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Martinsville Speedway lands runner-up spot in fan poll

The Sprint Cup Series is racing at Sonoma Raceway this weekend, but the California track isn’t the only NASCAR road course that has people talking on Friday.

Watkins Glen International was named the “Best NASCAR Track”, as chosen by readers of USA Today and 10Best.

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NASCAR first raced at the track in 1957, but only held three races before it became a fixture on the Cup schedule in 1986. Thus, it’s a bit of a surprise that it beat out NASCAR landmark circuits Martinsville Speedway (2nd), Bristol Motor Speedway (4th) and Darlington Raceway (5th).

Another surprise is Daytona International Speedway, home of the season-opening Daytona 500, not even making the top 10 cut.

Perhaps it’s just another bullet point on the long-winded debate of whether or not there should be a road course race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

RELATED: H2H: Should we add a road course to the Chase?

Here’s the full top 10:

1. Watkins Glen International – Watkins Glen, N.Y.

2. Martinsville Speedway – Ridgeway, Va.

3. Michigan International Speedway – Brooklyn, Mich.

4. Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tenn.

5. Darlington Raceway – Darlington, S.C.

6. Kansas Speedway – Kansas City, Kan.

7. Dover International Speedway – Dover, Del.

8. Richmond International Raceway – Richmond, Va.

9. Talladega Superspeedway – Lincoln, Ala.

10. Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, N.C.

Other nominees that finished outside the top 10 included Atlanta Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Homestead Miami Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway, Pocono Raceway, Sonoma Raceway and the Texas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR next races at The Glen on August 9 for the Cheez-It 355 (2 p.m. ET, NBCSN).

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Toyota / Save Mart 350 will be last for analyst in FOX Sprint Cup booth

RELATED: FOX booth stands the test of time | Complete schedule for Sonoma

When the FOX NASCAR Sprint Cup Series broadcast season ends after the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, PRN, SiriusXM), it will be the end of a 15-year partnership between Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip. McReynolds discussed his emotions heading into the weekend on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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"There’s no question, I’m a human being, and Sunday is going to be very tough on me because I do know that this will be the last time to stand in a broadcast booth — that I have done for 15 years — with Darrell and Mike," McReynolds said. "And it’s going to be very, very tough on me. I’d be kidding people if I said, ‘Aw, I’m good to go. I’m good.’"

McReynolds, who joined Joy and Waltrip when FOX began broadcasting in 2001, will move to another role on the FOX and FOX Sports 1 broadcasts in 2016. Last month, the network announced that four-time premier series champion Jeff Gordon will take over analysis on Sprint Cup practices, qualifying sessions and races.

"I’m looking forward to my next role whenever we kind of get our arms around what that’s going to be with FOX, but it’s probably going to be very tough the next three days," McReynolds said. "But especially when that producer comes in our ear on Sunday and says, ‘The booth is clear.’ "

RELATED: Gordon to join FOX booth in 2016

A two-time winner of the Daytona 500 as a crew chief, McReynolds also served as an analyst for TNT broadcasts, and he noted that he will continue to be seen the rest of the season on FOX Sports 1 before and after races on "NASCAR RaceDay" and "NASCAR Victory Lane," alongside host John Roberts and analyst Kenny Wallace. But the end of a race broadcast season is always emotional.

"No matter whether it’s here at Sonoma or as it’s been the last eight years where we’ve ended at Dover every year, it’s always bittersweet because one thing that has made our FOX deal work so well the last 15 years is we are a family," McReynolds said. "We all care about each other. And it’s just like Mike, Darrell and I, we are best friends. I feel like I could call Mike up or Darrell up any given time of the day or night if I had a problem — even if it was a personal problem — and I could share it with them, and they would be there for me.

"That part always definitely makes it bittersweet when we have our last race of the year because we all still stay in contact, but we all still kind of go off and do our own things."

On Thursday in San Francisco at a media luncheon held by the track, Joy discussed some new features and at least one surprise for the 16th and final FOX points race of the season and first at the California road course since 2006.

"We’ve got some new toys to roll out for the final FOX race of the season that we’ve been saving — some interesting camera views in the cars that we’re going to have for the race and a few other surprise things," Joy said. "… Have you seen online the YouTube video of Darrell Waltrip’s ride at Bathurst in Australia in the Australian V8 SuperCars where Jason Bright took him for three laps and scared the driving suit right off him? Well, we’re going to kind of re-enact that Saturday with a player to be named later who doesn’t know it’s coming. We’re going to have some fun. This is a great, fun race for us and we’re just thrilled to be back."

McReynolds is optimistic that the transition from the booth to another location during FOX NASCAR broadcasts in 2016 may lead to a new and better opportunity.

"The betting window that I’m standing in… we’re all scared of change," McReynolds said. "We’re humans, and we’re creatures of habit. When things are going good, you don’t want to see anything change.

"But I’ve also come to the realization in my 56 years of living that change sometimes can surprise us and actually lead to even better things than we have now."

Posted on by Zack Albert

All-time winner honored by track, fellow Californians Allmendinger, Larson

RELATED: Gordon takes family to where he first raced

SONOMA, Calif. — Jeff Gordon‘s emotions upon visiting his home track of Sonoma Raceway for the last time as a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver are beginning to hit home. If the gift presented to him by the track ever gets filled, it could help to take the edge off.

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Gordon was presented Friday morning with the latest in a collection of gifts in his final full season of competition as track president Steve Page handed over a custom-painted, 18-liter wine bottle, a nod to the surrounding region’s proliferation of vineyards. The vessel commemorated each of his series-best five Sonoma victories in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, but also saluted his impact on the sport from his days as an aspiring racer growing up in nearby Vallejo.

RELATED: Gifts for Gordon gallery

Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, PRN, SiriusXM) will mark the culmination of a weeklong celebration for Gordon and his family in the heart of wine country. The four-time premier series champion paid a visit last weekend to the quarter-midget circuit where he began his life in racing in close-by Rio Linda, paving the way for one of stock-car racing’s brightest careers but also for other Californians with varied backgrounds aspiring to join NASCAR’s upper reaches.

With Sonoma and the second half of the season approaching, Gordon will be visiting each remaining track on the schedule — with the exception of New Hampshire Motor Speedway — just once. This weekend’s farewell figures to be one of the biggest heart-tuggers.

"It does feel different. It feels a little more emotional and I think that will ramp up through Sunday," Gordon said before Friday’s opening practice. "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."

Performance on road courses hasn’t been much trouble for Gordon, who also possesses four victories at Watkins Glen International, the other right-and-left circuit where NASCAR’s top division races. A poll of garage and media figures released Friday named Gordon as NASCAR’s top road racer, topping fellow Californian AJ Allmendinger in the balloting.

Allmendinger — who hails from Los Gatos, just south of San Francisco — grew up with Jeff Gordon posters on his bedroom walls and the memories of stories from his father about Gordon wheeling around Golden State bullrings early in his career. Gordon’s impact as a driver and humanitarian continue to resonate as he reaches the end of his driving days, but his early breakthrough helped turned conventional wisdom on its ear.

"The time he came in, it was more of a Southern sport kind of led by guys (like) the Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s, and Rusty Wallaces and the Darrell Waltrips, and this kid that came from California and was kind of young and brash and came into the sport and changed it in so many ways, it made guys like me that weren’t from the South say OK, maybe we can get our foot in the door and get there," Allmendinger said. "Jeff has done so much. I feel so fortunate to have raced against him and be able to call him a friend that’s helped me through some difficult times and be able to talk to a guy that I know has no motives. He’s just going to tell you how it is and the right and wrong and the good and bad. So, it’s meant a lot for all of us to have him in the sport."

While Gordon helped to expand the driver roster beyond the boundaries of the sport’s Southern roots, his ascension also broadened the NASCAR talent pool to include drivers from other motor sports disciplines. Before Gordon, relatively few drivers had backgrounds in driving sprint cars on both asphalt and dirt.

Kyle Larson, last season’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year, has followed a similar career arc that owes plenty to Gordon’s blazed trail.

"He’s definitely done a lot for this area in Northern California, and he’s definitely paved the way not only for Northern California drivers but mostly dirt-track racers," said Larson, who calls Elk Grove, California, his hometown. "I think after he made it, a lot of the Cup owners started paying attention to the (U.S. Auto Club) drivers and you saw a big wave of them come over and make their attempt to make it to the Cup Series. Without Jeff, who knows if even Tony Stewart would be in the Cup Series, so he was the main guy who paved the way and gave us hope to make it."

Posted on by Zack Albert

Driver seeks first career win, third top-10 of June near his hometown

RELATED: Larson through his father’s eyes | SHOP: Larson gear

SAN FRANCISCO — Kyle Larson has turned the proximity of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule’s rare time off with this weekend’s trip to Sonoma Raceway into his own version of NASCAR Goes West.
 
Singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on Wednesday night at the San Francisco Giants’ home field followed by go-kart racing, plus visits with friends and family from his close-by hometown of Elk Grove, California — only an 80-mile drive from Sonoma — Larson said he heard some boos from the Golden Gate City crowd, something he attributed to opting to use the more generic "home team" in the lyrics instead of substituting "Giants."

Kyle, Katelyn and Owen have had a great week back home in California! Here they are at the San Francisco Giants game…

Posted by Kyle Larson Racing on Thursday, June 25, 2015

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Larson figures to have a much more favorable rooting section in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, PRN, SiriusXM) at Sonoma, where his parents, sister, aunts and cousins plan to join his girlfriend, Katelyn Sweet, and the couple’s 6-month-old son, Owen. If he’s able to cash in on his improving road-course racing progress, Larson expects a homecoming capstone worth celebrating.
 
"It’d be a long night, a very long night," Larson said Thursday from the track’s annual media luncheon in San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square. "Probably see the sun come up if I did win."
 
Larson heads into the first road-course event of the NASCAR calendar with some modest momentum, following a season-best third place at Dover with an eighth at Pocono before nearly converting a late-race pit gamble from his crew chief, Chris Heroy, into a win at Michigan. Still, the three-race stretch has been a small upturn in a season of partially stunted growth.

RELATED: Rain gamble nearly pays off for Larson
 
The 22-year-old driver notched eight top-five finishes in his Sunoco Rookie of the Year campaign last year. This season, it took Larson until Race No. 13 to scratch that column. He also ranks just 18th in the points standings, in part because Larson missed the series’ race at Martinsville Speedway in March, sitting out as a precautionary measure after suffering a fainting spell during an autograph session on the eve of the event.

RELATED: Larson taken to hospital after fainting
 
Pressed for reasons for the slide, Larson couldn’t narrow down the cause to just one factor.
 
"It’s just a little bit of everything," Larson said. "A lot of it’s been my fault and some of it’s been bad luck and other things like that, so I don’t know. Maybe there is such a thing as a sophomore slump. I don’t know how that works, but it seems like it’s been happening this year a little bit. …
 
"It definitely can get you down every once in a while. You’ve just got to stay positive and look at the positive things of having that speed, just not finishing where you should. The race team’s been working really hard and our cars have been getting faster and faster each week."
 
For a driver who climbed the racing ladder on dirt tracks, Larson’s finding favor with road courses wouldn’t seem to be a logical association. But the Chip Ganassi Racing racer said his confidence has risen thanks to both the feel of the car sliding through the right and left turns, and his most recent results on the twisty layouts.
 
Larson prevailed in a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma last season, a prelude to his Sprint Cup debut at the 1.99-mile track, where he faded from the top 10 to a 28th-place finish after his car’s power steering failed just before the halfway point. Larson followed that effort with a fourth-place outing at Watkins Glen International, the Sprint Cup tour’s only other road course, in August. This February, he teamed with NASCAR teammate Jamie McMurray and Ganassi’s stable of IndyCar drivers to prevail in the Rolex 24, the crown jewel endurance race in IMSA’s TUDOR United SportsCar Championship at Daytona International Speedway.

RELATED: Larson, McMurray win Rolex 24 at Daytona
 
Transferring that budding portfolio into a road-course breakthrough Sunday would do wonders for team morale, helping lift up an already tight-knit group. Though the trip through this season’s lower points hasn’t been a pleasurable one, it hasn’t stopped the No. 42 crew from savoring the ride.
 
"It’s still fun for sure," Larson said. "We had a lot of exciting moments last year that probably made it even extra fun. We haven’t had many of those this year. I don’t know, I think once we start running better, we’ll all be having more fun as a team. I think we’ve been down a little bit, but we were all pumped up after Dover running third, and even at Michigan, making that big call and almost winning. We were all excited about that.
 
"When you have those moments, it makes racing extra fun, but we all wouldn’t be doing it if we weren’t having fun. We’re enjoying it for sure."

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Hendrick Motorsports driver is looking forward to being a father down the road

SONOMA, Calif. — The marriage will likely take place sometime next summer.

Kids? Somewhere down the road, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said Friday at Sonoma Raceway.

“Of course, you want to have children,” NASCAR’s most popular driver said. “I think the greatest accomplishment in life is to be able to raise a child. That’d be awesome. … I’ve felt that way for a long time; but it’s just a timing thing. Get married first and find that person that you want to spend your life with.”

Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, proposed to long-time girlfriend Amy Reimann a week ago while the couple was in Germany during a short break in the Sprint Cup Series season.

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“She definitely wants to have kids and I’ve always wanted to have kids. That’s definitely something we’ll be looking at,” he said.

The trip had been in the works for several years — Earnhardt was interested in his family’s lineage and information gleaned from the Internet was only so definitive.

“Even though it is Ancestry.com and they do a great job and have a great service, you still have to see this stuff with your own eyes to believe it,” he said. “Because we are talking about stuff that is 300 years old and there is a lot of hearsay that can get injected into something like that over that time.”

The wedding proposal was planned, if not rehearsed.

“It didn’t have to be perfect and maybe if it wasn’t perfect that was a good thing,” he said. “I didn’t want to set it up to where it was cheesy I just wanted it to be natural and impromptu.

“The town we were in was Illesheim (Germany) and my 10th and 9th grandfather lived there, went to church there and that church is the church that they went to. It’s over 1,000 years old apparently, a very old church. The town is very old. There were 300 people living in it 300 years ago and there are 300 people living in it today. Nothing has really changed.”

So standing inside the same church attended by his ancestors centuries ago, Earnhardt said he knew the moment had arrived.

“I’ve been planning on it for several months. I was hoping for years that Amy and I would get married and it just seemed like over this last year, it made more sense to me and that the timing was right. And I picked that particular spot just because I wanted her to feel special. …

“I think to do it at that particular time, at that moment while we were in that church, may make that moment more memorable for her. And I thought it was just a great place to do it. I thought about it. Every other spot that I could think of just didn’t measure up, you know? It just wasn’t good enough or special enough for her.”

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Daytona Rising project means off-track changes July 4 weekend

On-going construction at Daytona International Speedway for the track’s Daytona Rising project will mean a few off-track changes for NASCAR teams next weekend.

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Among the moves are the locations of the spotters stand and race control for the XFINITY Series and Sprint Cup Series events at the 2.5-mile track.

Frontstretch spotters will now be located in a dedicated seating area in section 458, the first section on the Turn 1 side of the new suite tower. Previously, spotters were located atop the Sprint Tower on the frontstretch.

Race control, the area from which NASCAR officials “call” the race, will now be located inside a temporary structure on the Turn 1 side of the track’s new stadium tower.

Daytona Rising, the $400 million project renovation project, officially broke ground in July of 2013 and is scheduled to be completed prior to the start of the 2016 season.

Part of the renovation required the removal of the Sprint Tower and the remaining original grandstand seats located on the frontstretch.

Construction in that area necessitated the need to re-locate race control and spotter areas for next week’s events.

The Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is scheduled for Sunday, July 5 (7:45 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR). The Subway Firecracker 250 XFINITY Series event is slated for Saturday, July 4 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).


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Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch round out top three in final session

RELATED: Practice 2 results

Kyle Busch topped the leaderboard at Sonoma Raceway for the Sprint Cup Series final practice session on Friday evening. The No. 18 Joe Gibsb Racing Toyota recorded a high speed of 96.175 mph around the road course.

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Last year’s Sonoma winner, Carl Edwards, took the second position in the final practice with a high speed of 96.030 mph on the road course. Edwards’ 2014 first-place finish at Sonoma earned him his first Sprint Cup Series road-victory of his career.

Kurt Busch rounded out the top three with a fastest speed of 95.992 mph. 

The winner of today’s first practice, Clint Bowyer took the fourth position (95.942 mph) while Pocono winner, Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top five with a 95.839 mph fastest lap around the California road course. 

The undisputed King of Sonoma, Jeff Gordon, finished the final practice session in the sixth spot (95.750 mph) as he gets ready for one last race here as a full time Sprint Cup Series driver. 

Some notable names outside the leaders were Dale Jr., who finished third last year, in the 21st position and AJ Allmendinger who took the 23rd spot in tonight’s race. Allmendinger is NASCAR’s second most succesful road course driver, falling only behind the No.24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

With 10 minutes left Michael Annett stalled on the track, bringing out the caution.

The Sprint Cup Series is back on track at 6:30 p.m. ET for the final practice of the day at Sonoma Raceway (FOX Sports 2).

Practice 1 recap

RELATED: Practice 1 results

Having shown speed early in practice, Clint Bowyer topped the leaderboard late in Friday’s opening Sprint Cup Series session at Sonoma Raceway. The 2012 winner at Sonoma, Bowyer recorded a high speed of 95.547 mph in his No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota.

AJ Allemendinger improved his position on the leaderboard in the final minutes as well, posting a high speed of 95.318 mph in his No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet. Allmendinger is the reigning winner at Watkins Glen, the other road course on the Sprint Cup circuit.

Richard Petty Racing’s Sam Hornish Jr. recorded the third-fastest speed (95.091 mph), while Danica Patrick‘s final run in her No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet awarded her the fourth spot on the charts (95.012 mph). Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates’ Jamie McMurray rounded out the top five, whirling around tight turns of the California road course at 95.012 mph.

After topping the charts, reigning Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick settled for eighth-fastest, maneuvering his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing machine around the road course at 94.713 mph.

Last year’s Sonoma winner Carl Edwards found momentum early in practice, propelling his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at 94.497 mph for the 10th-fastest speed.

Jeff Gordon, the all-time winner at Sonoma with five wins, posted the 15th-fastest time in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

With less than 30 minutes remaining in the opening practice, Germain Racing‘s Casey Mears stalled on track, bringing out the caution.

The twists and turns synonymous with road course racing briefly disrupted the runs of a few cars today, including Aric Almirola, Casey Mears and Alex Kennedy.

The Sprint Cup Series is back on track at 6:30 p.m. ET for the final practice of the day at Sonoma Raceway (FOX Sports 2).

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Navy Achievement Medal winner Jeff Kyle surprised at Texas Rangers game

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When tens of thousands of race fans visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for one of NASCAR’s biggest races of the summer, one name will stick out among the rest. Come Race Day, not only will fans recognize the name within the Crown Royal Presents the "Your Hero’s Name Here" 400 race title, but they will also understand the reason why Jeff Kyle is being honored as an American hero.

Today in his home state, during a special reveal event at the Texas Rangers game, Kyle was announced as the winner of Crown Royal Canadian Whisky’s annual "Your Hero’s Name Here" program, which awards naming rights to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to a deserving hero. As the program winner, Kyle’s name will be incorporated into the official race title, the Crown Royal Presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at the Brickyard.
 
Kyle, of Lorena, Texas, was deployed multiple times to Iraq and Africa while serving in the military for eight years. During his time with the 3rd Marine Division, Kyle received the Navy Achievement Medal for leading the first Marine detachment to transport a nuclear submarine through hostile waters.

After leaving the military, Sergeant Kyle has dedicated his life to helping his fellow servicemen and women through his tireless efforts to bring awareness to veterans’ needs. Kyle advocates for veterans across the nation and provides support through his involvement with a handful of organizations.

A board member of the Guardian For Heroes Foundation, Kyle oversees the stewardship of the charity which provides free, in-home fitness equipment, health club memberships, personal training, life coaching and support for the disabled. He also plays a large role with American Valor, the foundation which runs the memorial benefit to honor his brother, CPO and U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle. In addition, Kyle is one of the founders of Texas Elite Tactical Academy and trains individuals about firearms safety through his passion to educate those in a safe environment.

"Honestly, I don’t feel like I’m deserving of this recognition," said Kyle of being named the winner of the 2015 "Your Hero’s Name Here" program. "My true service to this country didn’t begin until I got out of the military and I’m proud to be in the position I am."

Thursday at Globe Life Park in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers, over 29,000 fans witnessed the announcement of Kyle as the 2015 "Your Hero’s Name Here" winner as the official race logo incorporating his name was unveiled during the pregame festivities. As Kyle made his way to the mound to throw the honorary first pitch, the logo was displayed across every screen within the stadium.

After the monumental moment, Kyle was greeted off the field by his closest family and friends who surprised him in celebration of the honor, alongside representatives from Crown Royal and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kyle’s wife and parents were in attendance, as well as Kyle’s personal hero and nominator for the program, 2014 "Your Hero’s Name Here" race namesake and Green Beret John Wayne Walding.

"Jeff has made his sacrifice time and time again, whether he’s serving his country overseas, locally or nationally," Walding said. "After everything he has done living his life for others, having something that is just for him will be really special."

This will mark the ninth time the Crown Royal brand has awarded NASCAR race naming rights to an adult fan. After receiving hundreds of entries during the nomination period, five heroes were chosen as finalists and adult fans had the opportunity to cast their votes for the person they felt was most deserving of the honor. In addition to Kyle, program finalists included: Benjamin Parker, retired Army Staff Sergeant from Cincinnati, Ohio; Hector Manley, community leader from Bonita Springs, Florida; Brendan Marrocco, retired Army Sergeant from Staten Island, New York; and Margy Bons, founder of the Military Assistance Mission from Phoenix, Arizona.

"Jeff Kyle’s dedication to helping veterans in Texas and across the country is a testament to his selfless nature," said Matt Pechman, Brand Director for Crown Royal Canadian Whisky. "The race on July 26 will mark a special event for Kyle as he’ll experience his first NASCAR race in an incredibly unique way – as the namesake!"

As the "Your Hero’s Name Here" winner, Kyle will receive the ultimate VIP race weekend, including garage tours and pace car rides before delivering the trophy bearing his name to the race winner in Victory Lane.

While raising a glass to the heroes in your life, Crown Royal reminds consumers to please drink responsibly.

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‘The Intimidator’ holds off friend, rival Mark Martin at Sonoma in 1995

It was at Sonoma Raceway where NASCAR Hall of Famer and legend of the sport Dale Earnhardt earned his first and only road course win. "The Intimidator" started the 1995 Save Mart Supermarkets 300 fourth in the field and only saw the lead on two laps — but they were the only laps that mattered to Earnhardt. 

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It was in Turn 6 that "The Intimidator" got around the inside of close friend and rival Mark Martin to snag the lead from the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing driver who had led 66 laps of the 74 lap-race. 

RELATED: Dale Jr. takes on The Autobahn

In Earnhardt’s 27-year-long Sprint Cup Series career, his 1995 Sonoma win stands as his one and only road course win. The No. 3 driver’s victory at the California track put Earnhardt in the lead of the championship standings, which gave him popularity at Sonoma. 

Earnhardt’s son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. still seeks a road course win. In 15 starts at Sonoma, Junior’s best finish came last season when he finished third, just behind winner Carl Edwards and Jeff Gordon in second. 

RELATED: Ives: ‘Drink the wine in Victory Lane’ at Sonoma

Recap Earnhardt’s 1995 Sonoma win and celebration below. 

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Refresher as Sprint Cup’s first road course of 2015 approaches

This Sunday Sprint Cup Series drivers head to Sonoma Raceway for The Toyota-Save Mart 350, the first of two road-course events on the 2015 schedule. 

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NASCAR has had many changes in terms of qualifying rules over the past year, but group qualifying remains in effect this week at Sonoma, a 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course.

Qualifying will consist of two elimination rounds to determine the starting lineup. The first round will last 25 minutes with all cars then the 12 fastest cars will advance to the final round.

RELATED: New qualifying rules

The final round will last for 10 minutes in which drivers will start based off of their time from the first round.  The fastest single lap will determine P1 through P12 in descending order for Sunday’s race. The fastest driver wins the coveted pole position.

Last year marked many firsts at Sonoma. Jamie McMurray completed the qualifying round with the fastest qualifying lap in Sonoma history, coming in at 96.350 mph. Carl Edwards won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series road-course victory and Dale Jr. finished third, his best finish at the raceway.

RELATED: NASCAR tweaks qualiyfing process

This year, too, will make history, as it will be the last time that Jeff Gordon races as a full-time Sprint Cup Series driver at Sonoma. Gordon is the most successful driver at the racetrack with five wins, five pole positions, 14 top-five finishes and 457 laps led.

This Sunday’s Toyota-Save Mart 350 (110 laps, 218.9 miles) starts at 3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.