The NASCAR Cup and Truck Series drivers were turning left and right at Sonoma Raceway’s 1.99 mile road course this past weekend. The Xfinity Series is on break and will rejoin the Cup and Trucks at Nashville in two weeks (June 24-26). In Sunday’s Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350, the favored drivers couldn’t keep the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion, Daniel Suarez, from finally scoring his first Cup Series victory. Suarez (from Monterrey, Mexico) becomes the fifth different driver all-time not from the United States to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. He joins Marcos Ambrose (Australia), Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia), Earl Ross (Canada) and Mario Andretti (Italy).
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sun, Jun 12, Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway – 110 laps
– Kyle Larson (#5 Chevrolet) won the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s race with a lap of 92.111 mph. This is his 12th pole in 275 NCS races and his 2nd pole and 10th top-10 start in 2022. It is his 4th pole in eight races at Sonoma Raceway – most among active drivers and 2nd only to Jeff Gordon (five poles) for the most all-time in the series at Sonoma. Chase Elliott (2nd) posted his 7th top-10 start of 2022 and his 5th in six Sonoma races. Chris Buescher (3rd) earned his 3rd top-10 start at Sonoma and his 4th in 15 races this season. Todd Gilliland (24th) was the fastest qualifying Sunoco Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contender. Did Not Qualify: No one. Only 36 teams entered for the NCS 40-car lineup.
– Daniel Suarez (#99 Chevrolet) led a race-high 47 laps and scored his first victory in 195 NCS races. This is his fifth top-10 finish in 2022 and his first top-10 finish in five races at Sonoma. Chris Buescher (2nd) posted his first top-10 finish in six Sonoma races and his 4th top-10 finish in 2022. Michael McDowell (3rd) earned his first top-10 finish in ten races at Sonoma. Austin Cindric (5th) was the highest finishing ROTY. Polesitter Kyle Larson led 26 laps and finished in 15th place.
– NCS points leader: Chase Elliott by 16 points over Ross Chastain.
– Next: Sun, Jun 26, Ally 400, Nashville Superspeedway – 300 laps
Top-16 NCS Playoff Contenders (G/L):
1. Chase Elliott
2. Ross Chastain +1
3. Kyle Busch -1
4. Ryan Blaney
5. Joey Logano +1
6. Martin Truex Jr. -1
7. Kyle Larson
8. William Byron +1
9. Alex Bowman -1
10. Christopher Bell
11. Aric Almirola
12. Kevin Harvick +1
13. Chase Briscoe +1
14. Tyler Reddick -2
15. Austin Dillon +1
16. Erik Jones -1
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
– NXS points leader: AJ Allmendinger by 43 points over Ty Gibbs.
– Next: NXS Sat, Jun 25, Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway – 188 laps
Top-12 NXS Playoff Contenders (G/L):
1. AJ Allmendinger
2. Ty Gibbs +1
3. Noah Gragson -1
4. Josh Berry +1
5. Justin Allgaier -1
6. Brandon Jones +1
7. Sam Mayer -1
8. Austin Hill
9. Daniel Hemric +1
10. Landon Cassill +1
11. Riley Herbst -2
12. Ryan Sieg
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NTS)
Sat, Jun 11, DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway – 75 laps
– Carson Hocevar (#42 Chevrolet), making his series debut at Sonoma, won the Pole Award for the Saturday’s race with a lap of 91.135 mph. It is his first pole in 43 NTS races and his 7th top-10 start in 2022. Cup regular Ross Chastain (2nd) posted his 3rd top-10 start of 2022 and his first at Sonoma. Cup regular Kyle Busch (3rd) earned his first top-10 start at Sonoma. It is his 5th in five Truck Series races this season. Lawless Alan (19th) was the fastest qualifying ROTY. Hailie Deegan (starting 9th) set a new NTS record for best starting position by a female competitor on a road course. Previous record was held by Jennifer Jo Cobb (17th at Daytona Road Course). Deegan also becomes the first female competitor to compete in a Truck Series race at Sonoma. Did Not Qualify: No one. 36 teams entered for the NTS 36-truck lineup.
– Cup Series regular Kyle Busch (#18 Toyota), driving his #51 Toyota Tundra, led a race-high 45 laps and scored his 62nd win in 165 NTS races. This is his first win and 5th top-10 Truck Series finish in 2022. Zane Smith (2nd) posted his 10th top-10 finish in 2022. Ty Majeski (3rd) earned his 7th top-10 finish in 2022. Jack Wood (16th) was the highest finishing ROTY.
– NTS points leader: Ben Rhodes by 5 points over Chandler Smith.
– Next: Sat, Jun 18, Clean Harbors 150 at Knoxville Raceway – 150 laps
Top-10 NTS Playoff Contenders (G/L):
1. Ben Rhodes
2. Chandler Smith
3. Zane Smith
4. John Hunter Nemechek
5. Ty Majeski +2
6. Stewart Friesen -1
7. Christian Eckes -1
8. Carson Hocevar
9. Grant Enfinger +1
10. Matt Crafton -1
NASCAR Feeder Series
ARCA Menards Series / ARCA East (Combo):
Sat, Jun 11, Calypso Lemonade 150 at Iowa Speedway – 150 laps
Winner: Brandon Jones – P1: Jesse Love
AMS Points Leader: Rajah Caruth
AMS Next: Sat, Jun 18, Zinsser SmartCoat 200 at Berlin Raceway – 200 laps
AME Points Leader: Sammy Smith
AME Next: Sun, Aug 28, Sprecher 150 at The Milwaukee Mile – 150 laps
ARCA Menards West:
Sat, Jun 11, General Tire 200 at Sonoma Raceway – 56 laps
Winner: Jake Drew – P1: Jake Drew – Points Leader: Jake Drew
Next: Sat, Jul 2, NAPA Auto Parts 150 at Irwindale Speedway – 150 laps
Whelen Modified Tour:
Sat, May 28, Jennerstown Salutes 150 at Jennerstown Speedway – 150 laps
Winner: Mike Christopher Jr. – P1: Tyler Rypkema – Points Leader: Ron Silk
Next: Sat, Jun 18, Duel at the Dog 200, Monadnock Speedway – 200 laps
NASCAR Pinty’s Series:
Sat, Jun 11, QwickWick 250 at Autodrome Chaudière – 250 laps
Winner: Andrew Ranger – P1: LP Dumoulin – Points Leader: Kevin Lacroix
Next: Sat, Jun 25, The Proline 225 at Eastbound International Speedway
Track Details
Autodrome Chaudiere – 0.25-mile oval – Vallee-Jonction, Quebec
Berlin Raceway – 0.438-mile oval – Marne, Michigan
Eastbound International Speedway – 3/8-mile oval – Avondale, Newfoundland
Iowa Speedway – 0.875-mile oval – Newton, Iowa
Irwindale Speedway – 0.5-mile oval – Irwindale, California
Jennerstown Speedway – 0.522-mile oval – Jennerstown, Pennsylvania
Knoxville Raceway – 0.5 mile dirt oval – Knoxville, Iowa
The Milwaukee Mile – 1-mile oval – West Allis, Wisconsin
Monadnock Speedway – 0.25-mile oval – Winchester, New Hampshire
Nashville Superspeedway – 1.333 mile concrete tri-oval – Lebanon, Tennessee
Sonoma Raceway – 1.990-mile, road course – Sonoma, California