Post by Blaise Zebrataur on Jun 20, 2018 14:00:09 GMT -5
One week after NASCAR's first trip to the two mile Michigan International Speedway, drivers arrived at the Sonoma Raceway for the first of two road course events of the season.
At Michigan, Tony Stewart scored his first win of the season leading 107 of the 200 laps while his team-mate Ryan Newman struggled to a 26th place finish and Stewart is looking to score back-to-back wins.
Ever since making their return to the series at Talladega, the Robert Yates Racing team has struggled to find their footing with Jason Leffler, but at Michigan the driver showed he had what it took, leading 51 before being shuffled back to 4th in the final laps. The team enters Sonoma 43rd in Owner points, and will be needing a good qualifying run to lock themselves into the race.
Unlike at Pocono, last week at Michigan, James Finch's Phoenix Racing team seemed to swap performances as Bill Elliott drove the second entry to a third place finish, while Kurt Busch struggled to find any power and finishing a disappointing 31st. Entering Sonoma, Kurt still has one of the Wild Card spots while owner James Finch has tapped road course ringer Scott Pruett to drive his second entry.
Among the entries this week are several drivers returning for the usual road course events. Boris Said will be driving the #32 HendrickCars.com entry fielded by Frank Stoddard, P.J. Jones returns in a second car owned by Robby Gordon, Brian Simo will attempt to give Humphrey Smith Racing their first start of the year and Ron Fellows who will attempt to get a second entry Wood Brothers car, driving a car numbered #121 in a car running a paint scheme Dan Gurney drove to victory lane years prio at the old Riverside track.
Meanwhile the biggest stories of the week happened when two former NASCAR drivers name's appeared on the entry list: Jerry Nadeau and Hideo Fukuyama. Nadeau will be attempting to qualify for the race driving a car he owns with sponsorship from Little Trees / 1-800-3-Autism. Meanwhile, Fukuyama will be driving for long time NASCAR owner Jim Smith, whose team finished second in this race in 2001 with Robby Gordon. Fukuyama will be driving a Ford as Smith was able to get old sponsor Nations Rent to appear on the car for the event.
Other noticeables:
Despite the fact his driver led 15 laps at Michigan, Curtis Key has pulled Johnny Benson Jr. from the Somoma race, saying all the teams efforts will focus on Steve Park, Benson is rumored to return at Kentucky in the next round.
The famous Wood Brothers have been given permission by the NASCAR officials to enter a second car numbered 121, to be driven by road course ringer Ron Fellows in honor of legendary Dan Gurney.
Here are the betting odds for the Toyota / Save Mart 350:
Jeff Gordon:5-1
Kyle Busch:4-1
Kurt Busch:4-1
Robby Gordon:3-1
Boris Said:1-1
Ron Fellows:1-1
At Michigan, Tony Stewart scored his first win of the season leading 107 of the 200 laps while his team-mate Ryan Newman struggled to a 26th place finish and Stewart is looking to score back-to-back wins.
Ever since making their return to the series at Talladega, the Robert Yates Racing team has struggled to find their footing with Jason Leffler, but at Michigan the driver showed he had what it took, leading 51 before being shuffled back to 4th in the final laps. The team enters Sonoma 43rd in Owner points, and will be needing a good qualifying run to lock themselves into the race.
Unlike at Pocono, last week at Michigan, James Finch's Phoenix Racing team seemed to swap performances as Bill Elliott drove the second entry to a third place finish, while Kurt Busch struggled to find any power and finishing a disappointing 31st. Entering Sonoma, Kurt still has one of the Wild Card spots while owner James Finch has tapped road course ringer Scott Pruett to drive his second entry.
Among the entries this week are several drivers returning for the usual road course events. Boris Said will be driving the #32 HendrickCars.com entry fielded by Frank Stoddard, P.J. Jones returns in a second car owned by Robby Gordon, Brian Simo will attempt to give Humphrey Smith Racing their first start of the year and Ron Fellows who will attempt to get a second entry Wood Brothers car, driving a car numbered #121 in a car running a paint scheme Dan Gurney drove to victory lane years prio at the old Riverside track.
Meanwhile the biggest stories of the week happened when two former NASCAR drivers name's appeared on the entry list: Jerry Nadeau and Hideo Fukuyama. Nadeau will be attempting to qualify for the race driving a car he owns with sponsorship from Little Trees / 1-800-3-Autism. Meanwhile, Fukuyama will be driving for long time NASCAR owner Jim Smith, whose team finished second in this race in 2001 with Robby Gordon. Fukuyama will be driving a Ford as Smith was able to get old sponsor Nations Rent to appear on the car for the event.
Other noticeables:
Despite the fact his driver led 15 laps at Michigan, Curtis Key has pulled Johnny Benson Jr. from the Somoma race, saying all the teams efforts will focus on Steve Park, Benson is rumored to return at Kentucky in the next round.
The famous Wood Brothers have been given permission by the NASCAR officials to enter a second car numbered 121, to be driven by road course ringer Ron Fellows in honor of legendary Dan Gurney.
Here are the betting odds for the Toyota / Save Mart 350:
Jeff Gordon:5-1
Kyle Busch:4-1
Kurt Busch:4-1
Robby Gordon:3-1
Boris Said:1-1
Ron Fellows:1-1