Sonoma
Overview
Event: Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250
Date: Saturday June 8, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. Pacific
Location: 29355 Arnold Dr, Sonoma, CA 95476
Layout: 1.99 mile Road Course
Miles: 156.95
Stage Lengths: Stage 1 ends on lap 20/Stage 2 ends on Lap 45/Final stage ends on lap 79
TV: FS1
Radio: Sirius XM Channel 90 and PRN affiliates nationwide. To find on here you click here: goprn.com
Driver points: 342, 9th place
“We had a very successful Portland weekend,” says Parker, “and barring a slow pitstop, I think we were very much a top 5 car according to our metrics. We fought back well and scored a lot of points. With the speed we have shown at the first two road course races of the year, I think this bodes really well for Sonoma, which is one of my favorite NASCAR weekends of the year being this close to Silicon Valley and in beautiful wine country. The track has been repaved which means it will be a learning experience for everyone, but I know we are up for the challenge! We finished 5th here last year and we have made so many improvements since then, I am ready to go fight at the front again!”
This will be the second time the Xfinity Series has competed on the Sonoma, California 1.99-mile course. The first was last season in a race that saw Aric Almirola take the checkered flag over road course ringer A.J. Allmendinger by a mere 1.868 seconds.
Although Almirola was the first to land himself in Victory Lane at the 12-turn Sonoma circuit, it was Kyle Larson who won the pole with a speed of 91.393 mph.
Neither driver is entered in this weekend’s Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250 so we will see a new pole sitter and race winner at Sonoma Raceway.
Xfinity Series drivers will kick off their weekend with practice at 4:05 p.m. ET on Friday, June 7, which will air on FS1 at 5 p.m. ET. Qualifying will be the following day at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS2.
To no one’s surprise, New Zealander and former V8 Supercars star Shane van Gisbergen, now driving in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, showed his road course prowess last weekend at Portland International Raceway and secured his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win, locking himself into the Playoffs. Van Gisbergen is the 11th different driver to win in the Xfinity Series this season and the seventh consecutive different winner in as many races. Now, the 35-year-old is looking to ride the wave of momentum from his victory to Sonoma Raceway and keep the winning ways going this weekend.
If van Gisbergen were to win this weekend, he would not only end the streak of different winners, but also join Austin Hill as just the second driver this season to win consecutive Xfinity Series races this year.
And for those that don’t know, van Gisbergen’s win last weekend made him the seventh different foreign-born driver to win a race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series all-time (1982-2024), joining Daniel Suarez (Mexico), Marcos Ambrose (Australia), Nelson Piquet Jr. (Brazil), Juan Pablo Montoya (Columbia), Ron Fellows (Canada) and Larry Pollard (Canada).
The all-time NASCAR Xfinity Series road course winners list was extended to 41 drivers last weekend after Shane van Gisbergen grabbed his first career win at Portland International Raceway. Now, the Xfinity Series teams have turned their focus on this week’s Sonoma Raceway, the second of six road courses on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule this season. Of the 41 all-time Xfinity road course winners, eight are entered this weekend.
A.J. Allmendinger heads to Sonoma looking to avenge his runner-up finish in last year’s race. They don’t call him the king of road courses for nothing as he currently leads the Xfinity Series record with 11 victories on road courses. This year, in the first two road course races at COTA and Portland, he’s finished 10th and fourth, respectively.
In search of his second win of the season, Sam Mayer looks to continue to show how he has become one of the premier road course ringers in the series. Last season he posted wins on three out of the eight road courses on the schedule (Road America, Watkins Glen, Charlotte ROVAL). On this season’s road courses, he posted a ninth-place finish at COTA and won the pole at Portland.
While still searching for his first career win on a road course, Austin Hill could finally get over the hump this weekend. Last season, he posted top-five finishes on four out of the eight road courses on the schedule (Portland, Chicago, Road America, Indianapolis Road Course) and top-10 finishes on two others (Sonoma, Charlotte Road Course). Hill came close to posting his first road course victory at COTA earlier this season, taking home a runner-up finish.
Playoff picture tightens up after Portland
With a win by Shane van Gisbergen last weekend at Portland, another spot in the Playoffs has been filled. So far, Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, Justin Allgaier, Jesse Love, Sam Mayer and Shane van Gisbergen have clinched their way into the postseason by virtue of their wins, leaving just six spots up for grabs.
Double duty drivers at Sonoma – A couple drivers will be looking to get some extra seat time this weekend at Sonoma Raceway – Ty Gibbs and John Hunter Nemechek.
Gibbs will be getting behind the wheel of the No. 19 for his third Xfinity Series start of the 2024 season. He ran at Sonoma last season in the series, posting a fourth-place finish.
Nemechek will be behind the wheel of the No. 20 for his seventh Xfinity Series start of the season. He ran in the inaugural Xfinity Series Sonoma race last season, posting a 16th-place finish.
Said Heads Unite! Boris Said returns to NASCAR– Veteran road racing ace Boris Said will be making his triumphant return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend at Sonoma Raceway driving the No. 17 Chevrolet.
Said, from Carlsbad, California, will be making his first series start since driving the No. 13 for Carl Long at COTA in 2021.
Though, Said has not competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Sonoma, he has made 17 NASCAR Cup Series start at the road course posting five top-10 finishes.