Get caught up before Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3 p.m. ET, FS1)
What: 27th Annual Toyota/Save Mart 350
Where: Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, California
When: Sunday, June 28, 2015
TV/Radio: FOX Sports 1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 110 laps (218.9 miles)
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Pit Road Speed: 40 mph
Caution Car Speed: 45 mph
On The Front Row | Full starting lineup | See all 43 cars
1. AJ Allmendinger, JTG Daugherty Racing No. 47 Chevrolet
2. Kurt Busch, Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Chevrolet
Failed To Qualify
Brendan Gaughan, Premium Motorsports No. 62 Chevrolet
Fastest In Practice
First practice: Clint Bowyer, Michael Waltrip Racing No. 15 Toyota (95.547 mph) | Full results
Final practice: Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota (96.175 mph) | Full results
Best 10-Lap Average
First practice: Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Chevrolet)
Final Practice: Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet)
Last Time for Four-Time
“This has been a very special place for me and always will be. To know that this if the final time that I will be driving here and just the build-up — going to Rio Linda to that quarter midget track last week that was the first place I ever raced at. That just built a lot of emotion into what is occurring this weekend. It also adds pressure that I want to do really well this weekend.” — Jeff Gordon, four-time Sprint Cup champion and five-time Sonoma winner | MORE: Emotional Gordon hits end of the road at Sonoma
He’s Got a Shot
“The Sprint Cup Series is so difficult right now. I think there have been what, 10 winners in the last 10 races here? I know if we go out there and we’re at our best and I do my job we’ll have a shot to win, and that’s all I can ask for.” -– Pole winner AJ Allmendinger | RELATED: Allmendinger looks to make his mark at Sonoma
No Penalty for Earnhardt Jr.
A faulty transmission resulted in a 20th-place starting spot for Dale Earnhardt Jr., but the Hendrick Motorsports team was able to make the change without costing its driver his starting spot.
According to the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rulebook, for races at road courses (Sonoma and Watkins Glen), Pocono Raceway and the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Raceway, teams are allowed to make a transmission change after the completion of qualifying without penalty.
For the Daytona 500, teams may make one transmission change after competing in one of the two qualifying races, but the change must be made before the start of the final practice preceding the 500.
Best Driver Rating
(Based on last 10 Sonoma races)
Kurt Busch, Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 Chevrolet (106.5)
Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet (103.4)
Tony Stewart, Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Chevrolet (98.8)
Aware of His Surroundings
“This weekend would be an opportunity for a guy to muscle his way up there and maybe deal with (the consequences) afterward if he thinks he can get that win.” — Carl Edwards
Top-Five Surprise for Kenseth
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth will start third in the Toyota/SaveMart 350, his best starting spot in 16 career attempts on the 1.99-mile road course. “I’m pleasantly surprised and kind of confused as far as we’ve been off,” Kenseth said, “but we’ll take that.”
Honesty is the Best Policy
“I feel like my Cup car is better than I am. It’s pretty good.” — Trevor Bayne, Roush Fenway Racing (will start 31st)
Mid-pack for Points Leader
Points leader and defending Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick will start 17th in the Toyota/SaveMart 350. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has yet to win at Sonoma Raceway; he did finish second in ’07. “I’ve got some cars to pass,” Harvick said. “We passed a lot of cars last year, but I’m just not very good at the qualifying thing here for whatever reason.
Former Sonoma Winners In Field
Jeff Gordon (5); Tony Stewart (2); Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards (1).
Defending Toyota/Save Mart 350 Champion
Carl Edwards, Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota