6 days agoIt has just been one of those years for Martin Truex Jr. That's exactly what the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said after the conclusion of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday afternoon, as he went from running in second-place with one lap to go to finishing 27th in the race. That is because the No. 19 Toyota ran out of fuel on the final lap and Truex was unable to complete the lap, relegating him to the final position on the lead lap. This caused a massive shift in points for fantasy players that had Truex, which either caused massive frustration or elation, depending on which side of the coin you were on. Heading into the race at Sonoma, Truex was one of the best Place Differential plays on the slate, as he started 21st but was the defending winner at the track.Source: On3
6 days agoIt's safe to say that Todd Gilliland is on a hot streak. Over the last five Cup Series races, the Front Row Motorsports driver hasn't finished worse than 17th, and this past weekend at Sonoma he grabbed his second top-10 finish of the season with a 10th-place effort at the road course. This is Gilliland's second top-10 result of the season and the eighth of his career. Three of those have good finishes have came on road courses. Gilliland now has an average finish of 20.6 on the season, which is a career-best, as he steadily continues to improve as a third-year driver in the Cup Series. He is definitely turning into one of the best lower-tier fantasy options in the series lately.Source: Driver Averages
6
days
agoRFK
Racing
driver
Brad
Keselowski
obtained
a
hard-fought
finish
of
13th
in
this
week's
Toyota
/
Save
Mart
350
at
Sonoma
Raceway.
Keselowski
started
35th
at
the
beginning
of
the
first
stage
and
struggled
through
traffic.
After
multiple
pit
stops
to
make
adjustments,
Keselowski's
team
improved
his
carread more...
6
days
agoChase
Elliott
continues
to
be
one
of
the
most
competitive
drivers
at
road
courses
as
he
placed
fourth
in
this
week's
Toyota
/
Save
Mart
350.
As
Elliott
started
from
fourth,
he
kept
up
with
the
rest
of
the
top-5
during
stage
one
and
obtained
stage
points.
Duringread more...
6 days agoIn Sunday's Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, Ryan Blaney nabbed a quiet finish of seventh. After starting third, Blaney had one of the strongest cars in the early part of the race by remaining inside the Top 5 through the first stage. During the second stage, Blaney ran well until he made a pit stop on lap 51 for fuel and tires. This pit stop would keep Blaney deep in the field until the final stage, where he stayed out until his final stop on lap 83. Blaney quietly progressed through the field with better tires and handling until he eventually finished with his fourth career top-10 finish at Sonoma. This was also the No. 12 Ford driver's first top-10 finish since Dover in April. As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Iowa Speedway for the first time next weekend, Blaney will be one to watch as a former winner at the site in the Xfinity Series.Source: NASCAR.com
7 days agoCam Waters will start from the 31st position for this week's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. This week is Waters' Cup Series debut after competing in two Truck Series races at Martinsville and Kansas earlier in 2024. Waters is an Australian Supercars Series driver from a road-racing background similar to Will Brown and Shane Van Gisbergen. In practice, Waters ranked 34th among all drivers in overall lap averages and 29th in five consecutive lap averages. With high place-differential upside and equipment that normally competes for top-20 finishes at road courses, Waters is a favorable driver to consider for all DFS formats.Source: Driveraverages.com
7 days ago23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace will start 18th in this week's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. This matches his starting position in this race one year ago. In five races at Sonoma, Wallace has two top-20 finishes while gaining positive place differential four times. Wallace's best finish at the site is 14th, which he nabbed in 2021. With 15 races completed in 2024, Wallace has five top-10 finishes while collecting positive place differential seven times. In practice for this week's race, Wallace ranked 14th in five consecutive lap averages and fifth in 10 consecutive lap averages. Although Wallace is not known for his proficiency at road courses, he is one of the more favorable value options for DFS this week due to his practice speeds and Sonoma history, which point towards him competing for a top-15 finish.Source: Driveraverages.com
7 days agoAfter qualifying for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, Zane Smith will start 20th. This marks the fourth time this season that Smith will start in the top 20. In his only previous start at Sonoma, Smith finished 34th after a lackluster run with Front Row Motorsports in 2023. Smith also ran the 2022 Truck Series race at Sonoma, finishing as the runner-up after starting 13th. With 15 races started this season, Smith has three top-20 finishes, highlighted by his finish of 19th at COTA. In practice, Smith ranked 27th in overall lap averages, 15th in five consecutive lap averages, and 10th in 10 consecutive lap averages. Although Smith's performance overall this year is unfavorable and inconsistent, Sonoma represents one of the better opportunities for him to have a favorable finish. As one of the cheapest drivers for DFS, Smith leaves plenty of cap flexibility, making him a worthy DFS option this week since his practice speeds point to a top-20 finish.Source: Driveraverages.com
7 days agoFor this week's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, Tyler Reddick will start from the second position. This result matches Reddick's career-best starting position at Sonoma from last year's race. In three starts at the California road course, Reddick's best finish is 19th, which he nabbed in 2021. Reddick is one of the most consistent drivers of the year, as he has one win and nine top-10 finishes after 15 races so far this season. In practice, the driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota was one of the fastest overall, ranking 11th in five consecutive lap averages, second in 10 consecutive lap averages, and first in 15 consecutive lap averages. Reddick is one of the best road-course racers in the field, with three wins and 14 top-10 finishes through 21 races at the track type in the Cup Series. Based on history, practice speeds, and overall performance this year, Reddick is one of the top drivers to compete for the win this week.Source: Driveraverages.com
7 days agoKyle Larson will start fifth after qualifying for this week's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. It's now the ninth time in his Cup career that Larson obtained a top-five starting position at Sonoma. In nine previous Cup starts at the site, Larson has one win, three top-10 finishes, and has led in three of the last five Cup events there. With 14 starts completed in 2024, Larson has two wins, seven top-10 finishes, and leads all drivers with 655 laps led. During practice, Larson ranked as the fastest driver in five consecutive lap averages. Sonoma has been one of Larson's better tracks in recent years, and considering his practice speeds, expect him to be one of the favorites to compete for the win.Source: Driveraverages.com
7 days agoRick Ware Racing driver Justin Haley will start this week's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway from the 27th position. This is Haley's lowest starting position at Sonoma since the Next-Gen car was introduced in 2022. In three previous races at the California road course, Haley has two finishes with positive place differential and a best finish of 12th. Through 15 races this year, Haley has five top-20 finishes, including three of the last four. In practice, Haley ranked 34th in five consecutive averages and 15th in overall lap averages. Considering Haley's place-differential upside from his starting position, along with his cheap salary, he must be considered as a start in all DFS formats, especially since he is capable of placing in the top 20 this week.Source: Driveraverages.com
7 days agoAfter qualifying for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, Team Penske driver Austin Cindric will start 28th. This marks the third time in his Cup career that Cindric will start 25th or worse at Sonoma, and his second-worst starting position of the year. In two starts at the California road course, Cindric's best finish is fifth, which he collected in 2022. After 15 races this season, Cindric has one win, which he collected at St. Louis last week, and two top-five finishes. In practice, Cindric ranked as the slowest driver in five consecutive lap averages and 20th in overall lap averages. Although Cindric has solid road-course history with six top-10 finishes in 15 races at the track type in his Cup career, he is inconsistent at Sonoma. DFS players should roster him more for FanDuel lineups than DraftKings, where his $7,500 salary on FD leaves some cap flexibility compared to his DK salary ($8,200). Overall, due to his place-differential upside and overall practice speeds, look for Cindric to compete for a top-20 finish.Source: Driveraverages.com
7 days agoHendrick Motorsports driver William Byron will start sixth in this week's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. The qualifying result is his first top-10 starting position at Sonoma since the Next-Gen car was introduced in 2022. In five races at Sonoma, Byron's best finish was ninth during the 2022 season, which was his only top-10 finish at the track. With 15 races completed this year, Byron has three wins and is tied for the most top-10 finishes this year (nine), including at COTA, where he won. In practice, Byron displayed better speeds than most in the longer run, ranking third among all drivers in five consecutive lap averages. Byron's history at Sonoma does not point to a favorable finish with positive place differential, but his practice speeds and 2024 season-wide performance make him an enticing tournament play to consider for a top-five finish.Source: Driveraverages.com
7 days agoKyle Busch will start 29th for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. This will be Busch's worst start at Sonoma since 2008, when he started 30th and nabbed his first victory at the site. In 18 races at Sonoma, Busch has two wins, nine top-10 finishes, and 132 laps led, which is the third-most of drivers in the field this week. Through 15 races so far this year, Busch has nine top-20 finishes, including at COTA, where he placed ninth. In practice, Busch ranked 21st in overall lap averages and sixth in five consecutive lap averages. Based on his practice speeds and history at Sonoma, look for Busch to gain plenty of place differential and be one of the top DFS plays of the week.Source: Driveraverages.com
7 days agoHendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman will start this week's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway from the eighth position. This is the second time that the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet scored a top-10 starting spot at Sonoma. In seven races at the California road course, Bowman has two top-10 finishes and nabbed positive place differential four times. After 15 races this season, Bowman is tied for the most top-10 finishes (nine), including COTA, where he placed fourth. In practice, Bowman showcased top-10 speeds in almost all categories, ranking as high as third in 10 consecutive lap averages. Despite providing little place-differential upside from his starting position, Bowman's practice speeds are an encouraging sign that he is a top-10 driver worth consideration for any DFS lineup this week.Source: Driveraverages.com