RADIO
Denny Hamlin Gains the Season Points Lead Despite Underwhelming Sonoma Finish
Denny Hamlin's performance in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway had promise but ended with an underwhelming result. Hamlin began Sunday's Cup Series race from ninth and displayed solid speed compared to the rest of the field in the earlier stages. The No. 11 Toyota driver ran inside the top 10 through most of the first stage until he went for a pit stop on lap 23. After the pit stop, Hamlin ended the first stage in 12th with no stage points. In the second stage, Hamlin regained positions after others went to pit road during the stage break and moved back into a top-10 spot. He continued to run there through the stage until he pitted again before the end of the second stage. Hamlin went on to finish the second stage in 14th, earning no stage points for the day. In the middle of the final stage on lap 64, Hamlin was bumped by Carson Hocevar and spun off the track. Although he was able to keep going, there were no further cautions, and Hamlin struggled to regain positions. Ultimately, the spin was the main contributing factor to his underwhelming finish of 26th. However, with Tyler Reddick having steering issues and finishing 36th, Hamlin now has the regular-season points lead for the first time this year, as he is now one point ahead of Reddick after 18 races this season.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Tyler Reddick Loses the Regular-Season Points Lead After Car Trouble at Sonoma
Tyler Reddick had high hopes for a good performance in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, but car problems derailed his day. Reddick started Sunday's race from the 11th position but struggled with the speed and handling of his car early. During the first stage, Reddick continued to lose positions at the start, and by the end of the first stage, he placed 30th and failed to earn stage points. By the end of the first stage, Reddick's car had completely lost power steering, and during the stage break, Reddick stopped on pit road while his team repaired and diagnosed the steering issues. After the repairs, Reddick was six laps down from the rest of the field and spent the rest of the race riding around and hoping for cautions to get back to the lead lap. By the end of the race, Reddick remained in the 36th and final position of the field and finished four laps down. As a result of this finish, Reddick is now exactly one point behind Denny Hamlin for the regular-season points lead, as he is second in the standings for the first time in the 2026 season after 18 races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Kyle Larson Could be A Spoiler for the Win at Sonoma
Kyle Larson will start third for this week's Cup race at Sonoma Raceway, the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Larson is the top qualifier from Hendrick Motorsports in this week's race. In 11 Cup races at Sonoma, Larson has two wins, four top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.0. After completing 17 races so far this season, Larson has 10 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 14.5. In practice for this week's race, Larson ranked third in five consecutive lap averages and first in 10 and 15 consecutive lap averages. As one of the fastest drivers in pre-race events, Larson is one of the top favorites to compete for the win this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Michael McDowell is Likely to Have Another Great Race at Sonoma
Spire Motorsports driver Michael McDowell will start fourth for this week's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. This is McDowell's first top-5 starting position earned through qualifying in a Sonoma race since 2023. In 13 Cup races at the California road course, McDowell has four top-10 finishes, which he scored in his last four appearances at the site. Through 17 races this year, McDowell has four top-10 finishes, which include all three prior road course events this season. In practice for this week's race, McDowell ranked 11th in five consecutive lap averages, sixth in 10 consecutive lap averages, and seventh in 15 consecutive lap averages. Due to his equipment, practice speeds, and recent history at Sonoma, McDowell is a driver worth rostering in DFS for this week's race at Sonoma as he is likely to have another great finish.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Should DFS Managers Roster Chase Briscoe at Sonoma?
Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the seventh position for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. This is only the second time in Briscoe's Cup career that he will start inside the top 10 at Sonoma. In five previous races at the site, Briscoe has only one top-5 finish, but it was a second-place finish from last year's race. In 17 races this season, Briscoe has seven top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.8. In practice for this week's race at Sonoma, Briscoe was seventh in five consecutive lap averages and second in 10 and 15 consecutive lap averages. Briscoe is a driver who is likely to finish in the top 10 based on his equipment and practice speeds despite low upside. The No. 19 Toyota driver is best recommended as a tournament option for DFS lineups this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chris Buescher is Set for a Strong DFS Performance at Sonoma
Chris Buescher of RFK Racing will start in 15th for this week's race at Sonoma Raceway, the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Buescher is the only driver from RFK to earn a top-15 starting position this week. In nine races at Sonoma, Buescher has eight top-20 finishes, with three of them being top-5s. Buescher's average finish of 13.1 is third-best of all drivers in the field this week. After 17 Cup races completed this year, Buescher has nine top-10 finishes with an average finish of 12.8. In practice for this week's Cup race, Buescher ranked 14th in five consecutive lap averages, fourth in 10 consecutive lap averages, and sixth in 15 consecutive lap averages. Considering his upside, equipment, and overall track history at Sonoma, Buescher is an excellent option for DFS lineups regardless of format for this week's race.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ryan Blaney May be an Underrated DFS Pick at Sonoma
Team Penske's Ryan Blaney qualified 16th for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. This is the lowest starting position for Blaney in a Sonoma Cup race since 2023. In nine Cup starts at the site, Blaney has five top-10 finishes, including four of the last six Cup events. Through 17 races this season so far, Blaney has one win, 12 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 11.6. In practice for this week's race, Blaney ranked eighth in five consecutive lap averages. Although Blaney is not known as a top-tier road course racer, Sonoma is one of his best road courses, and he has a car capable of contending for top-10 finishes, as shown by pre-race events. Fantasy players should like Blaney as a DFS option for all formats this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Should DFS Managers Roster William Byron at Sonoma?
Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron is starting 13th for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. He qualified second-best of all four Hendrick drivers, with only Kyle Larson starting in a higher position. In seven Cup races at Sonoma, Byron has two top-10 finishes and an average finish of 20.0. In 17 races completed this season, Byron has eight top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.7. In practice for Sunday's race, Byron ranked ninth in five consecutive lap averages, 13th in 10 consecutive lap averages, and 14th in 15 consecutive lap averages. Based on his equipment and practice speeds, Byron is a decent overall DFS option for all formats as he is likely to compete for a top-10 finish.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
A.J. Allmendinger Could Have Another Strong Run at Sonoma
A.J. Allmendinger, driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, will start in the eighth position for this week's Toyota/Save Mart 250 at Sonoma Raceway. This marks the first time since 2017 and 2018 that Allmendinger earned two consecutive top-10 starting positions in qualifying in two consecutive Sonoma Cup races. In 14 Cup races at the site, Allmendinger has four top-10 finishes, including two of the last three Cup events. After 17 races so far this year, Allmendinger has three top-10 finishes, with all of them coming in the three road course events. In practice for this week's race, Allmendinger ranked first in five consecutive lap averages. Allmendinger's background is in road course racing, which lends itself well to Sonoma. With his high practice speeds, road course proficiency, and high starting position, Allmendinger makes for a sneaky tournament option capable of competing for a top-5 finish.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Is Ross Chastain Worth Rostering for Sonoma DFS Lineups?
Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain will start in the fifth position for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. This is the third time this season that Chastain will have a top-5 starting position, with his previous top-5 starts coming at other road courses. In six Cup starts at Sonoma, Chastain has four top-10 finishes, including three since 2022. Through 17 races so far this year, Chastain has four top-10 finishes, including the last two races. In practice for this week's race, Chastain ranked second in five consecutive lap averages, 10th in 10 consecutive lap averages, and 15th in 15 consecutive lap averages. The No. 1 Chevrolet driver has little upside from his starting position, but has shown that he has a fast enough car to compete for a top-10 finish. It is recommended for fantasy players to utilize Chastain in tournament lineups only for DFS this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Can Shane van Gisbergen Dominate at Sonoma Again?
All eyes will be on Shane van Gisbergen on Sunday at Sonoma, as is the case whenever the Cup Series stops at a road/street course. Last year int his race, SVG put on an absolutely dominating effort, leading 97 of the 110 laps en route to a 1.128-second victory over Chase Briscoe. This weekend, though, the Trackhouse Racing driver will have a slightly more difficult time putting a whooping on the field. Van Gisbergen qualified sixth for this weekend's Toyota/Save Mart 350, mostly due to the fact that he was stuck in Group One of practice and qualifying after getting caught up in a wreck at San Diego this weekend. For DFS players, though, this now means that SVG has a bit of Place Differential upside in addition to his dominator potential. Even at a very hefty salary of $14.0K, van Gisbergen is a solid daily fantasy pick on Sunday, as long as your build the rest of your lineup well around him.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Ty Gibbs Speeds to First Road-Course Pole at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs is one of the best road course racers in the series, but in qualifying on this track type, he has been slightly below average. That wasn't the case at Sonoma Raceway this weekend, though, as Gibbs and his No. 54 Toyota were fastest on Saturday with a lap of 74.829 seconds, beating out Carson Hocevar for the pole for this year's Toyota/Save Mart 350. Gibbs wasn't too shabby in practice either, ending up sixth-best in the session and ranking fifth-best in five-lap average. This season on the "traditional" road courses, Ty Gibbs has posted finishes of third (at Watkins Glen) and fourth (at COTA), and there's no reason to think he won't be able to challenge for a similar finish here at Sonoma on Sunday. As far as DFS goes, Ty is relatively affordable ($9.1K on DraftKings) and has the early dominator potential, so he's definitely a viable daily fantasy option.
Source: Jayski
Source: Jayski
Chase Elliott Not His Normal Self This Weekend
When the NASCAR Cup Series stops at Sonoma Raceway, one driver who is usually a "shoo in" for a good finish is Chase Elliott. Over his last eight starts at this track, Chase has finished eighth or better seven times, with the only exception being the 2019 race when he blew an engine. This weekend, though, the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team can't seem to find the speed that they're used to having. In practice on Saturday, Chase was just 19th-fastest on the speed chart (out of 36 drivers), and in qualifying he remained pretty much the same, ending up 18th-fastest when it was all said and done. Track history says Chase Elliott will have a solid race at Sonoma on Sunday, but the lack of speed so far this weekend says that fantasy players and bettors should temper their expectations a bit.
Source: Motorsports Wire
Source: Motorsports Wire
Christopher Bell Plans to Run Full Race at Sonoma
Last week in San Diego, Christopher Bell got out of the race car at the first caution due to his broken wrist and the combination of the technical aspects of the street course and the potential for chaos and causing further injury. This weekend at Sonoma, though, Bell has stated he has no plans to get out of the race car. Brent Crews is still on duty for relief in case he is needed, though. As far as speed goes, Bell looks better this week at Sonoma compared to his race weekend at San Diego, but he's still far off from his normal pace at this track. He was 23rd-fastest in practice on Saturday and ended up qualifying 14th for this year's Toyota/Save Mart 350. Although Bell has finished fifth, ninth, and ninth over the last three Sonoma races, it's probably best to stay away from him in fantasy this weekend due to the injury and the unknown of how much that will affect him.
Source: Bob Pockrass
Source: Bob Pockrass
Can Carson Hocevar Finally Back Up Qualifying Speed?
Carson Hocevar has turned into quite the qualifier at road courses. Last season, The Hurricane started inside the first two rows at both COTA and the Chicago Street Course, and then he qualified on the outside pole at San Diego last week as well. This weekend at Sonoma, Hocevar did it again, qualifying second to Ty Gibbs for the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Now the question is, can he get the finish? In 14 career road/street course starts, Hocevar has just one top-10 finish -- a third-place result at Watkins Glen in 2024. And over his last eight starts on this track type, he hasn't finished better than 18th. Now, not all of this is his fault, as we saw him get spun while running top five late last weekend, but Hocevar's aggressive driving style can definitely be a hindrance to getting good finishes at technical race tracks. Until he proves he can start finishing races on this track type, it's probably best to stay away from The Hurricane for the time being.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
