Tag Archives: Sonoma

NASCAR announces Sprint Cup group qualifying for road courses

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NASCAR 4C(PRT)

NASCAR announced today that the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will implement the group-based road course qualifying procedure used in NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Touring Series competition during its road-course events at Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International. Under the new procedure, cars will qualify in groups instead of the traditional single-car qualifying runs held on oval race tracks.

The new qualifying rules for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at road courses are as follows:

·      Cars attempting to qualify will be divided into groups. The number of groups, and amount of cars in each, will depend on the number of cars that practice for the event.
·      Group assignments will be based on final practice times.
·      Each qualifying group will be on-track for a set period of time, determined by the Series Director.
·      A car’s best lap time during the group session will be the qualifying lap time of record.
·      A group’s time begins when the first car receives the green flag at the start/finish line.

The new format will debut with the Toyota Save-Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 23 and will return at Watkins Glen for the Cheez-ItTM 355 at the Glen on August 11.

SONOMA: NASCAR Sprint Cup driver stats / info

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West makes its annual pilgrimage to Sonoma, CA, north of San Francisco. The new car has leveled the playing field and double-file restarts contribute to short track style competition.

INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES SPONSORSHIP ENDS 
Reminder for this weekend’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 NSCS race…. As of June 1st, “Infineon Raceway” will simply be called “Sonoma.”

WHAT TO WATCH FOR AT SONOMA:

JEFF GORDON
Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon, a five-time Sonoma winner, last won in 2006 – the season before the current NASCAR Sprint Cup chassis was introduced. Does Gordon have something he wants to – needs to – prove?

NASCAR SPRINT CUP POINT STANDINGS
How will NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings fare: Kenseth, Earnhardt and Greg Biffle are winless as road racers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

 

WILD CARD OPPS
Former Sonoma winner Juan Pablo Montoya (19th) and Gordon (20th) are now eligible for a post-season berth if they can gain enough wins.

 

DALE EARNHARDT JR
Dale Earnhardt Jr heads to Sonoma with a hunger for a road course win. Sonoma’s last seven races have produced seven different winners. The last four – Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch – posted their first Sprint Cup road course victories. Could Jr. be the next?

 

Race #: 16 of 36 (06-24-12)
Track Size: 1.99 miles
Race Length: 110 laps / 219 miles/ 350 Kilometers
Number of Turns: 12

Qualifying/Race Data
2011 pole winner: Joey Logano, (93.256 mph, 76.821 seconds)
2011 race winner: Kurt Busch, (75.411 mph, 2:54:10, 06-26-11)
Track qualifying record:  Jeff Gordon, (94.325 mph, 75.950 seconds, 06-24-05)
Track race record: Ricky Rudd, (81.007 mph, 2:42:08, 06-23-02)

Top 12 Driver Rating at Sonoma
Marcos Ambrose………………….. 108.8
Tony Stewart……………………….. 107.9
Kurt Busch………………………….. 106.1
Juan Pablo Montoya……………… 104.0
Jeff Gordon…………………………… 99.1
Jimmie Johnson…………………….. 94.1
Ryan Newman………………………. 93.5
Kyle Busch………………………….. 92.1
Jamie McMurray……………………. 86.6
Carl Edwards………………………… 85.8
Clint Bowyer…………………………. 85.1
Elliott Sadler………………………… 84.9
Note: Driver Rating compiled from 2005-2011 races (seven total) at Sonoma.

Current Point Standings  (After Michigan International Speedway)

Driver Points Wins Poles Week Rating
1. Matt Kenseth 565 1 0 1 105.9
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 561 1 0 2 103.2
3. Greg Biffle 548 1 2 3 107.0
4. Jimmie Johnson 532 2 0 5 107.7
5. Denny Hamlin 514 2 1 4 98.8
6. Kevin Harvick 504 0 0 6 94.9
7. Martin Truex Jr. 497 0 1 7 95.0
8. Tony Stewart 491 2 0 8 93.6
9. Clint Bowyer 481 0 0 9 88.8
10. Brad Keselowski 458 2 0 10 91.9

Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Sonoma in Sonoma, California going into the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on June 24.

Marcos Ambrose (No. 9 Stanley Ford)
· Two top fives, three top 10s
· Average finish of 14.0

Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-hour Energy Toyota)
· Three top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 11.2

Kurt Busch (No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Inc. Chevrolet)
· One win, four top fives, four top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 18.3

Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota)
· One win, one top five, two top 10s
· Average finish of 18.9

Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
· One top five, three top 10s
· Average finish of 16.6

Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet)
· Five wins, 12 top fives, 15 top 10s; five poles
· Average finish of 8.7

Robby Gordon (No. 7 MAPEI Dodge)
· One win, three top fives, four top 10s
· Average finish of 21.4

Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet)
· One win, three top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 14.7

Jamie McMurray (No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet)
· One top five, one top 10; one pole
· Average finish of 16.9

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet)
· One win, one top five, four top 10s
· Average finish of 9.0

Ryan Newman (No. 39 Quicken Loans/Children’s Tumor Foundation Chevrolet)
· Two top fives, five top 10s
· Average finish of 12.4

Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet)
· Two wins, four top fives, eight top 10s; one pole
· Average finish of 11.5

History
· The track opened as a 2.52-mile road course and drag strip in 1968.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held in 1989.
· The first nine races were 300 kilometers and switched to a 350k format in 1998.
· The track was reconfigured to 1.949 miles in 1998 with the installation of an 890-foot chute between the original Turns 4 and 7.
· The track was reconfigured to 2.0 miles in 2001 and re-measured at 1.99 miles in 2002.

Notebook
· There have been 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma since the first race there in 1989.
· Rusty Wallace won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup pole.
· Ricky Rudd won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
· 14 different drivers have won poles; only four have won more than one.
· Jeff Gordon (five) leads all pole winners. Ricky Rudd has four, including three consecutive (1990-92), Rusty Wallace and Kasey Kahne each have two.
· There have been consecutive pole winners three times: Ricky Rudd (1990-92) and Jeff Gordon (1998-99 and 2004-05).
· 15 different drivers have won races; five have multiple victories there – led by Jeff Gordon with five. Ernie Irvan, Ricky Rudd, Tony Stewart and Rusty Wallace (all with two) are the other multiple-race winners.
· Jeff Gordon is also the only driver with consecutive wins, winning in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
· Five of 23 races have been won by the pole winner, including three times by Jeff Gordon. His victory from the pole in 2004 is the most recent.
· The lowest starting position by a race winner was 32nd, by Juan Pablo Montoya; it also was his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win.
· Boris Said posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole.
· Jeff Gordon is the all-time leader in road-course victories, with nine. Tony Stewart is second, with seven.
· Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sonoma winner: Kyle Busch (06/26/2008 – 21 years, 1 month, 2 days).
· Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sonoma winner: Ricky Rudd (06/23/2002 – 45 years, 9 months, 11 days).

 

No. 88 team heads to Sonoma pumped up, ready for road course challenge

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I just knew it would happen!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won a race! FINALLY!

2011 Infineon - June NSCS Practice Dale Earnhardt Jr - Photo credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

I was just seven races too early, is all. I thought for sure Junior was going to take Talladega – after all, he does race well on restrictor plate tracks. But wouldn’t you know, almost four years to the day of his last win, he places Michigan in his pocket and ends his 143-race winless streak.

A teleconference was held today with Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and the No. 88 crew chief Steve Letarte. The question was asked to Rick Hendrick if Junior’s win will help build the momentum from here on out. Hendrick replied, “Oh, absolutely! Seeing him run up front every week, seeing him win a race, seeing him running for the championship, that’s going to just build the sport, the TV ratings, fans in the seats.”

Hendrick also noted that they were bombarded yesterday with emails and different blogs to their sites about Junior Nation having Christmas early this year. ”It’s fun because they’ve waited. They’re loyal fans. He cares about them,” continued Hendrick, “It’s good for the sport. It’s good for him. I think it helps everybody.”

We all witnessed the absence of owner Rick Hendrick during Junior’s big win and got to talk to the boss man via cell phone in Victory Lane. But where exactly was Hendrick during Junior’s victory?  Hendrick explains: “I was hating myself because I was in Michigan.  I was sitting at the airport in the rain, waiting to get in the helicopter,” said Hendrick, “In one way I’m glad I wasn’t there because nobody got to put the camera on me and see how nervous I was those last 20 laps. I had a big meeting in Atlanta Monday morning and I had to have the pilots back at 6:30.  It was a 7:00 deal in Atlanta, I had to make it, so I had to leave and come home, said Hendrick.  And we all want to know what he told Junior: “I told him I knew we was going to get it done, I’m so proud of you. Enjoy it. The world is proud of you. Take a deep breath and have some fun.”

Now that Junior Nation has taken their deep breath, now what?

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is currently second in points, only -4 behind points leader Matt Kenseth. NASCAR Sprint Cup heads to Sonoma – a place where Junior has yet to win. And just a reminder – as of June 1, 2012, the track is known as just simply “Sonoma” and will no longer be called Infineon Raceway. Why? Sponsorship has ended. The 10-year naming-rights with Infineon Technologies ends in June. Under the terms of their contract, the name Infineon will be removed from signs, brochures and any other materials identifying the raceway.

Junior obviously wants a road course victory, but has yet to finish in the top 10 at the 1.99-mile road course but has a pair of top-five finishes at Watkins Glen International, the other road course on the schedule. Accident damage and overheating steered Junior to a 41st-place finish at Sonoma in 2011.

Added Steve Letarte, “Sonoma is a place we look forward to improve. We felt we had an okay car there last year, got caught up in an accident. Those things are going to happen. That hurts our stats at Sonoma because it was just an accident. We look forward to going out there, having a good time. I don’t think the win could have come at a better time. We’re going to go out there and enjoy ourselves. We are pretty confident that if we go out there and have fun with it, we can get a car that drives very good.”

“There’s a lot of opportunities there with restarts, fuel strategies,” Letarte added. “There’s a lot of opportunities to have a good run there and we’re looking forward to it,”

Hendrick concluded, “Oh, yeah, we had one good year, a couple of not good years, but now I think we have the foundation and the base to show the Junior Nation and the NASCAR community what Dale Jr. can do and what he’s all about.

NASCAR driver appearances/autograph/Q&A sessions for Infineon Raceway

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Sunday, June 26

Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett & Richard Petty

9:45am local time

Scheduled to make an appearance at Club 7, the all-new trackside bar and lounge at Infineon Raceway, situated above Turn 7 on the road course. There will be a special Q&A session at Infineon Raceway as part of the pre-event ceremonies.

Upgrades to Club 7 are available for $29-$39 per person. For more information visit the Infineon Raceway website.

AJ Allmendinger

8:15am local time

Q&A session during “PRN Up To SPEED” at Infineon Raceway.

Jeff Gordon is scheduled to participate in a special chalk-talk session right before the drop of the green flag at Infineon Raceway. The scheduled chalk-talk session will be open to the public, but to get preferred access, you’ll need the “24 Special.” The Q&A will take place on the road course at Turn 11. For the third consecutive year, Infineon Raceway will offer race fans the “24 Special,” which gets you one ticket to the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday, June 26, plus the second ticket for just $24 (total price, $119). That’s a savings of $70 on two tickets. For more information and tickets, visit the Infineon Raceway website.

David Reutimann

8:45am local time

Scheduled to sign autographs at the Michael Waltrip racing merchandise hauler located in the display area at Infineon Raceway.

Fast facts and info for Infineon Raceway at Sonoma

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Fast Facts 

Toyota/Save Mart 350  
Sunday, June 20 
Infineon Raceway at Sonoma, CA
(1.99-mile road course)  350K/110 laps 
TNT 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET 
PRN and Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 128  
2009 Polesitter: Brian Vickers 
2009 Winner: Kasey Kahne 
 
Schedule:  (all times PT/local) 
Friday—Practice
Noon-1:30 p.m.
Qualifying, 3:35 p.m.
Saturday— Practice
9:30-10:15 a.m.
Final Practice
10:45-11:50 a.m. 
 
CNN Host Robin Meade to sing the National Anthem for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350
49ers Legend Roger Craig named Grand Marshal
Craig who helped lead the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl wins, will give the official command at Sunday’s race.  
 
NASCAR HOTPASS™ on DIRECTV
NASCAR HOTPASS™ on DIRECTV is FREE to all DIRECTV customers. Four dedicated driver channels offering viewers multiple camera angles, real-time statistics and audio of the network broadcast augmented by live communication between the drivers and their pit crews is available for all 36 point-paying races during the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
 
The NASCAR HOTPASS lineup for the Toyota/Save Mart 350k at the road course at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., is as follows: 
DIRECTV Channel 795:
Jamie McMurray – No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
DIRECTV Channel 796:
Tony Stewart – No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet t
Stewart-Haas Racing
DIRECTV Channel 797:
Kevin Harvick – No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet
Richard Childress Racing
DIRECTV Channel 798:
Clint Bowyer – No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
Richard Childress Racing
Watch for the “OFFICIAL SMALL BUSINESS OF NASCAR, COURTESY OF OFFICE DEPOT” SWEEPSTAKES
 Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Ford) will feature a special TV panel on their cars encouraging fans to enter the sixth annual “Official Small Business of NASCAR, Courtesy of Office Depot” sweepstakes.  Two finalists will get $10,000 and their businesses’ names on the drivers’ cars for the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway in September. If one of the drivers wins the race, the business owner on the winning car earns $1 million.  
Register at OfficeDepotRacing.com until July 10.  
POTENTIAL FAVES:
With a record-setting five wins, it’s safe to say Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) has no problem finding his way to the checkered flag at Infineon Raceway. 
Gordon’s Sonoma resume also includes these impressive stats:  
 ■ He’s the only driver to get consecutive 
wins (three), two of those from the pole. 
 ■ Has the most laps led at 437, twice as 
many as the next closest driver, Rusty Wallace, 
with 171 laps. 
 
But there’s a few other road-course savvy drivers who’d love to swipe this crown: 
■ Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet): Went to Victory Lane twice at Infineon, just missed it in 2009 with a second-place finish.  
■ AJ Allmendinger (No. 43 Insignia/Best Buy Ford): Road course background, finished 7th last year. 
■ Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet): Got his first, and thus far only, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory here in 2007.  
■ Robby Gordon (No. 7 Monster Energy Toyota): Six top 10s and finished second in 2007. But still looking for first Sonoma win. 
■ Marcos Ambrose (No. 47 Clorox/Kleenex Toyota): Finished third last year, two titles in Australian road racing series (2003-2004) 
 
Infineon Raceway’s Elite 
Driver                          Wins               Date 
1. Jeff Gordon                5                   ’98,’99,’00,’04,06 
2. Ricky Rudd                2                   ’89,’02  
3. Ernie Irvan                2                   ’92,’94  
4. Rusty Wallace          2                    ’90,’96  
5. Tony Stewart            2                    ’01,’05  
*Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Paul Menard will race in both NASCAR Nationwide Series’ Road America on Saturday and Infineon. Bill Elliott will be in Menard’s No. 98 CertainTeed/ Menards Ford during Saturday’s practice.
DRIVER APPEARANCES/AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS

Jeff Gordon
Sunday, June 20
On Road Course, Turn 11
Scheduled for a special chalk-talk session  
Race fans can secure preferred access for this special Q&A by purchasing the “24 Special” ticket package, which gets you one ticket to the race at the regular price, plus a second for just $24 (total price, $119). The chalk-talk session will be open to the public, but to get preferred access, you’ll need the “24 Special.”

SUBSTITUTE DRIVERS
■ Brandon Ash, No. 02 Start Natural Energy Drink Dodge. 
 ■ Jan Magnusssen will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in the No. 09 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. The Danish F1 driver will have to qualify on time for team owner James Finch.       
   ■ Boris Said will attempt to make his 11th start at Infineon Raceway in the No. 26 Air Guard-GTWGPR Ford. His highest finish in Sonoma: Two sixth-place finishes: 2003 (starting from his one and only pole there) and in 2004. 
 ■ P.J. Jones, in No. 07 SpeedFactory TV Toyota for fellow Californian Robby Gordon. Jones will attempt to qualify for his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Sonoma.  
 ■ Brian Simo will attempt to start in the No. 36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Toyota. His best finish at Sonoma: 10 in 2005.   
 ■ Mattias Ekstrom will take over the No. 83 Red Bull  Toyota from driver Casey Mears. He’ll make history as the first Swede to start a NASCAR Sprint Cup race. He’s a two-time Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters champ who has never competed in any NASCAR series. 
Community, Media Invited To Remember Les ‘Coach’ Richter  
Fans of Les Richter are invited to honor him with a public viewing and memorial service this week in Riverside, Calif.  
Public Viewing, Memorial Information 
 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 16
Acheson and Graham Mortuary,  
7944 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, CA 92504.  
Public memorial Service
11 a.m. Thursday, June 17
Calvary Presbyterian Church at 
4495 Magnolia Ave., Riverside, CA 92504.
HAPPY 1st FATHER’S DAY!
Celebrating their first Father’s Day at Infineon Raceway are Carl Edwards (No. 99 AFLAC Ford) and Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Stanley Ford).   Also, Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Michael Waltrip will be awarded Fatherhood Awards during the pre-race festivities by the National Fatherhood Initiative for their dedication to their children while balancing their work and family life.  
Their stories were featured in a recent USA Weekend cover story illustrating NASCAR’s family-friendly culture.