NASCAR at Sonoma 2015: Race Schedule, Live Stream Info and Drivers to Watch
NASCAR swaps out the ovals for the sweeping, paint-trading curves of Sonoma this weekend for one of the year's most interesting races, the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
One of two road-course spectacles, the winding track promises to offer fans a much different experience than the last time NASCAR drivers raced, when rainy conditions cut short an otherwise thrilling event in Michigan.
If it's different for fans, it's for drivers, too. While it's a fun change of pace for some, not every driver loves the drastic changes in skill and approach the course requires, but those changes help the event at Sonoma churn out surprise first-time winners more often than not as of late.
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Regardless of who comes out on top, the event will prove the perfect remedy after a premature finish in Michigan.
Viewing Details
Where: Sonoma Raceway
When: Sunday, June 28, 3 p.m. ET
Watch: Fox Sports 1
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Sprint Cup Standings
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 506 |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | 576 |
| 3 | Kurt Busch | 426 |
| 4 | Martin Truex Jr. | 561 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 520 |
| 6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 508 |
| 7 | Brad Keselowski | 480 |
| 8 | Matt Kenseth | 456 |
| 9 | Denny Hamlin | 412 |
| 10 | Carl Edwards | 401 |
Drivers to Watch
Carl Edwards
A driver hasn't repeated as a winner at Sonoma since a guy by the name of Jeff Gordon in 2006. If there's a veteran who can accomplish the feat, though, it figures to be Carl Edwards.
The Joe Gibbs Racing star stands 10th in the standings and won last year with a dominant showing. With experience from the triumph in hand, he sounds confident heading into Sunday.
“It’s pure driving,” Edwards said, per Daniel McFadin of NBC Sports. “Left, right, using all the gears, managing the tires, and pit strategy comes in to play. This is a tough race and it’s also one of the most physically demanding races.”
While Edwards hasn't looked great over the course of his last three starts (four races ago he won in Charlotte), now seems like a great time for him to get back into form at a track he dominated a year ago.
Martin Truex Jr.
Few better stories exist in NASCAR right now than Martin Truex Jr., who sits fourth in the standings.
The Furniture Row Racing driver continued his hot streak with a third-place finish at the rain-shortened event in Michigan, almost making it two wins in a row after his triumph at Pocono.
Regardless, Truex now touts 14 top-10 finishes and might have the skill to add another to the tally, if not a win. Even if he experiences struggles on the tricky course this weekend, he's already a historic name when one digests numbers provided by NASCAR Stats:
Truex finished 15th in this event a year ago, so it's not like he hasn't shown strong form in the past.
Now it's a matter of mashing experience with recent momentum to shock the series and perhaps take a jump up the leaderboard.
Don't laugh—Dale Earnhardt Jr. looked great last year at this event.
At a normal oval, that might not be such a strong indicator of future success, but at Sonoma, it's something to keep in mind.
Folks should know the drill with Earnhardt by now—he's never found much in the way of success on the road course, or anything near it, for that matter. Last year seemed to hint at a change, though, as he stormed to a third-place finish.
It may not sound like much, be it also sounds like the momentum gained there has translated to practices so far:
Look, it seems like a long shot that Earnhardt could somehow turn around a long career of struggles on road courses.
Then again, does anyone really want to put it past him? Experience plays a factor at a course like Sonoma, as does luck. Should Earnhardt put it all together again, he might be able to sneak into the top five on the leaderboard.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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