This interview has been condensed and edited, but the full version is available on the 12 […]

Published

1 month ago

June 4, 2025

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Each week, The Athletic asks the same 12 questions to a different race car driver. Our series continues with our fourth consecutive series points leader interview: Corey Heim, current leader in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Tricon Garage. This interview has been condensed and edited, but the full version is available on the 12 Questions podcast.

1. What was one of the first autographs you got as a kid, and what do you remember about that moment?

My family would go to the Fourth of July weekend at Daytona when I was growing up. It’s my birthday weekend (he was born July 5), so it’s always a fun thing for me. I grew up a big Denny (Hamlin) fan, so I remember going to his merch trailer at the time. His mom (Mary Lou) ran his trailer, and we had no idea, but my mom made it a point that it was my birthday to see if we could get something extra because it was my favorite driver.

They gave me a rookie card of his that was pre-signed. I thought (it) was the coolest thing ever, because within that we met his mom and we didn’t know at first. (Heim is now a development driver for 23XI Racing, which Hamlin co-owns.)

2. What is the most miserable you’ve ever been inside of a race car?

In 2021 at Watkins Glen, I had to run Kyle Busch’s shell (for the seat at Kyle Busch Motorsports). Kyle sits really strangely; he’s very low and his legs are like cramped up into his chest. That’s like the opposite of what I need, because I get a lot of hip cramping, so I need my legs to be really straight out so they’re not clenched the whole time.

It was my second-ever Truck start, and I was so uncomfortable. By the middle of Stage 2, my hips cramped up on me. I literally couldn’t walk when I got out of the truck. My guys had to carry me by both shoulders back to the hauler, and they were giving me cramping pills.

3. Outside of racing, what is your most recent memory of something you got way too competitive about?

My girlfriend (Taylor Reimer) loves Monopoly. She’s really competitive, and I’m really competitive, and that makes us clash a little bit. You know how you charge rent? There was one instance where I went to go check my phone, and I forgot to charge her rent for being on my property. And I’m like, “Hey, weren’t you on my property?” And she’s like, “Yeah, but you weren’t paying attention. You have to tell me that I owe you money for rent.” And I’m like, “What? That’s not how a board game works. If you’re on my property, you pay me rent.” She’s like, “No, you weren’t paying attention.”

So the next time comes around, and I was on some other person’s property, and I was doing everything I could to make sure they didn’t know I was on it, and they forgot — and she called me out on it because I got so worked up when she was on my property! I was like, “Taylor, you can’t be a hypocrite. You just did the same thing!” And she’s like, “Well, you’re a hypocrite because you got mad about it.” So that is part of the game, I guess.

Wait until Corey Heim is distracted before you land on his properties in Monopoly. (Sean Gardner / Getty Images)

4. What do people get wrong about you?

I see a lot of people talk about how I whine a lot. I don’t feel like I whine. People talk about how I complain, but I feel like that’s pretty typical for anyone who is interviewed a lot? I don’t feel like I’m a whiner. I feel like I’m pretty chill, and if the race up front is good quality and we rub a little bit, that’s fine with me. But I feel like when people overstep and wreck you, that’s when I complain and people get worked up about that.

5. What kind of Uber passenger are you, and how much do you care about your Uber rating?

I don’t Uber a lot. I’m kind of a homebody. But I’m pretty adaptable. I just read the room a little bit. If the driver is more quiet, I like to keep it that way. I don’t really care about my Uber rating, but it’s 4.9 or something.

6. This one is a wild-card question I’m mixing up for each person. I know you grew up in the Atlanta suburbs and think you started racing quarter midgets when you were 5, and you some Legend car racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway. But I don’t really know about your background growing up beyond that. Can you fill in the blanks for me?

My dad was always a big NASCAR fan. He raced Legend cars a lot when I was growing up at Lanier (Raceway), and he actually raced against Chase Elliott and the Dillon brothers in the same class. He was low-budgeted; he works in the gambling industry and sold old monitors from slot machines to fund his racing when I was growing up and raced locally.

I had started to love NASCAR and watch it with him, and he surprised me with a go-kart for Christmas when I was 4 years old. I started racing locally in Cumming, Georgia, and at the Lanier quarter-midget track up the road. When I first started out, it was a very low-budget operation because it was more of a hobby for us. I didn’t like losing, like most people, and was skeptical whether I wanted to continue racing. Quite honestly, when I was 7 or 8 years old, I had one foot out the door. If it wasn’t for the friends and the people I had met and formed those relationships with, I probably would have quit racing. When you’re not doing as well as you want to be, it’s not very fun.

My dad’s business started doing better, started putting more money into the racing side of things and chipped away at it and eventually decided to go Late Model racing. Had some success there, met the right people, and my dad’s business was doing better, so he was able to throw more money at it and invest in the ARCA side of things. Ever since I’ve been in Trucks, I’ve made a career out of it from there.

When you didn’t have enough funding to run well, at what point did you know you were good enough to do this? Because if you’re not winning at that age, how do you know?

I did a lot of iRacing growing up, and I was always pretty good at that, and we had a decent amount of success later in my quarter-midget career and definitely in Late Models, too. My dad always told me he didn’t have enough money to fund ARCA racing, so it was always in the back of my mind like, “I’m just going to keep doing it until I can’t anymore.”

But that’s when his business started doing a lot better, and he was able to throw a little bit more money at it for me to get that ARCA opportunity. And then little by little, Toyota started to help us, and eventually it turned into what it is now. I just always enjoyed it just enough to want to stay in it, and I felt like the day I didn’t enjoy anymore, I would be done with it. But that day never came.

7. This is the 16th year I’ve been doing these 12 Questions interviews, and I’ve been going back to a previous question and re-using it. You seem like a very even-keeled guy from what I’ve seen, so I found this one from 2012: When is the last time you got nervous about something?

I get nervous all the time. I mean, I’m nervous right now for Cup practice (Heim ran the No. 67 car at Nashville Superspeedway last weekend). I have emotions, but they’re just more internal. I feel a fair amount of stress and nerves going into these races. I want to impress people and perform at the best of my ability.

Anyone who cares gets nervous about things. Like, if you have a big event where you have to speak to a lot of people, you’d get nervous too, if you care about it. So I feel like it’s pretty natural.

8. Other than one of your teammates, name a driver who you would be one of the first people to congratulate them in victory lane if they won a race.

Tanner Gray in the Trucks. He’s been a really good teammate to me. You said no teammates, but I was thinking on the 23XI side. So I’ll say Tanner for my Tricon side. I don’t really have a lot of close friends outside of my Toyota group, so it’s a tough one.

9. How much do you use AI technology, whether for your job or your daily life?

I’ve never used it, but a lot of the photos people generate are really funny, so I’ve wanted to give it a shot. But do they all cost money to use? I’d like to use it sometime.

I’ve seen people use it for paint schemes, and people (on social media) lose their marbles because it takes away (the human element), which makes sense. But I feel like that’s just adapting to the times, you know?

Tanner Gray and Corey Heim, Tricon Garage teammates in the NASCAR Truck Series. (Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

10. What is a time in your life that was really challenging, but you feel proud of the way that you responded to it?

The 2023 championship in the Trucks, just with Carson (Hocevar) and the whole mess there. (Heim was going to win the championship but was wrecked by Hocevar; Heim later retaliated by wrecking Hocevar and was penalized for it afterward.) It was just a big rollercoaster of emotions and the public perception. For the most part, I’ve been a really clean driver. I don’t really cause a lot of crap, but being under that microscope with 30 to go in a Truck (championship) race and everything happening the way it did, it put me in a bad light. I had to handle that because I pride myself on racing the way I want to be race, so seeing people come crashing down on me for retaliating was tough.

The good part of it was I had the whole offseason to just get over it. It wasn’t like I had to go racing next week with that mindset. But from a broad perspective, I feel like it was a warranted thing, but I had to just understand I was under a microscope, and it got blown out of proportion a little bit from my standpoint.

11. What needs to happen in NASCAR to take this sport to the next level of popularity?

First of all, every race would sell out if it was as big of a party as Talladega. No one is coming to watch 25 minutes of practice; you come to party and enjoy the race. Of course, there’s a fan group that enjoys the racing quality, but what are you going to do for the other three days you’re here camping out? People go for that more than anything. (More of a party scene) would help at pretty much every racetrack.

And then I feel like MLB has done a really good job with ballpark food. I’ve seen a lot of parks introduce new ballpark food. People travel just to go and try these new ballpark items. They’re crazy contraptions of food and stuff you don’t see on a normal day. That would be cool for certain tracks.

12. Each week, I ask a driver to give me a question for the next interview. The last one was with Justin Allgaier, so his question for you is: “It’s inevitable for you to be a Cup Series superstar. What has been the hardest part about your progression and what do you still need to work on to become the best all-around driver in whatever series you’re in on a given weekend?”

Just the little things I need to work on. My speed is there. My racecraft has gotten a lot better. The little things such as pit road and restarts are things I can put effort into it and continue to get better, and I can execute on it for one race — but after I stop making that a point to look at on a consistent basis, I start slacking on it again. So it’s like I need to learn how to somehow mentally let myself know (to do those things) every week.

The next interview I’m doing is with Daniel Suárez. Do you have a question I can ask him?

Aside from Trackhouse, he’s never been able to settle into a groove with one team. He was with the Xfinity team with Gibbs for one year, won the championship, went Cup racing probably prematurely (when Carl Edwards suddenly retired). Once he was getting in his groove (in Cup with Gibbs), he’s out the door going to Haas, and then once he was getting his groove there, he’s out the door with the next move. What’s it been like to have to readjust constantly every year versus being comfortable and finding his groove at Trackhouse?

(Top photo: James Gilbert / Getty Images)

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Sonoma Xfinity results: Connor Zilisch holds off Shane van Gisbergen for win

Connor Zilisch held off Shane van Gisbergen over the final laps to win Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway. It marked the second race in a row the two finished first and second but last weekend at Chicago it was van Gisbergen defeating Zilisch. Advertisement Saturday, Zilisch withstood van Gisbergen’s pressure on the final […]

Published

17 minutes ago

July 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Connor Zilisch held off Shane van Gisbergen over the final laps to win Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

It marked the second race in a row the two finished first and second but last weekend at Chicago it was van Gisbergen defeating Zilisch.

Saturday, Zilisch withstood van Gisbergen’s pressure on the final lap around the 1.99-mile road course to collect his third series victory of the season and fourth of his career.

Zilisch’s victory gave JR Motorsports its series-best 10th win of the year and 98th in the series. It also was the team’s fourth 1-2 finish of the season. JR Motorsports has won the past six Xfinity road course races, the longest streak by a team in series history. All five JR Motorsports cars finished in the top 10.

Zilisch, who turns 19 on July 22, and van Gisbergen combined to lead 70 of the race’s 79 laps Saturday.

William Sawalich was third, Nick Sanchez finished fourth and Riley Herbst was fifth.

Five rookies finished in the top 10, the most in series history on a road course. Those five rookies were: Zilisch (first), Sawalich (third), Sanchez (fourth), Taylor Gray (seventh) and Carson Kvapil (eighth).

Stage 1 winner: Sam Mayer

Stage 2 winner: Brandon Jones

Next: The series races at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, July 19 at Dover.

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ARCA Menards West Series: 2025 Sonoma Race Review

By Vincent Delforge, Staff Writer The sixth race of the 2025 ARCA Menards West Series season took place at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA on July 11, 2025. The General Tire 200 was won in a commanding manner by Joe Gibbs Racing driver William Sawalich. The driver of the No. 18 Toyota was the fastest […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

By Vincent Delforge, Staff Writer

The sixth race of the 2025 ARCA Menards West Series season took place at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA on July 11, 2025. The General Tire 200 was won in a commanding manner by Joe Gibbs Racing driver William Sawalich.

The driver of the No. 18 Toyota was the fastest in practice, earned the pole position, set the fastest lap of the race, and led every lap. His dominance was completely challenged during the final lap of overtime when he was pushed off the track in turn 2 by Alon Day (Venturini Motorsports). Having moved back up to fourth, Sawalich first got rid of Jack Wood (Bill McAnally Racing) by pushing him into a spin coming out of Turn 3. He then took advantage of Alon Day’s opening of the inside line in the hairpin to get into the rear bumper of leader Christian Eckes and give him a “love tape” enough to slightly destabilize the Bill McAnally Racing driver as he accelerated again. Side by side in Turn 12, Sawalich, despite a brush with the outside wall, took advantage of his better speed to take the checkered flag first, 0.66 thousandths ahead of Eckes and 1.56 ahead of Alan Day! This was the closest finish in the history of the West Series at Sonoma in 46 races!

Fourth in the race, Trevor Huddleston (High Point Racing) made a good point day by finishing ahead of his main rivals for the championship. He now has 299 points, 14 more than Tanner Reif (Central Coast Racing), who finished ninth in the race, and 15 more than Kyle Keller (Jan’s Racing Team), who finished eighth on Friday.

It’s time to take a closer look at how the Sonoma race unfolded.

ARCA West Practice/Qualifying

As mentioned above, William Sawalich was the fastest driver in practice, being the only driver to go under the 78-second mark with a lap time of 77.505 seconds. He finished ahead of Corey Day (Spire Motorsports), Alon Day, and Jack Wood. Jonathan Reaume (Strike Mamba Racing) didn’t do a lap, as his team finished preparing their new car in the pit lane. Nick Joanides (Performance P-1 Motorsports) encountered gearshift issues. Rookie Kaylee Bryson (Cook Racing Technologies) also had technical problem with a motor sensor issue. Finally, among the highlights of this practice, Spencer Gallagher’s (Clark Racing) accident who destroyed the left side of his No. 23 Chevrolet.

In the qualifying session, Sawalich took pole position with a lap time of 77.507 seconds, finishing 1 thousandths of a second ahead of Alon Day. The second row was occupied by Corey Day and Tyler Reif (Sigma Performance Services). Bill McAnally Racing drivers Christian Eckes and Jack Wood shared the third row. Reaume made his first laps and was logically last. It’s worth noting that two drivers didn’t take part in the session: Joanides, whose team hadn’t resolved the aforementioned issues in time, and Gallagher, whose team was configuring the backup car loaned by Sigma Performance Services. It’s worth noting that last year, Joe Farrè (SPS) and T.J. Clark were partners. There was a great sense of solidarity between them.

GREEN!!!

Sawalich gave no one a chance to challenge him for first place as the green flag waved. Behind him, Tyler Reif made an excellent start and moved from fourth to second place in the first two turns. Joanides did not start the race, his car having stopped in his pit box. Eric Johnson, Jr. (Jerry Pitts Racing) experienced transmission issues and rejoined the pit lane before the first lap of the race. He would restart well behind the pack.

On lap four, Todd Souza (Central Coast Racing) rejoined the pit lane with suspension issues. Johnson, Jr. stopped briefly due to a broken left rear axle coming out of the hairpin but managed to restart, only to stop in his pit box the following lap. He would return to the track five laps down.

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By lap 10, the top 10 was as follows, with Sawalich leading ahead of Tyler Reif, Alon Day, Corey Day, Christian Eckes, Jack Wood, Trevor Huddleston, Will Rodgers (Naake Motorsports), Kyle Keller, and Eric Nascimento, Jr. (Nascimento-Joiner Motorsports). Kaylee Bryson, then 19th, reported that her engine was losing power but continued her race.

By lap 14, Sawalich was still leading, while Joanides finally took to the track. But he soon complained of the same broken shift linkage issue.

The first yellow flag was waved during the 17th lap when Will Rodgers went off the track on the climb to Turn 2, got a rock that broke the dry sump pump belt. The motor of his No. 88 Ford smoked, forcing the 2018 Sonoma race winner to stop in Turn 7A avoiding further engine damage. Rodd Kneeland, 17th, received the free pass. Joanides was again stopped in his pit box after slowing down for two laps. He wasn’t the only one stopped in his pit box, as Reaume was also there.

At the restart, Sawalich maintained the lead, while Corey Day took second place from Tyler Reif, who went wide in Turn 4. Christian Eckes tried to take advantage of the opening but spun while trying to pass Tyler Reif entering Turn 7A without triggering a yellow flag. Alon Day and Jack Wood also took advantage of the opportunity to pass Tyler Reif, who had to swerve to avoid the spinning car of Eckes. Joanides returned to the track on lap 23 but would eventually retire shortly after.

Quarterley in the wall!

On lap 26, Alon Day passed Corey Day for second place. One lap later, Dale Quarterley spun in turn 4 and hit the inside wall. The left front of his car was badly damaged, but he managed to reach the pit lane without causing a caution. However, he had to retire.

The next yellow flag came on lap 33 and marked the midway break. Kneeland received the free pass for the second time. Note that Bryson was again experiencing engine power losses.

518375262 1369168131884798 1897465026612931914 n — ARCA Menards West Series: 2025 Sonoma Race Review 5

The complete standings at the halfway point are as follows. Sawalich leads ahead of Alon Day, Corey Day, Wood, Nascimento, Huddleston, Keller, Caleb Shrader (Jerry Pitts Racing), Robbie Kennealy (Jan’s Racing Team), Tanner Reif, Eckes, Jeff Anton (Quarterley Racing), Ryan Philpott (Philpott Racing), Rodd Kneeland, Souza (-1), Bryson (-1), Davey Magras (Davey Magras Racing at -2 laps), Blake Lothian (Strike Manba Racing at -3 laps), Reaume (-3), David Smith (Shockwave Racing at -5 laps), Johnson, Jr. (-5), Gallagher (-5), Quarterley (out), Rodgers (out) and Joanides (-24).

The restart was given on lap 38, with Sawalich leading the way. This would be the quietest part of the race, aside from a few positional changes within the pack. But on lap 51, Johnson Jr. attempted to make an inside pass on Kneeland in turn 12, and the two drivers collided. While Johnson Jr. fared well, Kneeland spun off, hitting the outside wall hard and being hit at full speed by Kennealy, who had nowhere to go. The impact was very violent, and both cars were destroyed. The red flag was waved on lap 52 and lasted 13 minutes while the track was cleared of debris and the wall repaired. There was no free pass, as Kneeland was involved in the accident.

The restart was given on lap 55, and the top 10 was as follows. Sawalich led ahead of Alon Day, Corey Day, Wood, Eckes, Keller, Tyler Reif, Huddleston, Shrader, and Nascimento, Jr. Jack Wood pulled off a successful move, quickly passing both Days to move into second place. However, Israeli Alon Day managed to retake second place on lap 58. The following lap, Eckes overtook his teammate Wood for third place.

On the 61st and penultimate lap, Keller, well established in the top ten, ran out of fuel. Despite shaking his car, he stopped just after the starting line, triggering another yellow flag, the fourth. Bryson received the free pass and came back to within one lap of the leaders.

OVERTIME!

We’re treated to overtime. The race restarts on lap 65 for a one-lap dash. Sawalich is pushed off the track entering turn 2 by Alon Day, who also goes into the dirt. Sawalich gets back onto the track but lost momentum. Behind, Alon Day also gets back on the track and hits Eckes, who in turn hits Wood.

Eckes is the new leader ahead of Alon Day, Wood, and Sawalich. But in turn 3, Sawalich pushes Wood into a spin. Wood finishes the race in 13th place. In turn 7A, Huddleston takes the fourth position from Corey Day for fourth place. The championship leader has his best career race at Sonoma.

In the esses, Eckes and Alon Day are in the middle of a battle, which benefits Sawalich, who closes in on them. Arriving at turn 11 (hairpin), Sawalich took advantage of Alon Day’s opening of the inside lane to get into the rear bumper of leader Christian Eckes and give him a “love tape,” enough to slightly destabilize the Bill McAnally Racing driver, who widened his line and was hit by Alon Day. Upon re-accelerating, Sawalich was side-by-side with Eckes in turn 12. Sawalich, despite a brush with the outside wall, took advantage of his faster speed to take the checkered flag first, 0.66 thousandths ahead of Eckes and 1.56 ahead of Alan Day!

The rest of the top 10 was completed by Huddleston, Tyler Reif, Nascimento, Jr., Corey Day, Keller, Tanner Reif, and Anton.

“Yeah, I don’t really know what happened in [turn] 1. I don’t know if I overshot it or pretty sure I got ran into. Yeah, think so. But I mean it is what it is. It was a good race, good racing the No. 25 [Alon Day] and everybody else. That was definitely our race, but it sucks it had to happen that way. We did what we could to get our Starkey Camry in Victory Lane, so I’m glad that we’re here. It took me a while to figure out how to do a burnout.” Sawalich said on Victory Lane.

This is William Sawalich’s fourth West Series victory, his second on a road track after last year’s victory in Portland. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will next race there on August 29th.

Meanwhile, the West Series will return to action on August 9th for the NAPA Auto Parts 150, which will take place on the half-mile tri-oval at Tri-City Raceway in W. Richland, WA. This race will mark the start of the second half of the series.

Gvnrlacw0aapbh6 — ARCA Menards West Series: 2025 Sonoma Race Review 6

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Full Toyota/Save Mart 350 results

For the third time in the last five weeks, the NASCAR Cup Series is on a non-oval course this weekend, with Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 marking the third road course race and fourth non-oval race of the 2025 season just one week after the series’ lone street course race in Chicago. After briefly using the […]

Published

1 hour ago

July 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

After briefly using the full layout in 2019 and 2021, NASCAR returned to the Sonoma, California venue’s 12-turn, 1.99-mile (3.203-kilometer) track in 2022 and has used it ever since. Sunday’s race is scheduled to be a 110-lap race.

Notably, this is the first time NASCAR has ever raced at Sonoma in July, and it is the first time NASCAR has raced there in a month other than June since the race was held in May from 1993 to 1997.

In addition to serving as the 20th race on the regular season schedule, this race is also the third race of the inaugural five-race In-Season Challenge. Just eight of the initial 32 drivers remain in contention, and four more are set to be eliminated on Sunday.

Saturday’s two-group qualifying session determined the full starting lineup for Sunday’s event. Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen the pole position in Saturday’s qualifying session, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe started beside him on the front row. A full starting lineup can be found here.

Follow along with our race updates from Sonoma Raceway.

NASCAR at Sonoma: Stage 1 results

1st – Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

2nd – Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

3rd – Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

4th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

5th – William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

6th – Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

7th – Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

8th – Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford

9th – Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

10th – Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

NASCAR at Sonoma: Stage 2 results

1st – Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

2nd – Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

3rd – Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

4th – Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

5th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet

6th – Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

7th – Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

8th – Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford

9th – Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford

10th – William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

NASCAR at Sonoma: Full race results

The 21st race on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. This race used to be known as the Wurth 400, but the races at Dover and Texas Motor Speedway switched title sponsors this year. TNT Sports is set to provide live coverage beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 20.

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‘This Is Garbage’ — Hendrick Motorsports Draws Heat From NASCAR Fans Amid Kyle Larson’s Sonoma Disaster

Kyle Larson came into Sonoma needing a miracle. The defending race winner sat 19 points behind teammate William Byron in the championship hunt, and with Byron running like he’s got something to prove, Larson’s window for a comeback was getting smaller by the race. What happened next left his fans wondering if that window just slammed […]

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1 hour ago

July 13, 2025

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Why Did Kyle Larson’s Sonoma Race Start So Poorly?

Kyle Larson hasn’t been in top form lately in the 2025 season. While he has managed three top 10s in the last six races, he hasn’t led a single lap in those races. The Sonoma race offered an opportunity to bounce back and maybe take the points lead, now that the regular season championship is in question.

However, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver did not have the best start to his race, leaving fans frustrated.

Entering the 1.99-mile road course, Larson was third in the points table, 19 points behind points leader and teammate William Byron. While 19 points isn’t a lot, Byron has been in top form, so trying to take that lead from him in Sonoma wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

Still, Larson managed to get a P11 start in qualifying, and coming in as the track’s defending winner, fans hoped for him to get a good finish in the race. However, things went south quickly after the race was green-flagged. Rather than climbing positions, the No. 5 dropped down, having some car troubles.

Read More: ‘Haven’t Been as Sharp’ – Kevin Harvick Digs Into the Quiet Collapse of Kyle Larson’s NASCAR Momentum

The No. 5 team wrote in an X post, “Larson slipping back in the runner order, Crew Chief Cliff Daniels getting a plan together to fix up their No. 5 @HendrickCars Chevy on a pit stop. Currently 19th.” [CAN’T VERIFY — NEED TO MANUALLY VERIFY | Google: | StatMuse: | Perplexity: ]

Larson slipping back in the runner order, Crew Chief Cliff Daniels getting a plan together to fix up their No. 5 @HendrickCars Chevy on a pit stop. Currently 19th.

— No. 5 Team (@Hendrick5Team) July 13, 2025

How Did Fans React to Larson’s Early Struggles?

Naturally, this left fans enraged, as Larson needed to finish better than Byron to close the points gap. But Byron ran in the top five in the race, while Larson dropped back.

One angry fan wrote, “Sebastian is correct. This is garbage.” Another fan echoing the same emotion wrote, “Pack it up. Car’s junk. Just zero winning speed since Charlotte.” This rings true, as the last time Larson led laps was seven races ago at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Attempting the double, Larson had a P2 start to the race and led 34 laps before getting into a wreck and getting a DNF.

Some fans even sympathized with Larson as he continues to be in this slump. One fan wrote, “Looks like Kyle Larson is really struggling right now.” Another fan wrote, “Larson is terrible today, already going to the back.” Even Larson recently admitted to not being in top form lately.

In the pre-race interview, he said, “Yeah, it’s really tight. Hopefully, we can kind of get back on a run of being consistent and getting stage points. I feel like, you know, we’ve still kind of been consistent. We just haven’t finished as high as we have early in the year, and then we’ve been missing out on stage points.”

If things continue as they are in the Sonoma race, Larson could fall further back in the points standings. One disappointed fan already eyeing this possibility wrote, “Someone teach Larson how to drive.”

Larson tried to win Stage 2 over Shane van Gisbergen, who took back the lead in 17 seconds after a slight contact. But in the end, it’s a road course, so anything can happen. Only time will tell where Larson finishes in the race.

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Austin Beers Jumps To The Top Of NASCAR Modified Tour Standings Following Lancaster Win

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NASCAR TOYOTA SAVE MART 350 PREDICTIONS, ODDS & RACE PREVIEW — SONOMA RACEWAY

Photo By – Imagn Images. NASCAR Cup Series driver Shane van Gisbergen (88) after winning the Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course. Shane van Gisbergen is threatening to win the inaugural In-Season Challenge as this chaotic portion of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule continues with the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway today. […]

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2 hours ago

July 13, 2025

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Photo By – Imagn Images. NASCAR Cup Series driver Shane van Gisbergen (88) after winning the Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course.

Shane van Gisbergen is threatening to win the inaugural In-Season Challenge as this chaotic portion of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule continues with the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway today.

SVG qualified on the pole once more, and the money is pouring in on the No. 88 Chevrolet pilot ahead of the 3:30 p.m. ET green flag time on TNT.

Will van Gisbergen pick up another road course win? Our Toyota Save Mart 350 predictions and free betting picks for Sunday, July 13 will clue you in.

Odds to win 2025 Toyota Save Mart 350

Odds as of 7-13.

Toyota Save Mart 350 field

We’ll see 37 cars take to the track at Sonoma Raceway this Sunday, with Katherine Legge (No. 78) joining the 36 chartered drivers.

The money came in fast and furious for road course specialist Shane Van Gisbergen for the Grant Park 165 last week, and he rewarded his backers with a dominant victory. Oddsmakers have stamped him as a clear-cut favorite once more, with Kyle Larson being the only other driver listed at single-digit odds.

Toyota Save Mart 350 expert picks and predictions

Odds listed below courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook as of 7-12.

Toyota Save Mart 350 pre-qualifying favorites

Shane Van Gisbergen (+140)
Shane Van Gisbergen swept the Chicago weekend with poles and victories in the Xfinity Series and Cup Series on the street circuit. Last year, SVG won the Xfinity Series race at Sonoma, one of three road course wins in 2024.

He’s scored three overall Cup wins, each on road courses. Two came this season, including Mexico City. He also finished sixth this spring at COTA.

Ty Gibbs (+1100)
Ty Gibbs qualified sixth but finished 18th in 2023 and qualified 10th but fell to 37th last year. He finished third in Mexico City and second in Chicago.

Michael McDowell (+1100)
He has two Top-3 finishes in the last three years, including a runner-up last year. McDowell also finished seventh in 2023.

He led every lap of the opening stage at Chicago before a broken throttle cable took him out of contention.

Toyota Save Mart 350 sleepers

Chris Buescher (+1400)
Chris Buescher was runner-up in 2022, fourth in 2023, and led the second-highest laps (32) en route to a third-place finish last year. He’s finished seventh, 12th, and 18th on road courses this season.

Christopher Bell (+1400)
Christopher Bell was ninth the last two years, won at COTA this spring, and was runner-up in Mexico City prior to a 24th in Chicago.

Chase Elliott (+1400)
Chase Elliott is eventually going to win at Sonoma, right? Elliott has six Top-8 finishes in his last seven tries, including his last four finishes being second, eighth, fifth, and fourth. He finished fourth at COTA in March, 15th in Mexico City, and 16th in Chicago.

Ross Chastain (+2200)
Ross Chastain finished fifth last year and has a road course win at COTA a few years ago. That’s the same year teammate Daniel Suarez won this race. Chastain improved six spots from 12th at COTA this season to sixth in Mexico City. He was 10th last week in Chicago.

Kyle Busch (+2200)
Kyle Busch is a two-time Sonoma winner and has scored six Top-5 finishes in his last nine wine country starts, including 2023’s runner-up finish. He finished 12th last year and fifth last week in Chicago.

Ryan Blaney (+2500)
For these odds, despite finishing 19th in COTA, 32nd in Mexico City and 12th in Chicago, it’s worth the risk on Ryan Blaney. He has four Top-10 finishes in his last five Sonoma starts.

Toyota Save Mart 350 fades

Kyle Larson (+500)
Kyle Larson has two Sonoma wins (2021, 2024), his only Top-5 finishes on this track. Despite five poles, just one resulted in a Top 5 here, the 2021 victory.

William Byron (+1200)
William Byron has no Top-5s in six Sonoma starts with finishes of 25th, 19th, 35th, ninth, 14th, and 30th. He also finished 28th in Mexico City and 40th in Chicago.

AJ Allmendinger (+1800)
Interesting odds, but AJ Allmendinger is 0-for-13 in terms of Top-5 finishes at Sonoma with a best finish of sixth over the last two years. He finished 30th, 17th, and sixth on road courses this season.

Denny Hamlin (+6500)
Longer odds seem enticing here but finishes of 31st, 36th, and 38th, respectively, the last three years and 0-for-18 mark on this track is a fade for me.

Toyota Save Mart 350 prop pick: Ryan Preece (+175) vs. Tyler Reddick

Call me crazy, but I like Ryan Preece as the underdog here.

For starters, the In-Season Tournament has provided some wild upsets, so why stop now? Plus, Preece finished 15th and seventh in his last two road course starts this season, and 13th and 18th in his last two Sonoma starts.

While that’s nothing to get crazy about, all he has to do is cross the finish line ahead of Tyler Reddick on Sunday to win this matchup.

While Reddick has finished third in two of the three road course events this season, he’s largely been a bust at Sonoma with finishes of 19th, 35th, 33rd, and eighth, respectively.

Pick: Ryan Preece (+175 at DraftKings) vs. Tyler Reddick

Popular motor sports futures odds

Sonoma Raceway track analysis

Last year’s race is the most indicative with the return to the 1.99-mile layout and a newly repaved track. Prior to 2024, the old racing surface was aged and chewed up tires, making it a tire conservation event. Once again, without that worry and a smooth surface, this could become a sprint race with pit strategy involved.

Statistically, Toyota has been the top manufacturer here with three wins in the last six trips, including four of the last nine overall. However, this Next Gen car has halted their momentum.

Chevrolet is the top team on road courses with this Next Gen car, while Ford has slipped to be arguably even worse than Toyota. They have just two wins in the last 21 Sonoma races, too.

Toyota Save Mart 350 trends

Kyle Larson (2021) is the only pole winner to go on to win the race at Sonoma since 2004 (Jeff Gordon).
Just three times in the last 12 years has the winner come from the top two rows of the starting lineup, with three of the last five Sonoma winners having started eighth. Larson started fifth last year.
The driver to lead the most laps has won the race in five of the last six years.

Toyota Save Mart 350 betting splits

Highest Ticket%

Kyle Larson 8.0%
Shane van Gisbergen 7.4%
Michael McDowell 7.1%

Highest Handle%

Biggest Liabilities

Michael McDowell
Shane van Gisbergen
Kyle Busch

Data courtesy of BetMGM.

Toyota Save Mart 350 info

Location:	Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, CA
Date:	Sunday, 7-13-2025
Start time:	3:30 p.m. ET
TV:	TNT

Previous Toyota Save Mart 350 winners

Chevrolet has won three of the previous four editions of this race.

Year	Winner
2024	Kyle Larson
2023	Martin Truex Jr.
2022	Daniel Suarez
2021	Kyle Larson
2020	Race Not Held — COVID-19
2019	Martin Truex Jr.
2018	Martin Truex Jr.
2017	Kevin Harvick
2016	Tony Stewart
2015	Kyle Busch

How to make Toyota Save Mart 350 picks

NASCAR betting is a nuanced process that can take any number of factors into account, and spans several different types of bets. Fortunately, our How to Bet NASCAR guide walks you through the basics, including how to read odds, different markets that are available, and what to consider when making your bets.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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