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Pocono pivotal for playoff positioning

Pocono Raceway is not part of any of the three NASCAR national series playoffs. But the tripleheader this weekend at the 2.5-mile triangular track in Long Pond will play a pivotal role in who qualifies for the postseason. Time is dwindling for drivers to either punch their ticket to the playoffs or solidify their position. […]

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Pocono Raceway is not part of any of the three NASCAR national series playoffs. But the tripleheader this weekend at the 2.5-mile triangular track in Long Pond will play a pivotal role in who qualifies for the postseason.

Time is dwindling for drivers to either punch their ticket to the playoffs or solidify their position.

In the Cup Series, 10 races remain — starting with Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 Presented by VISITPA.COM — before the playoffs begin Aug. 31 with the Southern 500 at Darlington. Ten of the 16 spots are filled by race winners following Shane van Gisbergen’s victory last week in Mexico City. Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell each have three wins, while William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, Austin Cindric and Josh Berry have one win apiece.

Of the drivers yet to win this season, Chase Elliott and Tyler Reddick both appear to be safe to qualify. Elliott (500 points) is 146 above the cutline, while Reddick (477) is 123 above the cutline.

Bubba Wallace (411) is 57 above the cutline. Chase Briscoe (393) is 39 above and Alex Bowman (376) is 22 above. They seem good for now, but if other drivers outside the top 16 were to win — like van Gisbergen last week — their chances could be jeopardized.

Chris Buescher currently sits on the bubble in the 16th and final playoff spot with 373 points. He is 19 points ahead of RFK Racing teammate Ryan Preece.

Elliott, Bowman and Buescher are all past Pocono winners, while Reddick has finishes of second, second and sixth in his last three races at Pocono.

After Preece, Michael McDowell is 43 points below the cutline and A.J. Allmendinger is 45 points back.

Then there is Kyle Busch, who is 50 points below the cutline. He does have four wins at Pocono, however. This weekend could be the perfect opportunity to snap his 73-race winless streak.

Carson Hochevar is 60 points below the cutline, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is 61 below and Erik Jones is 62 back.

Don’t discount a driver like Ty Gibbs, who is 77 points below the cutline. Pocono is where he made his first career Cup Series start in 2022 and won the pole there for last year’s race. He could be on the verge of his first career Cup victory.

Other tracks besides Pocono in the remaining 10 regular-season races include three road courses — Chicago street, Sonoma, Watkins Glen — along with Atlanta, Dover, Indianapolis, Iowa, Richmond and Daytona.

Xfinity Series

Beginning with Saturday’s Explore the Pocono Mountains 250 at Pocono, 11 races remain in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season before the playoff opener Sept. 12 at Bristol.

Half of the 12 playoff positions are filled with race winners. Justin Allgaier and Austin Hill each have three wins. Jesse Love, Connor Zilisch, Brandon Jones and Sammy Smith have one win apiece.

Sam Mayer (488 points) is 129 above the cutline, Sheldon Creed (416) is 57 points above and Carson Kvapil (409) is 50 points above. Jeb Burton (397) is 38 points above the cutline and Harrison Burton (377) is 18 points above.

Ryan Sieg and Taylor Gray are tied for the 12th and final spot with 374 points.

Nick Sanchez (359) is 15 points below the cutline. Daniel Dye (330) is 44 below, Dean Thompson (315) is 59 below and Christian Eckes (310) is 64 below.

Truck Series

Friday evening’s Miller Tech Battery 200 at Pocono is the first of five remaining regular-season races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series before the playoffs begin Aug. 30 at Darlington.

Six drivers are eligible based on wins. Corey Heim, last year’s race winner at Pocono, leads the way with four victories this season. Chandler Smith, a winner at Pocono in 2022, has two victories. Daniel Hemric, Tyler Ankrum, Stewart Friesen and Rajah Caruth each have one win.

That leaves four spots remaining. Grant Enfinger (441 points) is 52 above the cutline. Layne Riggs (424) is 35 above, Kaden Honeycutt (408) is 19 above and Ty Majeski (393) is on the bubble, four points ahead of Jake Garcia.

Ben Rhodes (338) is 55 points below the cutline and Giovanni Ruggiero is 56 points below.

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NASCAR Xfinity Race Features Rematch Between JR Motorsports Teammates

SONOMA, Cal. – After an eye-opening experience on the streets of Chicago, Connor Zilisch knows what to expect from JR Motorsports teammate Shane van Gisbergen in Saturday’s Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway (4:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Zilisch led the field to green with two laps left in Chicago, […]

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SONOMA, Cal. – After an eye-opening experience on the streets of Chicago, Connor Zilisch knows what to expect from JR Motorsports teammate Shane van Gisbergen in Saturday’s Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 at Sonoma Raceway (4:30 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Zilisch led the field to green with two laps left in Chicago, only to have van Gisbergen dive to his inside entering Turn 1, run him wide in the corner to take the lead and pull away to win the race.

“I was clear there, just barely, on the front straight, and I just let him get to my inside, and he took advantage of it,” Zilisch said after the race. “I should have been a little more aggressive there. I just thought he was going to race me a little cleaner.

“I’ve just got to be better and not let that stuff happen. I’ll learn from it and move on.”

As they were in Chicago, SVG and Zilisch are the top two choices to win on Saturday, by a wide margin. Van Gisbergen won last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race in his only start at the 1.99-mile circuit.

The 36-year-old New Zealander is coming off a weekend sweep at Chicago, where he won both races from the pole.

“Last weekend was epic,” van Gisbergen said. “JRM built me a rocket, and I’m glad our strategy ended up working out and we were able to get the win. I’m a lucky guy to be able to drive some fast Chevrolets.

“Looking forward to Sonoma this weekend. It’s an awesome track and I had a blast racing there last season and even brought home the win. Hoping to do it again this weekend for my No. 9 JRM team.”

SVG won last year’s Chicago and Sonoma races in the No. 97 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. This year he’s driving for JRM, which has won all three road course races this season with three different drivers and the last five (dating to last year) with four different drivers.

Though SVG and Zilisch are the most likely winners, their battle won’t be the only one of significance at Sonoma. There are eight races left in the Xfinity regular season and five Playoff spots still open.

Taylor Gray and Harrison Burton are just eight points apart on either side of the current elimination line, with Gray holding the final Playoff berth as of the Chicago Street Race.

In that event, Burton finished 13th to Gray’s 34th and trimmed 20 points off Gray’s advantage entering the race.

Source: Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service

2025 NXS Pit Boss / FoodMaxx 250 Entry List – 07/08



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Earnhardt Jr. responds to Joey Logano calls for NASCAR fine – Motorsport – Sports

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has claimed that Joey Logano doesn’t want Ross Chastain to be fined after the pair were involved in a wreck late in last Sunday’s Chicago street race. Logano bumped into Chastain late on as a chain reaction from an incident behind, but the No. 1 car didn’t take too kindly to the […]

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. has claimed that Joey Logano doesn’t want Ross Chastain to be fined after the pair were involved in a wreck late in last Sunday’s Chicago street race. Logano bumped into Chastain late on as a chain reaction from an incident behind, but the No. 1 car didn’t take too kindly to the defending Cup Series champion’s action.

Chastain returned the favor and wrecked Logano during their battle for a top-ten finish as Shane van Gisbergen made it four wins in NASCAR’s six races on the streets of the Windy City. After the race, Team Penske star Logano confronted Chastain, and later called on NASCAR to fine his rival for admitting to wrecking him.

Logano initially shouted over the radio: “Ross (Chastain) better get the f—— information right before he goes and wrecks somebody. And there’s f—— six cars behind me wrecking into me, and then he destroys me from four back. That m———–.”

“I think so, yeah, he admitted he wrecked it on purpose. He admitted it. Which means he should get fined if he admittedly wrecked someone on purpose. That’s not okay,” Logano later explained.

“Yeah, it’s typical Ross. He just sees red and does dumb stuff. That’s all. That’s twice this year on road courses at the end of these things have been cost by Ross. Just over it.”

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However, NASCAR legend Earnhardt Jr. has now claimed that Logano doesn’t actually want Chastain to be fined. “It’s kind of like the tree falling in the woods,” Earnhardt said on his podcast ahead of Sonoma this weekend.

“It makes a sound, but if nobody’s there to hear it, does it make a sound? Ross would have to (admit it) publicly, Joey. And Joey knows that. But Joey doesn’t really want him fined.”

Dale Jr. says the purpose of Logano’s public outburst was to reveal that Chastain admitted to wrecking him. He says getting Chastain fined was a secondary factor.

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“Joey just needed a reason to publicly say he admitted wrecking me,” Earnhardt continued. “Joey just wants you to know, Joey just wants us to know that Ross admitted to doing it. Joey doesn’t care if he gets fined.”

Earnhardt Jr. also questioned why Chastain immediately rushed to blame Logano for their initial coming-together, when the No. 22’s contact was due to a bump from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. “What I think is interesting is, Ross did not, for one second, go, ‘Hmm, I wonder if it was him,'” Earnhardt added. “Ross was just like, ‘It’s your ass, Joey! I’m getting your ass.'”

Dale Jr. doesn’t believe Chicago will end Logano and Chastain’s rivalry. He expects Logano to seek revenge.

“Joey will probably get Ross back, at some point,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It might be a year from now.

“It might be at some point. And we might not even notice or recognize it, but Joey will do something, something will happen somewhere at a racetrack, and it might just be Joey air-blocking Ross and costing him a few spots on a restart.”



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IMSA’S CHEVROLET GRAND PRIX AND PRO MOTOCROSS FROM SPRING CREEK HEADLINE NBC SPORTS’ LIVE MOTORSPORTS COVERAGE THIS WEEKEND

IMSA from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Begins Sunday Live at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock Supercross Race Day Live Begins Saturday at 11 a.m. ET with Race at 2 p.m. ET Exclusively on Peacock STAMFORD, Conn. – July 10, 2025 – NBC Sports’ motorsports weekend is headlined by IMSA’s Chevrolet Grand Prix […]

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IMSA from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Begins Sunday Live at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock

Supercross Race Day Live Begins Saturday at 11 a.m. ET with Race at 2 p.m. ET Exclusively on Peacock

STAMFORD, Conn. – July 10, 2025 – NBC Sports’ motorsports weekend is headlined by IMSA’s Chevrolet Grand Prix from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock and Pro Motocross from Spring Creek MX Park this Saturday at 2 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock.

IMSA: CHEVROLET GRAND PRIX

IMSA returns this week with the Chevrolet Grand Prix from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, this Sunday, July 13, live at 2 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock. The two-hour-and-40-minute standard length sprint race is expected to feature 35 cars across the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) classes.

With only 52 points currently separating the GTD PRO first and second place drivers, 60 points in GTD, and 94 points in LMP2, this week’s race could see dramatic changes in the leaderboards across all three classes. No. 3 Corvette Racing, the GTD PRO points leaders, have earned three podium finishes in a row and look to defend their CTMP title from last year’s edition of this race. Additionally, Canadian Roman De Angelis, one of only four drivers with multiple wins at CTMP racing this weekend, aims to win again on home soil.

NBC Sports’ Leigh Diffey will call the action alongside former IMSA GT driver and analyst Calvin Fish. Brian Till and Matt Yocum will serve as pit reporters.

Live coverage of WeatherTech Championship qualifying will be presented this Saturday at 3:55 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock. Peacock will serve as the streaming home of the WeatherTech Championship with flag-to-flag live coverage of all races as well as exclusive coverage for portions of select endurance races. Click here for more information on the 2025 schedule.

HOW TO WATCH

  • TV – USA Network
  • Streaming – Peacock
Date Coverage Platform(s) Time (ET)
Sat., July 12 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Peacock 8:45 a.m.
IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Peacock 1:20 p.m.
WeatherTech Championship Qualifying Peacock 3:55 p.m.
Sun., July 13 IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Peacock 11:05 a.m.
Race – Chevrolet Grand Prix USA Network, Peacock 2 p.m.

PRO MOTOCROSS: SPRING CREEK

The 2025 SMX World ChampionshipTM series and Pro Motocross season continues this Saturday, July 12, from Spring Creek MX Park from Millville, Minn., live at 2 p.m. ET exclusively on Peacock. Race Day Live qualifying coverage this Saturday gets underway at 11 a.m. ET exclusively on Peacock. An encore presentation of the race will be presented this Sunday at 12 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Jett Lawrence’s impressive come-from-behind victory at RedBud last weekend gave him his sixth consecutive win and increased his lead atop the overall 450 Class standings (290 points). His brother, Hunter, took second place for the siblings’ third consecutive 1-2 finish, while Justin Cooper finished in third for his second podium finish of the season. In the 250 Class, Jo Shimoda emerged victorious, with Jalek Swoll and Michael Mosiman rounding out the top three.

NBC Sports’ Jason Weigandt alongside SuperMotocross analyst James Stewart, a seven-time AMA champion, will call this weekend’s action at Spring Creek. Jason Thomas and Katie Osborne will serve as reporters.

15-time AMA champion Ricky Carmichael and nine-time AMA champion Ryan Villopto recap last week’s action at RedBud and preview Spring Creek on the latest episode of the Title 24 podcast here.

All live Pro Motocross coverage, including races and qualifying, plus on-demand replays, will be available on Peacock this season. Click here for more details.

BROADCAST TEAM

  • Play by Play: Jason Weigandt
  • Analyst: James Stewart
  • Reporters: Jason Thomas, Katie Osborne
  • Race Day Live: Jason Weigandt, James Stewart, Jason Thomas, Katie Osborne

HOW TO WATCH

  • Streaming – Peacock (LIVE)
  • TV – USA Network
  • Audio – SiriusXM NBC Sports Audio – Channel 85
Date Coverage Platform(s) Time (ET)
Sat., July 12 Race Day Live Peacock 11 a.m.
Race – Spring Creek Peacock 2 p.m.
Sun., July 13 Race – Spring Creek USA Network 12 p.m.*

*Encore presentation

–NBC SPORTS–





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Third-round matchups in NASCAR Cup In-Season Challenge at Sonoma

The upsets continued in the second round of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge, leaving eight drivers in contention for the $1 million prize. Ty Dillon, the No. 32 seed in the 32-driver event continued his run. After eliminating top seed Denny Hamlin at Atlanta, Dillon beat No. 17 seed Brad Keselowski last weekend at Chicago to move […]

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The upsets continued in the second round of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge, leaving eight drivers in contention for the $1 million prize.

Ty Dillon, the No. 32 seed in the 32-driver event continued his run. After eliminating top seed Denny Hamlin at Atlanta, Dillon beat No. 17 seed Brad Keselowski last weekend at Chicago to move on to the third round.

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Sunday’s race at Sonoma Raceway will cut the field In-Season Challenge field to four drivers.

Here is a look, with the help of Racing Insights, at the second-round pairings for Sunday’s race:

No. 6 Ty Gibbs vs. No. 14 Zane Smith

How they got here

Gibbs eliminated Justin Haley (seeded 27th) at Atlanta and AJ Allmendinger (22) at Chicago.

Smith eliminated Austin Cindric (19) at Atlanta and Chris Buescher (3) at Chicago.

Follow the road: Gibbs has an average finish of 15.7 in three road course races this season, while Smith’s average finish is 26.0.

Rolling: Gibbs has five consecutive top-15 finishes, including two top-five results.

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Winner … advances to meet winner of Ryan Preece – Tyler Reddick matchup.

No 6 Gibbs vs No 14 Smith.jpg

No 6 Gibbs vs No 14 Smith.jpg

No. 8 Alex Bowman vs. No. 32 Ty Dillon

How they got here

Bowman eliminated Joey Logano (25) at Atlanta and Bubba Wallace (9) at Chicago.

Dillon eliminated Denny Hamlin (1) at Atlanta and Brad Keselowski (17) at Chicago.

Matchup of opposites: Bowman is one of two drivers to finish in the top 10 in all three road course races this season (Shane van Gisbergen is the other). Dillon has not finished better than 20th in the three road course races this year. Bowman has seven top-10 finishes, including a win in his last 11 races on road courses. Dillon has never finished better than 15th in 28 Cup road course starts.

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Upset Special: The driver with the worse seed has won 11 of the 24 matchups so far, including Dillon’s two wins.

Winner … advances to meet winner of John Hunter Nemechek – Erik Jones matchup.

No 8 Bowman vs No 32 Ty Dillon.jpg

No 8 Bowman vs No 32 Ty Dillon.jpg

No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek vs. No. 20 Erik Jones

How they got here

Nemechek eliminated Josh Berry (21) at Atlanta and Chase Elliott (5) at Chicago.

Jones eliminated Ross Chastain (13) at Atlanta and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (29) at Chicago.

Familiar faces: This matchup pits Legacy Motor Club teammates against each other. At least the organization knows it will have one driver among the final four in the race for $1 million.

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Close duel: In the last eight races, Nemechek and Jones have each finished better than the other four times.

Winner … advances to meet winner of Ty Dillon – Alex Bowman matchup.

No 12 JHN vs No 20 Jones.jpg

No 12 JHN vs No 20 Jones.jpg

No. 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 23 Tyler Reddick

How they got here

Preece eliminated William Byron (18) at Atlanta and Noah Gragson (31) at Chicago.

Reddick eliminated Kyle Larson (10) at Atlanta and Carson Hocevar (26) at Chicago.

Road course ringer: In the Next Gen era, Reddick is tied for the most road course wins (three) and poles (three) and ranks second in top-five finishes (nine) and top-10 finishes (14).

On a roll: Preece has five top-10 finishes in the last eight races. That is tied for the most top 10s in that span.

Winner … advances to meet winner of Ty Gibbs – Zane Smith matchup.

No 15 Preece vs No 23 Reddick.jpg

No 15 Preece vs No 23 Reddick.jpg



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How to watch, TV schedule, predictions – NBC Chicago

NASCAR is headed to Wine Country. The relentless Cup Series schedule is on a North American tour, with recent stops in Mexico City, the Pocono Mountains and Downtown Chicago. Next up is a visit to the road course of Sonoma Raceway in the Bay Area. The 12-turn track has been a mainstay on the schedule […]

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NASCAR is headed to Wine Country.

The relentless Cup Series schedule is on a North American tour, with recent stops in Mexico City, the Pocono Mountains and Downtown Chicago. Next up is a visit to the road course of Sonoma Raceway in the Bay Area.

The 12-turn track has been a mainstay on the schedule since 1989, with several tricky sections making life difficult for the world’s best stock car drivers.

So, what’s in store for Sonoma this year? What’s the TV schedule for the weekend? And who could contend for the win on Sunday? Here’s everything you need to know for Toyota/Save Mart 350:

When is the NASCAR race in Sonoma?

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 is set for Sunday, July 13, at 2:50 p.m. CT.

Before the race, there will be practice and qualifying on Saturday. The 37 drivers will be split into two groups, with each group getting 25 minutes of free practice. For qualifying, each group will get 20 minutes to set their fastest lap, with the starting order set based on single-lap speed for the two groups combined.

NASCAR TV schedule this weekend for Sonoma

Adam Alexander (play-by-play), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (analyst) and Steve Letarte (analyst) will be on the call for TNT, with Shannon Spake, Parker Kligerman and Jamie McMurray providing pre- and post-race coverage.

Here’s the full schedule for Sonoma:

Saturday, July 12 (truTV and HBO Max)

  • Practice: 12:30 p.m. CT, truTV and HBO Max
  • Qualifying: 1:40 p.m. CT, truTV and HBO Max

Sunday, July 13 (TNT and HBO Max)

  • NASCAR Nation: 2 p.m. CT, TNT and HBO Max
  • Toyota/Save Mart 350: 2:30 p.m. CT, TNT and HBO Max

Who is racing in Sonoma? Here’s the entry list

Thirty-seven drivers will race in Sonoma — the 36 full-timers, plus one “open” entry.

Katherine Legge is the outlier, as the 44-year-old English driver makes her fourth start of the 2025 season for Live Fast Motorsports. Last week at the Chicago Street Race, Legge scored a career-best finish of 19th.

Here’s the full entry list for Sonoma:

Car number Driver Team Sponsor
1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Kubota Tractors
2 Austin Cindric Team Penske America’s Tire
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Bass Pro Shops
4 Noah Gragson Front Row Motorsports Long John Silver’s
5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com
6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Castrol
7 Justin Haley Spire Motorsports NationsGuard
8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Zone
9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts
10 Ty Dillon Kaulig Racing Sea Best
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing ampm
12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Menards/Delta
16 AJ Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Big Sipz
17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing BuildSubmarines.com
19 Chase Briscoe Joe Gibbs Racing Bass Pro Shops
20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Rheem
21 Josh Berry Wood Brothers Racing Eero
22 Joey Logano Team Penske Autotrader
23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Xfinity Mobile
24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Valvoline
34 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Love’s Travel Stops
35 Riley Herbst 23XI Racing Monster Energy
38 Zane Smith Front Row Motorsports Michael Roberts Construction
41 Cole Custer Haas Factory Team Autodesk/Haas
42 John Hunter Nemechek Legacy Motor Club Mobil 1
43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Dollar Tree
45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Chumba Casino
47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Real American Beer
48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Ally
51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Mighty Fire Breaker
54 Ty Gibbs Joe Gibbs Racing Saia
60 Ryan Preece RFK Racing Body Guard
71 Michael McDowell Spire Motorsports Project Zin/Gainbridge
77 Carson Hocevar Spire Motorsports Delaware Life
78 Katherine Legge Live Fast Motorsports e.l.f. Cosmetics
88 Shane van Gisbergen Trackhouse Racing Red Bull
99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Freeway Insurance
2025 Toyota/Save Mart 350 entry list

Get to know NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney.

NASCAR picks, predictions, favorites for Sonoma

Shane van Gisbergen is going for three straight — and he’ll be tough to beat in Sonoma.

The Trackhouse Racing star has won the last two road course races in Mexico City and Chicago. Van Gisbergen, 36, has dominated at this track type during his first full-time season since coming over from New Zealand. While he’s never started a Cup Series race at Sonoma, he did win the second-tier Xfinity Series event last June.

If you’re looking for a more experienced racer at this track, there are four drivers to keep an eye on: Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher and Michael McDowell.

The Hendrick Motorsports teammates are two of the series’ best road racer. Larson, a Northern California native from Elk Grove, has two wins at his home track with five first-place starts. Elliott is still winless at the track, but he has seven straight top-10 starts and four straight top-10 finishes (with three top-fives).

McDowell and Buescher are also winless in Sonoma, but they’ve both been knocking on the door in recent years. The Spire Motorsports driver (McDowell) won Stage 1 in Chicago last week before a mechanical failure. He was second in Sonoma last year and has three straight top-10s. Buescher, meanwhile, has finished second, fourth and third in the last three years, leading 32 laps last June.

The winning pick for Sonoma is McDowell, who will be eager to avenge his disappointment last week when he looked capable of challenging van Gisbergen.

NASCAR past winners, race history for Sonoma

Just three of the 37 drivers in the field are past winners in Sonoma.

Larson (2021, 2024) and Busch (2008, 2015) have two wins apiece, while Suárez was victorious in 2022. All of the other winners in the past 15 years have retired or moved to part-time racing, including Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer.

NASCAR pit stops are a sport themselves with how much planning goes into a perfect pit stop. Here’s what you need to know about what happens during a pit stop.



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How to watch, TV schedule, predictions – NBC Los Angeles

NASCAR is headed to Wine Country. The relentless Cup Series schedule is on a North American tour, with recent stops in Mexico City, the Pocono Mountains and Downtown Chicago. Next up is a visit to the road course of Sonoma Raceway in the Bay Area. The 12-turn track has been a mainstay on the schedule […]

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NASCAR is headed to Wine Country.

The relentless Cup Series schedule is on a North American tour, with recent stops in Mexico City, the Pocono Mountains and Downtown Chicago. Next up is a visit to the road course of Sonoma Raceway in the Bay Area.

The 12-turn track has been a mainstay on the schedule since 1989, with several tricky sections making life difficult for the world’s best stock car drivers.

So, what’s in store for Sonoma this year? What’s the TV schedule for the weekend? And who could contend for the win on Sunday? Here’s everything you need to know for Toyota/Save Mart 350:

When is the NASCAR race in Sonoma?

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 is set for Sunday, July 13, at 12:50 p.m. PT.

Before the race, there will be practice and qualifying on Saturday. The 37 drivers will be split into two groups, with each group getting 25 minutes of free practice. For qualifying, each group will get 20 minutes to set their fastest lap, with the starting order set based on single-lap speed for the two groups combined.

NASCAR TV schedule this weekend for Sonoma

Adam Alexander (play-by-play), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (analyst) and Steve Letarte (analyst) will be on the call for TNT, with Shannon Spake, Parker Kligerman and Jamie McMurray providing pre- and post-race coverage.

Here’s the full schedule for Sonoma:

Saturday, July 12 (truTV and HBO Max)

  • Practice: 10:30 a.m. PT, truTV and HBO Max
  • Qualifying: 11:40 a.m. PT, truTV and HBO Max

Sunday, July 13 (TNT and HBO Max)

  • NASCAR Nation: 12 p.m. PT, TNT and HBO Max
  • Toyota/Save Mart 350: 12:30 p.m. PT, TNT and HBO Max

Who is racing in Sonoma? Here’s the entry list

Thirty-seven drivers will race in Sonoma — the 36 full-timers, plus one “open” entry.

Katherine Legge is the outlier, as the 44-year-old English driver makes her fourth start of the 2025 season for Live Fast Motorsports. Last week at the Chicago Street Race, Legge scored a career-best finish of 19th.

Here’s the full entry list for Sonoma:

Car number Driver Team Sponsor
1 Ross Chastain Trackhouse Racing Kubota Tractors
2 Austin Cindric Team Penske America’s Tire
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Bass Pro Shops
4 Noah Gragson Front Row Motorsports Long John Silver’s
5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com
6 Brad Keselowski RFK Racing Castrol
7 Justin Haley Spire Motorsports NationsGuard
8 Kyle Busch Richard Childress Racing Zone
9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts
10 Ty Dillon Kaulig Racing Sea Best
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing ampm
12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske Menards/Delta
16 AJ Allmendinger Kaulig Racing Big Sipz
17 Chris Buescher RFK Racing BuildSubmarines.com
19 Chase Briscoe Joe Gibbs Racing Bass Pro Shops
20 Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing Rheem
21 Josh Berry Wood Brothers Racing Eero
22 Joey Logano Team Penske Autotrader
23 Bubba Wallace 23XI Racing Xfinity Mobile
24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports Valvoline
34 Todd Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Love’s Travel Stops
35 Riley Herbst 23XI Racing Monster Energy
38 Zane Smith Front Row Motorsports Michael Roberts Construction
41 Cole Custer Haas Factory Team Autodesk/Haas
42 John Hunter Nemechek Legacy Motor Club Mobil 1
43 Erik Jones Legacy Motor Club Dollar Tree
45 Tyler Reddick 23XI Racing Chumba Casino
47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing Real American Beer
48 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports Ally
51 Cody Ware Rick Ware Racing Mighty Fire Breaker
54 Ty Gibbs Joe Gibbs Racing Saia
60 Ryan Preece RFK Racing Body Guard
71 Michael McDowell Spire Motorsports Project Zin/Gainbridge
77 Carson Hocevar Spire Motorsports Delaware Life
78 Katherine Legge Live Fast Motorsports e.l.f. Cosmetics
88 Shane van Gisbergen Trackhouse Racing Red Bull
99 Daniel Suárez Trackhouse Racing Freeway Insurance
2025 Toyota/Save Mart 350 entry list

Get to know NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney.

NASCAR picks, predictions, favorites for Sonoma

Shane van Gisbergen is going for three straight — and he’ll be tough to beat in Sonoma.

The Trackhouse Racing star has won the last two road course races in Mexico City and Chicago. Van Gisbergen, 36, has dominated at this track type during his first full-time season since coming over from New Zealand. While he’s never started a Cup Series race at Sonoma, he did win the second-tier Xfinity Series event last June.

If you’re looking for a more experienced racer at this track, there are four drivers to keep an eye on: Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Chris Buescher and Michael McDowell.

The Hendrick Motorsports teammates are two of the series’ best road racer. Larson, a Northern California native from Elk Grove, has two wins at his home track with five first-place starts. Elliott is still winless at the track, but he has seven straight top-10 starts and four straight top-10 finishes (with three top-fives).

McDowell and Buescher are also winless in Sonoma, but they’ve both been knocking on the door in recent years. The Spire Motorsports driver (McDowell) won Stage 1 in Chicago last week before a mechanical failure. He was second in Sonoma last year and has three straight top-10s. Buescher, meanwhile, has finished second, fourth and third in the last three years, leading 32 laps last June.

The winning pick for Sonoma is McDowell, who will be eager to avenge his disappointment last week when he looked capable of challenging van Gisbergen.

NASCAR past winners, race history for Sonoma

Just three of the 37 drivers in the field are past winners in Sonoma.

Larson (2021, 2024) and Busch (2008, 2015) have two wins apiece, while Suárez was victorious in 2022. All of the other winners in the past 15 years have retired or moved to part-time racing, including Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer.

NASCAR pit stops are a sport themselves with how much planning goes into a perfect pit stop. Here’s what you need to know about what happens during a pit stop.



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