France: 'Aggressive to disassociate NASCAR from an offensive and divisive symbol'

Posted on June 27, 2015 by

NASCAR Chairman & CEO issues statement on Confederate Flag

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 27, 2015) – "NASCAR will maintain its long-standing policy preventing the use of the Confederate Flag in any official position at our events. In all areas that NASCAR controls on a given race weekend, the flag has no presence.

"We have been clear in support of this position throughout our industry and to those across the country who have called for the eradication of the Confederate Flag. We will be as aggressive as possible to disassociate NASCAR events from an offensive and divisive symbol. We are working with the industry right now to achieve that goal."

Posted on June 27, 2015 by

Kurt Busch, Kenseth, Larson, Gordon round out top five on starting grid

SONOMA, Calif. — In Saturday’s time trials at Sonoma Raceway, AJ Allmendinger took his first small step toward the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

But the giant leap toward that goal will have to wait until Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at the 1.99-mile track (3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, PRN, SiriusXM), where Allmendinger will try to win his second straight road course race in NASCAR’s top series and stake his claim to a position in the Chase.

One of the pre-race favorites — if not THE pre-race favorite — Allmendinger toured the track in 1 minute, 14.385 seconds (96.310 mph), .166 seconds faster than Kurt Busch (96.095 mph), whose money lap was aborted when his brother, Kyle Busch, spun in Turn 10 to bring out a red flag with 7:03 left in the final 10-minute session.

Matt Kenseth (96.001 mph) qualified third, followed by Kyle Larson (95.932 mph), who set a track record at 96.568 mph in the first round of knockout qualifying, a 25-minute session that narrowed the field from 44 drivers to the fastest 12.

Larson’s run eclipsed the mark of 96.350 mph established by Jamie McMurray last year, but, like Kurt Busch, Larson saw his first run in the final round interrupted by the caution.

Jeff Gordon (95.905 mph) will start fifth in his final race at Sonoma as a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver.

"It’s a solid start, but the prize is tomorrow," said Allmendinger, who earned the third Coors Light Pole Award of his career and his first on a road course. The pole was Allmendinger’s first since he started from the top spot in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford at Kansas in April 2012.

"We knew that, if we go do our job, and if I do my job tomorrow, and we have solid pit stops, and we just take care of business, at the end we should give ourselves a chance," Allmendinger added. "And that’s all we can ask for."

Kurt Busch thought his interrupted lap in the final round would have been a pole winner, but he was happy to be starting up front, albeit from the second spot.

"It’s a nice package that (crew chief) Tony Gibson gave me, and all the guys back at the shop," Busch said. "Thanks to them for building this special car for a road course race. There was a little apprehension coming in, because we didn’t have testing sessions or any kind of shakedown sessions.

"And so, to be outside pole with the Haas Automation Chevy, that’s awesome. That’s what we wanted. And now we’ve got all kinds of strategy plays to figure out to get into race mode. So, we did our job. We’re on the front row."

Reigning series champion Kevin Harvick was fast in Friday’s practice, but he turned in a lackluster qualifying performance.

"What section (of the course) didn’t I screw-up?" Harvick, who will start 17th, asked rhetorically. "This has just been something I’ve never been very good at, as far as the qualifying thing here at Sonoma. Our Budweiser/Outback/Folds of Honor Chevy is handling good and doing all the good things that you want it to … I was just too easy in (Turns) 2, 3, and 4 and okay down the hill and then got up the race track both laps in (Turn) 11.

"So that cost us three or four tenths both times. We have a good car. I’ve got some cars to pass. We passed a lot of cars last year, but I’m just not very good at the qualifying thing here, for whatever reason."

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FS1)

RELATED: Full starting lineup

AJ Allmendinger scored his third career Coors Light Qualifying Pole Award and his first at Sonoma Raceway, which gave him the first selection for a pit stall assignment in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, PRN, SiriusXM).

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Allmendinger chose the last pit stall, which is closest to Turn 1, which interesting enough was the same stall he had last year when he started the race second.

Kurt Busch (starting second) just the pit stall alongside the start/finish line. It is also a pit stall that has an opening in front of it (making it easy for Busch to pull off pit road.

Clint Bowyer (starting sixth) also has an opening in front of him on pit road.

Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick (starting 17th) chose the first pit stall on pit road.

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Zack Albert

California native eyes first win at 1.99-mile track

SONOMA, Calif. — AJ Allmendinger‘s extensive road-racing background and aggressive driving style make him one of the favorites Sunday on the twisty turns of Sonoma Raceway.

The spoils of winning here aren’t limited to the checkered flag, the Victory Lane glass of wine and post-race burnouts. For drivers such as Allmendinger who have yet to scratch the win column this year, a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoff berth is among the rewards. But even with the more favorable odds, the JTG Daugherty Racing driver isn’t obsessing about the first of two road courses on the series schedule.

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"At the end of the day, I know what the prize is," said Allmendinger, in his second full season driving the No. 47 Chevrolet. "I know if you win, you make the Chase; and that’s so important. But I try not to focus on putting the pressure on that this race is do or die, or Watkins Glen is do or die; and if we don’t, it doesn’t happen. We’ve just got to get better every weekend. I know that’s kind of cliché, but right now that’s really our goal. If we go out here and have a great run and build some momentum, that’s all we can do.

"Like I said, for me, I just try to drive my butt off. And if it’s good enough, it’s good enough. If it’s not, it’s not."

Allmendinger will have the added advantage of starting first in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (3 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, PRN, SiriusXM) after securing his third career Coors Light Pole Award in Saturday’s qualifying. The 33-year-old driver landed his first victory and first Chase berth last August at Watkins Glen International by outdueling road racing ace Marcos Ambrose in a frantic finish. But despite his road racing portfolio, Allmendinger has had few bright spots over his career on Sonoma’s more technical 1.99-mile layout, where he’s yet to post a top-five finish in six tries.

While Allmendinger’s driving technique arguably more suited to Watkins Glen’s faster circuit, his peers still keep him in high regard for Sunday’s main event.

"AJ is extremely aggressive. Nobody drives in the corners deeper than AJ does," said Jeff Gordon, NASCAR’s all-time road course king with nine wins, five at Sonoma. "I think that at Watkins Glen that way of attacking the race track is very beneficial and definitely puts good lap times together and is tough to beat. Here I think there is a fine line and balance between that. I think AJ has the skills to be the fastest and the best here this weekend, certainly in qualifying. Then it’s going to come down to executing that in the race. I would say he is the guy to beat."

While Allmendinger’s skills match up well with the two road courses on the schedule, his focus remains finding improvement for the remaining 34 events. He began his season with two top-10 finishes in the first three races, lifting him to as high as fifth in the Sprint Cup standings. But Allmendinger hasn’t claimed a top-10 since, enduring three DNFs — including a crash at Bristol that ruined a possible top-10 — and dropping to 22nd in driver points.

"And from there, I wouldn’t say panic set in, but we started trying different things," Allmendinger said. "OK, where have we lost it? In a way, maybe we hadn’t lost it. We just had bad results. And then we kind of got off track and we came full circle. So, in the end, we know where we have to improve. We have the steps in place and the ideas in place, but it’s not an overnight process, either. So, I think that’s just the biggest thing is that it’s not that we show up at say, Kentucky, really because that’s the next oval track, 1.5-mile typical race, and we’ll have better cars once we get there, but it’s a process.

"So, we have improved a lot, but the way this sport is, everybody else has as well. So, we’ve got to kind of keep stepping up our game. But in the end, what makes a race team is not all the positives. It’s the negatives and how you deal with them. And I think over the last couple of weeks that, to me, is what’s the most positive."

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Nascar

Pocono will host launch, officials say platform will evolve over season

SONOMA, Calif. – The new Fanatics at-track merchandise experience scheduled for launch late next month at Pocono Raceway will give race fans an idea of what’s in store for future NASCAR events.

But officials stressed that the platform will continue to evolve as the season progresses.

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"The real goal for us is to learn everything we can offer the best experience we can for the last portion of the ’15 season but make ’16 the real launching pad for what this model will look like when we go to Daytona in February," Ross Tannenbaum, president of Fanatics Authentics, said Saturday at Sonoma Raceway.

Driver-specific merchandise haulers, long a staple at NASCAR events, won’t be phased out entirely, Tannenbaum said, but their use will be based on at-track need and operated as part of the Fanatics effort.

"We know there are people that are going to miss the haulers; we know there are people that are unhappy the haulers are leaving," he said.

"But when it comes to buying product, we are going to make it easier to buy, with a better selection, with an easier checkout, have a more controlled environment, which should make everybody happy at the end of the day."

The "Trackside Superstore" will initially consist of four main structures encompassing approximately 60,000 square feet and featuring $2.5 million in inventory. Individual driver shops, or bays, measure 525 square feet and can be adjusted if necessary.

Additional bays can be used for driver autograph sessions, sponsor promotions or as a site for live broadcasts.

"When we started looking at this we looked at different sized layouts, maybe a small, a medium, a large and decide which one would go to each track," Tannenbaum said. "The challenge was how do you … deliver the same experience. As we went around to the different tracks and started to learn more, we started to realize the better solution was to build one tent setup that’s set up like your superstore but have the flexibility to add multiple additional locations at a track that does more revenue or is bigger.

"At Pocono (for example) you’re going to see more than just this tent because Pocono is a big layout. We’re actually going to bring some haulers … and put on the backstretch. We’ll put some haulers underneath the grandstands. … As we go around to the different venues, we’ll look and understand what the needs are to handle all of the traffic, and not just stick with just one tent. …

"When you go to a race like Richmond which is really all controlled, everybody kind of comes in the front and it’s easier to shop, this may be all you see at Richmond. But at different tracks, you’ll see additional spots and layouts."

Steve Phelps, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, called the changes being provided by Fanatics "just a much stronger overall experience for the fan base.

"Not just from a retail standpoint," he said, "but the whole atmosphere around how the product is going to be merchandised."

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Nascar

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

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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

Posted on June 27, 2015 by

Get last minute fantasy tips ahead of Sunday’s race (3 p.m. ET, FS1)

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moves to Sonoma Raceway’s 1.99 mile road course for the 16th race of the season, the Toyota/SaveMart 350. Fantasy Cheat Sheet took a look at past performances, season trends, and spoke to NASCAR contacts to provide you with the most accurate fantasy preview of Sunday’s race.

When: Sunday, June 28; 3:19 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, PRN, SiriusXM)

Weather: Partly cloudy with a high around 82; wind out of the WSW at 10 mph. There is a zero percent chance of precipitation.

The Track: Sonoma Raceway | Learn more about the track

Sonoma is a 1.99 mile road course. It has 10 turns including some of the only right-hand turns NASCAR drivers will make all season.

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Key to Race: GORDON, BORIS, AND THE BOYS

Jeff Gordon has been the King of Road Courses. He has the most road course wins in NASCAR history with nine and the most wins at Sonoma with five. Martin Truex Jr. Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, and Kurt Busch all have been successful at Sonoma lately. Then there is the road track specialist Boris Said who is always a threat to steal a win on road courses.

Fantasy Cheat Sheet: Top 5

No. 24 Jeff Gordon: Gordon has been awesome at Sonoma. He has finished second in three of the last four races at the track and will be looking to notch his first win of the 2015 campaign.

No. 78 Martin Truex Jr.: Truex Jr. was awesome on both road course races in 2013. He has made himself into an option every weekend.

No. 15 Clint Bowyer: Bowyer has finished inside the top eight in six of the past eight races (including a 2012 win) at Sonoma. He will be fast once again.

No. 41 Kurt Busch: Busch has a win and six top-five finishes in 14 career Sonoma starts. He finished third at The Glen last year and we like his chances on Sunday.

No. 19 Carl Edwards: Edwards won last year at Sonoma and he has three top-five finishes in the last five races at the track. He is a great option.

RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live

6 to 10

No. 48 Jimmie Johnson: Johnson won the 2010 edition of this race, but has been inconsistent at the track. We like him to finish just outside the top five.

No. 5 Kasey Kahne: Kahne has been awesome in four of the past six trips to Sonoma. We like his chances for another top 10 finish this weekend.

No. 22 Joey Logano: Logano was terrific in four of the last six road course races. We recommend using him in nearly all leagues.

No. 16 Greg Biffle: Biffle has finished in the top 15 in nine of his 12 career Sonoma starts. He is a solid option on Sunday.

No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior has appeared to have solved the mystery of driving road courses. He cracked the top 11 in both races last year and is someone to keep an eye on this weekend.

11 to 20

No. 4 Kevin Harvick: Harvick has been hit-or-miss at Sonoma during his career. He won’t match his second-place finish of 2007 or third-place finish of 2010, but he should crack the top 15.

No. 18 Kyle Busch: Rowdy took the checkers at Watkins Glen in 2013. He will be one of the cars to beat this weekend.

No. 47 AJ Allmendinger: Allmendinger won at The Glen last year and has driven well at Sonoma. He isn’t a bad fifth driver.

No. 14 Tony Stewart: Stewart has been excellent at Sonoma. In 16 career starts he has two wins and nine top 10 finishes. Smoke could finally make some noise this weekend.

No. 31 Ryan Newman: Newman is a good option on Sunday. In 13 career starts at Sonoma he has five top-10 finishes.

No. 1 Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished in the top 15 at both road course races last year. He could make some noise on Sunday.

No. 2 Brad Keselowski: Keselowski was terrible at both road courses last year. There are better weekends to use him.

No. 27 Paul Menard: Menard cracked the top 10 at Sonoma last year. He is a nice third or fourth driver this weekend.

No. 10 Danica Patrick: Patrick cracked the top 21 in both road course races last season. She is a decent sleeper pick this weekend.

No. 11 Denny Hamlin: Hamlin has cracked the top 15 in just three of his nine career starts at Sonoma. The talented driver has showed he can drive on any surface and any track configuration, but this is a weekend to stay away from him.

RELATED: Play NASCAR Fantasy Live

21 to 30

No. 32 Boris Said: Said has five top-10 finishes in 15 career starts at Sonoma. The road course master is an excellent pick this weekend to round-out your roster.

No. 42 Kyle Larson: Larson was awesome at The Glen last year. We will see if he can build on that momentum this weekend.

No. 20 Matt Kenseth: We recommend steering clear of the talented Kenseth this weekend. In 15 career starts at Sonoma he has just one top 10 finish.

No. 3 Austin Dillon: Dillon cracked the top 20 in both road course starts last year. He is just a weak option in most leagues.

No. 13 Casey Mears: Mears has averaged just above a 20th place finish at Sonoma during his career. We like a road course warrior like Boris Said much better than Mears this weekend.

No. 9 Sam Hornish Jr.: You wouldn’t know that Hornish came from open-wheel racing based on his previous runs at Sonoma. In three career starts he has averaged just a 35th place finish. There is certainly room for improvement from him.

No. 43 Aric Almirola: Almirola has been pretty bad at Sonoma in his previous starts. This isn’t a great weekend to use him.

No. 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Stenhouse has showed mostly poor efforts on road courses so far in his career. He isn’t worth taking a chance on.

No. 38 David Gilliland: Gilliland finished second in the 2008 edition of this race. He won’t be that fast this time around, but he might be worth using in very deep leagues.

No. 55 David Ragan: Ragan has averaged a 27th place finish on road courses during his career. There are much better options this weekend.

Field Fillers:

No. 6 Trevor Bayne
No. 95 Michael McDowell
No. 33 Alex Kennedy
No. 34 Justin Marks
No. 35 Cole Whitt
No. 23 JJ Yeley
No. 7 Alex Bowman
No. 46 Michael Annett
No. 98 Josh Wise
No. 40 Landon Cassill
No. 51 Justin Allgaier
No. 26 Jeb Burton
No. 83 Matt DiBenedetto

Posted on June 26, 2015 by

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.

BIG NEWS: We’ve been voted THE Best @NASCAR Track by @USATODAY‘s @10Best Readers’ Choice! Thank you for the support! pic.twitter.com/rveysC9HBs

— Watkins Glen Int’l (@WGI) June 26, 2015

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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.

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).

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Staff Report

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

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.’ "

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 June 26, 2015 by Zack Albert

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

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."