SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) — In the North Bay, the unmistakable roar of engines can be heard for miles this weekend. NASCAR is returning to Sonoma Raceway and thousands of racing fans are in Wine Country for all the thrills.

You’ve really got to hear it to believe it. NASCAR weekend is back at Sonoma Raceway.

“This is something you just don’t hear, but you also feel,” said Scott Cooper from Sonoma Raceway.

Those feels might make it the most immersive experience you can have at a sports event.

“It’s been a tradition for us,” said James Green.

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Green From American Canyon brought his three kids and their ear protection.

“It’s a must. It’s pretty loud. You’ve got to protect the kid’s ears,” Green said.

“This year is the only NASCAR race weekend in the state of California, so that makes a special weekend even more special,” Cooper said.

Cars and drivers are on the move every which way at the track and fans converging from near and far.

Dale and Beth Hoeper from Fort Bragg brought the love for their favorite driver, Elk Grove-native Kyle Larson who’s going for his third victory as a cup series driver and defending winner from last year.

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“We used to live in Sacramento, so he’s our hometown guy. It’s a huge crowd and everyone so everyone is friendly, respectful, kind, and the vibe is wonderful,” said Beth Hoeper.

If you can’t qualify for the track, there’s always a racing simulator fans can try out.

The weather was toasty, but there’s lots of shade for the fans.

“We’ve got strategically placed tent structures and water stations to keep people cool. The race fans are a hearty bunch. They’re kind of used to this,” Cooper said.

The big event is Sunday with the Toyota-Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series. The raceway says 40,000 fans are expected and tickets are still available.

Cook Out Summer Shootout is where future stars rise — and where veterans come back to where it all began. Each summer, more than 180 drivers from across the country battle it out at Charlotte Motor Speedway, taking on the toughest grassroots competition on the iconic quarter-mile. Among them this year is Shawn Parker — once a key member of NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon’s legendary Rainbow Warriors pit crew, now trading the pit box for the driver’s seat.

Parker’s journey through motorsports spans decades. A small-town kid from Canandaigua, New York, he got his start driving and working on dirt modifieds before making a key connection with team owner Bob Lutz. That relationship led to an opportunity of a lifetime—a job in the engine shop at Hendrick Motorsports in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a small foot in the door, but one that launched a long and accomplished career at NASCAR’s highest level.

“I was more of a car guy; I wanted to be in a car shop, but at the time I was going to do whatever it took to get my foot in the door,” Parker said. “I didn’t really know what to expect other than what I saw on TV, cars zooming down pit road, high excitement, energy everywhere.”

In 1992, Parker joined rising star Jeff Gordon and crew chief Ray Evernham. That group became one of NASCAR’s most iconic crews, nicknamed the Rainbow Warriors. As Gordon’s rear tire changer from 1992 to 1995, Parker was part of the team that captured the 1995 Cup Series title and memorable wins like the 1994 Coca-Cola 600, the first-ever Cup Series victory for the future Hall of Fame hotshoe.

“My very first job in NASCAR was with the original Rainbow Warriors,” Parker said. “That name still means something. I’ll always remember being part of those two-tire pit stops that won the (Coca-Cola) 600.”

Parker’s work on pit road opened doors in the garage. He became an assistant car chief, then a crew chief, with stints at Penske Racing and Roush Racing. Along the way, he worked with some of NASCAR’s biggest stars like Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin and a young Kurt Busch.

After decades behind the scenes, Parker found himself pulled back to the driver’s seat this past winter. Nearly 30 years after driving a Legend Car for the first time, Parker bought one, reigniting his passion — this time not as a rising prospect, but as a dad, sharing the experience with his son.

“It’s interesting, but it’s so much fun. We get to spend this time together and you can never get that time back,” said Parker.

Now a rookie in the Cook Out Summer Shootout but a veteran in every other way, Parker spends his Monday and Tuesday nights racing on the same track where NASCAR legends got their start. With big names like Bubba Wallace and Shane van Gisbergen in the field, he now finds himself lining up against Kyle Busch in the American Rebel Ale Masters division, a driver he once watched climb the ranks, and now competes against under the lights.

“To see him, how he has developed and grown and matured into the champion that he is of this sport, is pretty cool, and I get to go out and race against him on a Monday or Tuesday night, “ said Parker.

For Parker, Cook Out Summer Shootout is all about fun — getting behind the wheel and enjoying the moment with his family by his side. Staying close to the sport he’s been part of for decades, reliving memories from NASCAR’s biggest stages and making new ones at the track.

ABOUT COOK OUT SUMMER SHOOTOUT:

Celebrating its 32nd season, the Cook Out Summer Shootout is a 10-race showcase of speed, featuring eight racing divisions of Legend Cars and Bandoleros. Races are held each Tuesday night under the lights with championship points on the line all summer long.

TICKETS:

Tickets are just $10; kids 12 and under get in FREE. All summer long, fans who bring a canned food donation will receive $2 off as part of Blue Cross NC’s “Drive Out Hunger” campaign. For tickets, schedules and more details about all the happenings at Charlotte Motor Speedway, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

KEEP TRACK:

Follow all the thrilling Cook Out Summer Shootout action at Charlotte Motor Speedway on X, Facebook and Instagram.

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Getting merchandise signed by a NASCAR driver is exciting.

NASCAR drivers have scheduled autograph sessions while the sport is running at Sonoma Raceway with some big names breaking out the markers to give fans memories and add their names to fans’ gear.

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Here is the driver autograph schedule. NOTE: One signed item per guest.

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NASCAR Sonoma race autographs schedule

NASCAR drivers will be signing autographs in the souvenir trailers this weekend.

• Visit participating drivers NASCAR souvenir haulers for details on securing an autograph

• A wristband may be required to attend certain Driver Autograph Sessions

• Wristbands will be distributed by the souvenir trailers or appearance location and a purchase may be required

Saturday, July 12

Sammy Smith: 11:05 a.m. at Hendrick Motorsports Merchandise Trailer

Justin Allgaier: 11:05 a.m. at Hendrick Motorsports Merchandise Trailer

Carson Kvapil: 11:05 a.m. at Hendrick Motorsports Merchandise Trailer

Conner Zilisch: 11:05 a.m. at Hendrick Motorsports Merchandise Trailer

Cole Custer: 1 p.m. at Ford Performance Merchandise Trailer

Ryan Preece: 1:30 p.m. at Ford Performance Merchandise Trailer

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Sunday, July 13

Ross Chastain: 8:40 a.m. at Trackhouse Merchandise Trailer

Shane van Gisbergen: 9 a.m. at Trackhouse Merchandise Trailer

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 9 a.m. at NASCAR Classics Merchandise Trailer

Noah Gragson: 9 a.m. at Ford Performance Merchandise Trailer

Todd Gilliland: 9 a.m. at Ford Performance Merchandise Trailer

Zane Smith: 9 a.m. at Ford Performance Merchandise Trailer

Daniel Suarez: 9:20 a.m. at Trackhouse Merchandise Trailer

Alex Bowman: 9:20 a.m. Hendrick Merchandise Trailer

Chase Elliott: 9:20 a.m. Chase Elliott Merchandise Trailer

Ty Dillon: 9:45 a.m. at Chevrolet Racing Merchandise Trailer

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Michael McDowell: 9:45 at NASCAR Classics Merchandise Trailer

Kyle Busch: 10 a.m. at Merchandise Trailer

John Hunter Nemechek: 10:15 a.m. at NASCAR Classics Merchandise Trailer

When is NASCAR Sonoma race?

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 is set for 2:30 p.m. on July 13 at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California.

NASCAR Sonoma race TV channel

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Sonoma race will be broadcast on TNT with Adam Alexander, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte in the broadcast booth.

Shop NASCAR Sonoma tickets

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Sonoma race driver autograph schedule for 2025 event

The ever-divisive figure of Carson Hocevar has split the NASCAR fanbase once again, this time with his stance on friendships with other drivers.

The 22-year-old driver of the No. 77 Chevrolet ZL1 for Spire Motorsports has proven controversial in the Cup Series thanks to multiple high-profile incidents, such as in Mexico City where he caused Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to spin, prompting the Hyak Motorsports driver to threaten “to beat his a– once we got back in the States.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, when recently asked by Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his Dale Jr. Download podcast who he hangs out with when not racing, Hocevar replied, “Just a bunch of my iRacing buddies.”

Hocevar later elaborated that he doesn’t have any other friends within the Cup, Xfinity, or Craftsman Truck Series, adding, “I’ve only hung out one time with any other drivers; it was SVG (Shane van Gisbergen) and Bubba [Wallace] at his property. One time.”

Delving deeper into his stance on befriending other drivers, Earnhardt Jr. asked Hocevar which driver “says hi to you the most,” to which the youngster simply replied, “I don’t know.” As for who he chooses to join on the pre-race floats, Hocevar responded, “Whoever I didn’t run into last week,” going on to note that his choice of platform in Chicago came down to “the float that had the least amount of drivers on it.”

This lack of on-grid friendship is neither intentional nor unintentional, according to Hocevar, who said it is simply “how it worked out. I don’t go out, I don’t drink.”

His comments proved divisive on social media, with one fan commenting, “I just gained a tiny bit of respect for him. Having work friends is overrated.” While another said, “He’s headstrong, like he’d love to run @TonyStewart (who I’d want driving if the house depended on it) @KyleBusch @KyleLarsonRacin @chaseelliott @WilliamByron etc on their best day, & he’d bet on himself. He causes ppl to watch the race.”

By comparison, a third suggested this was “Why he won’t be around that long. He wrecks people, he annoys the fans, I doubt sponsors can see a way to market him as well.” As a fourth felt, “This is kinda tough to watch….. thought the garage was supposed to take care of their own, rivalries or not.”

Hocevar seemingly isn’t afraid to admit that he can be an aggressive driver, and while that may not win him any popularity contests, it has undoubtedly earned him both points on the track and admirers off it.

Currently 21st in the drivers standings, Hocevar has finished in the top 10 on four occasions this season, including second at Atlanta and Nashville. Most recently, he wrecked out of the Grant Park 165 in Chicago on just the third lap, after slamming into the wall on turn 11, spinning his No. 77 and causing a pile-up involving another six cars.

This led to Hocevar being labeled “the biggest dumb— in the entire sport” by Austin Dillon, as his day also came to an end in the crash.