Posted on by Staff Report

Less than a week removed from his last-lap crash at World Wide Technology Raceway, Carson Hocevar appeared on Friday at Sonoma Raceway ready to race.

“I broke my tibia for sure,” Hocevar told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “(In surgery) they had to do a screw to basically hold it in on my right ankle.”

That was on Monday. Five days later, he was already behind the wheel and cranking out left- and right-hand turns on the 1.99-mile California circuit.

Hocevar and Daniel Suárez combined to finish seventh in the session, splitting seat time just in case complications arose throughout the weekend.

RELATED: Sonoma weekend schedule | Friday’s practice results | Niece lines up Suárez as reserve

“I’m moreso glad that I could get to here today,” Hocevar said. “They (NASCAR Officials) made me put on my suit, helmet, shoes, everything and get in and out a few times. Going through the approval process and luckily I’d done good enough that they approved me for practice for sure.”

However, there is a difference between competing part-time in a 50-minute practice session and handling the full task of a multi-hour race — a race for which Hocevar was indeed cleared for following practice.

Outside of the truck, he labored through the garage on crutches with his foot in a splint.

When asked how he is handling all of the pain and emotion this weekend, Hocevar said, “Adrenaline and everything is the easiest cure for any sort of pain.”

But he also knows there may be repercussions for perseverance in his push for playoff eligibility.

“My only goal is to go as fast as possible,” Hocevar said. “But at the same time, that’s not what the rest of the team or sponsors, everybody wants me to take it easy, and the racer in me just wants to get out there and try to put the biggest lap I can. Our goal is to be at Phoenix (Raceway), and it would be very selfish of me to try to push too hard for one race.”

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to California’s scenic wine country for its annual stop at Sonoma Raceway.

The surroundings feature plenty of winding roads through the hilly and twisting road course north of San Francisco.

Everything you need to know for the second road course on this year’s Cup schedule is right here:

GETTING FAMILIAR

A staple on the Cup schedule since 1989, Sonoma is no new territory for the Cup Series field.

However, some of today’s drivers have yet to compete on this weekend’s track configuration. Competitors will race using the Chute between Turns 4A and 7A on the 10-turn layout, eliminating the carousel course that had been featured in both 2019 and 2021 (NASCAR did not compete at Sonoma in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic).

2022june8 Sonoma Map

Longtime fans will remember the Chute layout as the Sonoma norm from 1998-2018. Teams will be separated into Groups A and B and allowed 20 minutes of practice per group on Saturday (4:35 p.m. ET, FS1) ahead of group qualifying to reacquaint themselves with the Chute as the Next Gen car debuts on the 1.99-mile course.

Qualifying will feature one 15-minute timed session per group. The five fastest in each group will then advance to the final round of qualifying, where those 10 drivers will fight for the pole in a 10-minute timed session. The driver who posts the fastest lap in that session will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday (4 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: See this week’s groups here | Weekend schedule | Cup Series standings 

HISTORY IN WINE COUNTRY

– Sonoma Raceway was built on 800 acres in 1968 by an attorney from Point Reyes and a land developer from Kentfield. They got the idea of a race track while on a hunting trip. The property was a working farm called Sears Point Farm in the early 1900s.

– In 1969, the track was bought by Filmways Corp. of Los Angeles. The track had many different owners and operators over the next several years.

– In 1986, Harvey “Skip” Berg, owner of a real estate acquisition and development company, took control of the track and brought in professional management. Bruton Smith and Speedway Motorsports bought the track in 1996.

– Sonoma Raceway joined the Cup schedule in 1989, a race won by Ricky Rudd, who led 61 of the 74 laps on the “full” 2.52-mile, 12-turn course.

– The Chute was introduced in 1998, shortening the track to 10 turns at 1.99 miles.

– Winners of most major events at Sonoma celebrate with a sip from the Champion’s Goblet in the Wine Country Winner’s Circle. The goblet was introduced in 2006 incorporating the raceway’s rich wine country heritage and allowing the winner to toast the fans. The goblets are created by a local glass blower from Sonoma.

Source: Racing Insights

RELATED: See every driver who’s won at Sonoma

GOODYEAR TIRES

With sharp turns and heavy braking to come this weekend, the challenge is placed on Goodyear to provide a tire to handle those unique asks with the Next Gen car.

Heavy braking stresses the front tires while the rear tires are taxed with harsh acceleration on corner exit. An area of focus for Goodyear this weekend is the tire’s tread splice, which as the company notes is particularly stressed. The tread splice is the area of the tread that is joined together in the manufacturing process.

Because of that, Goodyear will run one tire for the NASCAR Cup cars at Sonoma with two different tire codes — one code for the left front and right rear, and another for the right front and left rear.

“We have a unique way of building and mounting tires for this week’s Cup race at Sonoma, with the ‘normal’ left-right tire codes making way to help get tires on the correct corner of the car,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “This directional mounting helps to protect the beveled splice of the tread component, insuring the splice is closed under the force of braking on both front tires, and closed under the force of acceleration on both rears.”

SONOMA STORY LINES 

– Kyle Larson started first for the last four races at Sonoma, winning the pole three times and earning the pole via metrics in 2021.

– Kyle Larson won three road course races in 2021, the most all-time in a single season.

– Sonoma is the second of five road course races in 2022; four of the next 10 Cup races are on road courses.

– Hendrick Motorsports has won 10 of the last 15 road course events and hasn’t gone more than one road course race without a win since 2019. Trackhouse Racing (Ross Chastain) won at Circuit of The Americas in March, the only Cup race on a road course completed this year.

– Christopher Bell has finished inside the top 10 in the last five races, his career longest streak.

– Kevin Harvick (2017) and Martin Truex Jr. (2018, ’19) have combined to win three of the last four Sonoma races. Both are winless in 2022, with Harvick on a 58-race winless streak.

– The pass for the win came in the final 10 laps in 12 of the 15 races in 2022.

– Kyle Busch was passed for the win in the final two laps in each of the last two races

Source: Racing Insights

RELATED: Why officials are monitoring Chastain, rivals

BACK TO THE FAVORITES

Whenever NASCAR heads to a road course, Chase Elliott’s name is the first that comes to mind.

He should be. Four of Elliott’s last seven wins have come on a road course, dating back to his 2020 victory on the Daytona International Speedway road course. The 2020 Cup champion enters as this week’s favorite at 9-2 odds, according to BetMGM.

But there is cause for pause with an Elliott pick: For all his road course success, Elliott has yet to win at Sonoma, posting a best finish of second last year to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson. Larson, always an excellent qualifier at Sonoma, is BetMGM’s next-best bet at 7-1 for Sunday’s race.

It’s also difficult to overlook AJ Allmendinger, who will pilot the No. 16 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing this weekend. BetMGM lists Allmendinger at 12-1 odds, which might be a fantastic bet come Sunday. Allmendinger won last week’s Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway and was battling Ross Chastain for the win at COTA in March before Chastain sent Allmendinger spinning. Allmendinger drove Kaulig to Victory Lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course last summer and is likely to be a sure factor this weekend.

RELATED: Betting odds for Sonoma

FANTASY LIVE

Want to manage a team and race your way to the top of the leaderboards? Check out NASCAR Fantasy Live, which is open now. The free-to-play game lets you choose your drivers each week and show off your crew-chief instincts by garaging a driver by the end of Stage 3, and there is a $25,000 prize for the winner.

The 2022 Fantasy Live points leaders are Chase Elliott (501), Kyle Busch (491) and Ross Chastain (479).

How to play: Fantasy Live | Set up a team today!

ALSO ON NASCAR.COM

Get additional camera views by logging on to NASCAR Drive, where each week a select number of in-car cameras will be available — as well as a battle cam and an overhead look.

NASCAR has partnered with LiveLike to add fan engagement in the NASCAR Mobile App. Log in to the mobile app during the race for polls, quizzes, the cheer meter and more — and see instant results from NASCAR fans like you.

Posted on by Adam Fenwick

Jack Ingram is one of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ greatest stars.

From the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series season in 1982 to his final season in 1991, Ingram accomplished more than any other driver in the series at the time.

That doesn’t even include Ingram’s success at the local racing level. He local racing résumé includes two track championships at Hickory Motor Speedway, the location of Saturday’s inaugural Jack Ingram Memorial event.

Here’s a look at some of the incredible statistics Ingram put together during his tenure in NASCAR and at Hickory Motor Speedway.

Unknown – Because records from Jack Ingram’s heyday are incomplete, its unknown exactly how many races he won during his lengthy career.

2nd – Jack Ingram competed in 19 NASCAR Cup Series races from 1965 to 1981, earning a best finish of second at Hickory Motor Speedway in 1967. He finished one lap behind race winner Richard Petty.

8 – Of Jack Ingram’s 31 NASCAR Xfinity Series victories, eight of them came at Hickory Motor Speedway. His first came in 1982 and his last came in 1987. He is tied with Tommy Houston for the most Xfinity Series wins at Hickory.

50 – Jack Ingram was 50 years old when he captured his final NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Hickory Motor Speedway in 1987.

1,256 – Jack Ingram led 1,256 laps in NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Hickory Motor Speedway, more than any other driver.

2 – Jack Ingram won two Hickory Motor Speedway track championships. His first came in 1968, with the second coming in 1971.

12 – Counting his two track titles at Hickory Motor Speedway, Jack Ingram won a total of 12 track championships at a variety of race tracks during his career.

2014 – Jack Ingram was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014.

26 – In his 31 NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Hickory Motor Speedway, he finished inside the top-10 26 times. The only driver with more top-10 finishes in Xfinity Series competition is Tommy Houston with 28.

3 – Before the NASCAR Xfinity Series was created, Jack Ingram won three-straight NASCAR Late Model Sportsman championships from 1972-74.

11 – Jack Ingram could usually be found driving his familiar No. 11 throughout the Southeast during his many years racing at local tracks and with the NASCAR Xfinity Series. All but one of his NASCAR Xfinity Series victories came in the No. 11.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

It’s a relief Tyler Reddick will have multiple opportunities to analyze Sonoma Raceway’s road course this weekend from the seat of his No. 8 Chevrolet. Last year, the first time he experienced the wine country’s asphalt was when he sped past the waving green flag. 

The 2021 race marked Reddick’s debut at Sonoma, not just at NASCAR’s top level but across all three series. Due to COVID-19 concerns, there was no practice or qualifying. He finished 19th, completing the full 92-lap distance without any prior track work. Thankfully for Reddick, he’ll have both pre-race opportunities Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, FS1) to feel better prepared for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (4 p.m. ET, FS1).

TALLADEGA, ALABAMA - APRIL 23: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #8 BetMGM Chevrolet, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 23, 2022 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) | Getty Images
James Gilbert | Getty Images

“That was pretty crazy,” Reddick told NASCAR.com. “I’m racing in a field of drivers that have ran that track – at least a majority of them – at least 10 times, a lot of laps there. So, I’m playing catch-up. I’m having to try and learn a new configuration again, a lot of the same corners but the priorities of what corners you want to be good in are going to be different, so I’m just trying to manage that as best I can.”

SONOMA: Weekend schedule | Betting odds | Paint schemes

Also unlike last year, Sunday’s feature will be run on the 1.99-mile layout rather than the 2.52-miler used for the last two races in 2019 and 2021 (COVID-19 canceled 2020) – aka ever since Reddick joined the premier series full-time. The shorter course was the go-to option from 1998-2018. And now it’s back.

In his third full-time season, Reddick holds four top fives, six top 10s and a total of 249 laps led, which is good for sixth most in the garage. Just last week, he came in 16th at World Wide Technology Raceway, and he was sixth two weeks ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Before that, he was 30th at Kansas Speedway and second at Darlington Raceway, building on a rather up-and-down trend through 15 races.

BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - APRIL 17: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Mars Crunchy Cookie Toyota, takes the checkered flag ahead of Tyler Reddick, driver of the #8 3CHI Chevrolet, to win the NASCAR Cup Series Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 17, 2022 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Logan Riely | Getty Images

Reddick has two runner-up finishes this year (Darlington-1, Bristol Dirt Race). In his career, he has five — and only one driver all-time has ever had more without a win (G.C. Spencer with seven).

“We have lots of speed pretty much every single weekend. There’s only been maybe two or three where we’ve not had it,” Reddick said. “I mean, we’re up there racing against guys that go to Victory Lane, some of them we’ve been better than all day to get the job done. It’s frustrating to see it happen, but the last thing any of us want to do when we see that is to get mad, give up, quit or quit putting in the effort that we have been all year. It’s just motivating us even further.”

With 11 races left in the regular season, Reddick sits 16th on the playoff bubble with a two-point cushion above the cutline. Currently, he claims the final transfer spot and one of the five currently available to drivers based on points. The 11 different winners this season have earned provisional postseason berths.

Although the Richard Childress Racing team is conscious of its playoff placement, members haven’t given it any thought – “zero,” Reddick said. If anything, they’re circling repeat tracks and keeping detailed notes. Reddick notes there is a lot of racing still left. The belief is if he and his crew keep doing business as usual, a checkered flag will be captured and a playoff ticket will be punched. 

“I’d like it to be like dominos,” Reddick said. “That’d be great.”

Posted on by Brandon White

A near-perfect season for NASCAR Cup Series competitor William Byron in Super Late Model competition continued at Berlin Raceway on Thursday evening in the Money in the Bank 150.

Nobody could match the efficiency Byron displayed at the front of the stacked 30-car field, as he held off Bubba Pollard following the final competition caution to tally his fifth victory behind the wheel of a Super Late Model in 2022.

FLORACING: Watch all the on-track action at Berlin Raceway

With his win, Byron joins a small but elite group of drivers that have won the Money in the Bank 150 during its brief existence. That list includes Pollard, local regular Brian Campbell and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Carson Hocevar, who won the last two runnings of the race.

Below are the key takeaways from Byron’s dominant run in Thursday’s Money in the Bank 150 at Berlin Raceway.

William Byron the class of the field

William Byron had never seen Berlin Raceway prior to arriving at the track earlier in the week.

Once he strapped into his No. 24 Axalta Coating Systems Toyota prepared by short track veteran Donnie Wilson, any uneasiness evaporated for Byron as he took control of the Money in the Bank 150 after passing Bubba Pollard early on.

Byron expected Pollard to challenge him as the laps clicked off but said that keeping his composure and taking care of his equipment were crucial towards holding on for the win.

“It came down to good tire management,” Byron said. “Branden [Lines] was coaching me through it the whole time and I was trying to run a good pace with Bubba [Pollard]. At times, I thought he was better than me, but it worked out to where I could get my tires cooled back off and once we got some longer runs, the car came back to me.”

For Byron, winning the Money in the Bank 150 carried some extra significance knowing that he ended up beating Pollard and Camping World Truck Series driver Ty Majeski.

The Super Late Model resumes for both Pollard and Majeski include victories in prestigious events like the Snowball Derby, All American 400 and the Oxford 250, so Byron knew that a victory on Thursday would involve defeating two of the best in the discipline.

Byron was thrilled to get the best of both Pollard and Majeski. He is confident that the win in the Money in the Bank 150 will give him some much-needed momentum in both Super Late Models and the rest of the Cup Series season.

“I’ve never had to beat Bubba and Ty,” Byron said. “I’ve raced against them a lot and they’ve beat me a lot, so it was nice to get one up on them and hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.

Bubba Pollard comes up short of second Money in the Bank 150 win

Bubba Pollard was the only driver who came close to challenging William Byron for the win in the Money in the Bank 150.

At the start of the race, Pollard quickly took the lead away from Byron before electing to save his car behind him for most of the 150-lap feature. Pollard’s efforts proved to be in vain, as he ultimately settled for a second-place finish.

Pollard believed his car was strong enough to pass Byron for the win but said that slower traffic prevented him from getting the run he needed.

“The lapped cars at least cost us the chance to race and make it a show for the fans,” Pollard said. “It is what it is, so now we have to come back and try it again. We were still saving with around 25 to go and I would have liked to see what we had at the end.”

A victory for Pollard on Thursday evening would have seen him join Brian Campbell and Carson Hocevar as two-time winners of the Money in the Bank 150.

Instead, Pollard was left to reflect on what could have been as he battled a slick track through all 150 laps that he admitted placed heavy emphasis on track position.

Despite being frustrated with how circumstances unfolded for him, Pollard departed Berlin optimistic about his chances to win the Battle at Berlin in August, which he hopes will involve more on-track passing in different track conditions.

“[The track] did not really race that great,” Pollard said. “It was slick, hot and you couldn’t move around. That’s part of it, but this place tends to race really good, so hopefully we can run better here in August.”

Brian Campbell endures roller coaster evening

Brian Campbell was not happy when the checkered flag flew on Thursday’s Money in the Bank 150.

After overcoming an accident on Lap 2 with Evan Shotko, Campbell patiently bided his time inside the Top 5 while his competitors used up their tires, only for his chances of a victory to abruptly end during the second competition caution, in which race control deemed he spent too much time working on his car in the pits.

Although Campbell rebounded from the penalty to finish fourth, he expressed his frustration towards race control for the penalty that sent him to the rear of the field with over 60 laps to go.

“I think the tower stole the race from us,” Campbell said. “We had the fastest car and were pacing ourselves during the first part of the race. That call took this race from us, and I’m pretty pissed about it. We had the car to win.”

Having won the Money in the Bank 150 back in 2018 and 2019, Campbell had every reason to believe he could add another victory in the event despite facing a talented field that included William Byron, Bubba Pollard and Ty Majeski.

Being able to quickly climb back through the field in a short amount of time showcased the speed of the cars prepared by Johnny VanDoorn in Campbell’s eyes, which is why he agitated over being unable to mount a proper challenge for the win.

Campbell does not plan to linger on Thursday’s outcome for long, as he is more focused on working with VanDoorn to iron out all the minor issues and start winning races at Berlin on a more regular basis again.

“We’ve had fast cars every week, but we need to put the whole thing together,” Campbell said. “This week was very similar to the previous ones, but when we do put a whole weekend together, this No. 47 car is going to be in Victory Lane a lot. We’re just going to come back and be stronger.”

NOTES:

  • Ty Majeski was unable to run down Byron or Pollard in the closing laps but still managed to bring home a solid third place finish.
  • Erik Jones joined Byron in representing the Cup Series at Berlin on Thursday evening. A multi-time Snowball Derby and Winchester 400, Jones struggled to find consistent speed in his car during the 150-lap feature and ended up settling for 10th.
  • Derek Griffith competed in the Money in the Bank 150 as a last-minute replacement for Carson Hocevar, who is recovering from injuries sustained in the Camping World Truck Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway last weekend. Griffith was the last car to be lapped by Bryon and finished 13th.
  • Derek Kneeland, who serves as Tyler Reddick’s spotter, also competed in the Money in the Bank 150 and finished a lap down in 17th. Kneeland had Kyle Busch’s spotter and former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitor Tony Hirschman atop the grandstands guiding him through the race.

Posted on by Holly Cain

With much anticipation, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to the Sonoma Raceway road course for the first time since Boris Said raised a trophy in California wine country back in 1998.

The full-time Truck Series drivers are excited about the opportunity, and there’s a large group of Cup Series regulars entered in Saturday’s DoorDash 250 (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), hoping to get some extra miles in to prepare for Sunday’s Cup Series race.

RELATED: Weekend schedule for Sonoma | Carson Hocevar will attempt to race

Reigning series champion Ben Rhodes holds the championship lead heading into the weekend by 17 points over Chandler Smith. The top six drivers — also Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Stewart Friesen and Christian Eckes — are only separated by 34 points.

It’s essentially a home race for three-time 2022 winner, Californian Zane Smith, who turned 23 Thursday. He won the series’ only other road-course race this year at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. And his nine top-10 finishes in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford through the opening 11 races are tops in the series.

And he shows up this week energized by a solid Cup Series debut last week at World Wide Technology Raceway – where he finished 17th after starting 32nd in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford, filling in for Chris Buescher who was out with COVID-19.

Smith can certainly expect tough competition from Rhodes, who also has a road-course win (Daytona Road Course, 2021) and is hoping to regain his title form after an up-and-down last month that includes three top 10s but also two finishes of 25th or worse in the No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota.

Nemechek, who trails Rhodes by 22 points in the championship, is also a former road-course winner, taking a trophy at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Canada, back in 2016. He has five other top-five road-course finishes, including three runner-up showings – the most recent at COTA this spring. The driver of the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota had a streak of seven top-10 finishes before an uncharacteristic crash and DNF at WWT Raceway last week.

Chandler Smith, 19, comes into the summer stretch with some positive momentum. The driver of the No. 18 KBM Toyota has top-10 finishes in the last four races and led 40 laps last week at WWT Raceway. He also finished fifth at COTA in his only road-course race in the series.

MORE: See Sonoma’s beautiful layout

Alex Bowman, Harrison Burton, Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain and Kyle Busch headline a group of eight part-time drivers – also including former Truck Series champion Todd Bodine – who are slated to compete in the Truck Series race Saturday afternoon. Busch is a two-time Sonoma winner in the Cup Series.

The last four Truck Series winners at Sonoma — NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr., Dave Rezendes, Joe Ruttman and Boris Said — will serve as grand marshals for Saturday’s race.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 9, 2022) – The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program (NDIP) kicked off its 21st  year hosting undergraduate and graduate students across the sport. This year’s NDIP class includes interns from nine Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), multiple student-athletes and two returning NDIP alumni.

The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program is a 10-week program that offers hands-on experience across various roles in the motorsports industry. College students of color were selected to participate network with industry executives and learn from experts in one of the largest professional sports industries.

“We’re excited to welcome a new class of interns and students from diverse backgrounds who will be exposed to an incredible industry of professionals eager to showcase what our sport is all about,” said Brandon Thompson, NASCAR Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion, and the first NDIP alum to be elevated to an officer role at NASCAR. “NASCAR continues to evolve and the NDIP is one of several programs introducing younger and more diverse audiences to our sport. It’s an important effort and we couldn’t be more thrilled about our ‘22 class.”

NDIP was launched in 2000 and since then more than 500 college students have participated in the industry’s longest-running diversity initiative. The program has grown to include several industry partners, providing career opportunities to various NDIP participants: 23XI Racing, General Motors, Hendrick Motorsports, RFK Racing, Rev Racing, RCR, Sonoma Raceway, and World Wide Technology Raceway.

In addition to Thompson, the sanctioning body employs several former interns including Jusan Hamilton, Sr. Director, Racing Operations & Event Management; Kathryn Lee, Sr. Director, Marketing Activation; Marvin Aylor, Director, Partnership Marketing; Cole McGinnis, Sr. Manager, Licensing and Consumer Products; Greg Carty, Manager, Licensing and Consumer Products; Jason Simmons, Sr. Manager, International Operations & Strategy; Jordan Leatherman, Sr. Manager, Diversity & Inclusion; Erica Wilkerson, Sr. Manager, Youth & Multicultural Marketing; Jazz Warren, Coordinator, Track Communications; Josh Pena, Coordinator, Event Experience; and Victoria Garcia, Associate Producer.

NDIP is open to college students representing the following races/ethnic minority classifications: Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Latino or Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

The 2022 NASCAR Diversity Internship Class includes:

Intern Name Department Name School
Alexander Cadavid Rev Racing North Carolina State University
Amani Ghonim NASCAR Aerodynamics University of Southern California
Ariann Taylor NASCAR Digital Media Interactive Georgia State University
Austin Dickey IMSA Marketing University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Brian Bak NASCAR Data Strategy Chapman University
Camila Sanchez NASCAR International University of Notre Dame
Chardon Mucker NASCAR Sales Academy Prairie View A&M University
Chidera Udeh NASCAR Diversity & Inclusion University of Oklahoma
Chien-Hung Tsai NASCAR Strategy & Innovation Texas A&M University
Daniel Céspedes NASCAR Sports Betting Dartmouth College
Deja Dorsey NASCAR Content Team University of Southern California
Dillon Marshall NASCAR Sales Academy Delaware State University
Freddie Allen Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing High Point University
Giancarlo Fuentes NASCAR Southeast Region, Track Marketing University of Florida
Isha Shafqat NASCAR Competition Technology University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Jack Chen The NASCAR Foundation Stevens Institute of Technology
Janakinandan Pemmasani NASCAR Finance University of Cincinnati
Jiani Bryant NASCAR Productions North Carolina A&T University
Jimmil Hawkins Motor Racing Network Columbus State University
Joshua Sky NASCAR National Sales Syracuse University
Kimberly Betty General Motors Kettering University
Mariette Gervitz NASCAR Driver & Team Marketing George Washington University
Marissa Jones World Wide Technology Raceway Maryville University
Maurice Grier NASCAR Legal Howard University
Najah Liggans 23XI Racing Spelman College
Nicholas Torres NASCAR Brand Marketing University of Notre Dame
Phillip Hall Sonoma Raceway St. John’s University
Precious Johnson NASCAR Human Resources Florida A&M University
Precious Sullivan NASCAR Gaming & eSports Virginia State University
Ruben Mohme NASCAR Sourcing & Procurement University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley
Ryan Hernandez NASCAR Communications University of Houston
Sarah Hall Hendrick Motorsports Fisk University
Shemya Stanback Richard Childress Racing Catawba College
Susan Wong NASCAR Social Media Arizona State University
Sydney Stuart NASCAR Multicultural & Youth Marketing Howard University
Trey Gomez NASCAR Communications Texas State University
Posted on by Staff Report

“THE CHUTE IS BACK,” Sonoma Raceway announced on Twitter in January, ending a three-year, two-race fling with the carousel at the Toyota/Save Mart 350. 

The decision was greeted with overwhelming approval — a “Massive W.,” proclaimed Charlotte Motor Speedway — and understanding, including from last year’s champion Kyle Larson. But it would’ve been fair if Larson decried the change after years of frustration at the road course.

“It will be more exciting for the fans just because those are a couple of wild corners with some new hairy passing zones,” Larson said in January. “Mistakes can be made in those corners when you’re bouncing over curves so the cars will be moving around a lot. It will be exciting. It will be pretty wild because you can go all the way to exit of Turn 4 on the other side of the curve and barely miss the wall.”

Larson led 57 laps last June en route to his first career NASCAR Cup Series road-course win. In five previous Sonoma starts with the carousel out of Turn 4, the Northern California native led 11 total laps, never finished better than 12th, and only twice had a driver rating of at least 86 — he had 149.2 at last year’s race.

Larson is now chasing back-to-back wins in the same Cup Series event for the second time in his career; he won the Pure Michigan 400 in 2016 and 2017 at Michigan International Speedway. But he’s not the betting favorite to do so.

RELATED: Sonoma weekend schedule | NASCAR’s all-time winners on road courses

As of Wednesday at BetMGM, Larson is +700 in NASCAR odds for race winner, well behind Chase Elliott (+450), a seven-time road-course winner whom Larson held off in 2021. In road-course races since 2019, Elliott leads all drivers in wins (six), top-five finishes (10), driver rating (119.5), and average finish (6.8).

Denny Hamlin is the only other driver with an average road-course finish better than 10th since 2019 (9.6) and finished second, fourth, and 10th in the three most recent Sonoma races without the carousel (2016-18). To win his first race at the 54-year-old track, he must, at minimum, finish ahead of Ross Chastain, whom he faces in one of the featured matchups at BetMGM:

Ross Chastain (-130) vs. Denny Hamlin (+100)

Ross Chastain has cooled off after two wins and five more top-three finishes over a nine-week period. But the 29-year-old and his No. 1 Chevy still have two top-10s in the last three weeks and is one good race away from jumping Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott in the Cup Series standings.

Chastain has started only two Cup Series races at Sonoma — finishing 33rd in 2019 and seventh in 2021 — to Hamlin’s 15 starts, but is a sizable favorite over the 2016 second-place finisher.

Neither Chastain nor Hamlin is a popular pick to win Sunday. They rank 10th and 13th in ticket share, respectively, and rank seventh and sixth in handle share. In their head-to-head matchup, Chastain is dominating the tickets (97%) and handle (94%).

Kyle Busch (-165) vs. Joey Logano (+130)

Joey Logano jumped to a season-high No. 2 in Pat DeCola’s NASCAR Power Rankings after Sunday’s win in Illinois. And DeCola teased, “perhaps a second win in a row this weekend” as Logano seeks road-course consistency.

He won at Watkins Glen in 2015 and had six straight top-10 finishes from late 2019 through mid-2021, the last of which was a fourth-place run at Sonoma. It was Logano’s second-best career finish at the track and best since 2016.

Bettors love Logano in this matchup; he has 87% of the tickets and 90% of the handle against Busch.

A.J. Allmendinger (-145) vs. Austin Cindric (+110)

Two and a half months after losing an epic final-lap battle to Chastain (and Alex Bowman) at the EchoPark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas, AJ Allmendinger is back on the road and making his seventh Cup Series start after only five total starts all of last year. 

Before his 33rd-place finish at COTA — following 38th in the Bank of America ROVAL 400 last October — Allmendinger never had back-to-back road-course finishes of 30th or worse. He’s looking to avoid a third straight and earn his first win since the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road-course layout last August.

Allmendinger’s race-winner odds have jumped from +1200 at open to +900 as of Wednesday morning as the public pounds him with a staggering 24.2% ticket share and 38.4% handle share. If those hold, it will be the biggest ticket and handle shares for any driver this season.

Against Austin Cindric in the featured matchup, however, Allmendinger is receiving only 20% of the handle (on 75% of tickets).

Christopher Bell (-115) vs. Chase Briscoe (-115)

Neither Christopher Bell nor Chase Briscoe contended at Sonoma last year — the first career Cup Series start at the track for both drivers — but Bell has one career road win (2021 Daytona International Speedway Road Course) and they’ve combined for eight top-10s since 2021.

Briscoe’s race-winner odds are climbing — +1600 to +1400 — despite minimal public interest. He ranks 20th in ticket share (1.3%) and 12th in handle share. And he’s not getting much action against Bell; he has just 5% of the tickets and 8% of the handle.

You can view updated Toyota/Save Mart 350 odds and more online sports betting opportunities at BetMGM.

Posted on by Brandon White

Of the drivers who have developed their skills at Hickory Motor Speedway, Jack Ingram remains one of the most efficient in the track’s storied history,

The late NASCAR Hall of Famer tallied two championships at Hickory in 1968 and 1971 before carrying that success into the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he picked up eight of his 31 victories at the facility, including his first and last career wins.

When Ingram passed away last year, Hickory general manager Kevin Piercy elected to recognize his impact on both the track and NASCAR by organizing the inaugural Jack Ingram Memorial 111 on June 11 that will pay $5,011 to the winning driver. Ingram, of course, found most of his success driving the No. 11 car.

“Jack Ingram was kind of my childhood hero growing up,” Piercy said. “I was a big fan of his and watched him win many races, so it’s great that Hickory Motor Speedway will have the opportunity to honor someone that meant so much to me.”

FloRacing: Watch all the on-track action at Hickory Motor Speedway

When Piercy first started attending races at Hickory during his childhood, he knew immediately that Ingram was different than the other competitors on track.

In the early days of the Xfinity Series, Ingram regularly had to contend with other seasoned veterans that included Sam Ard, Tommy Ellis and fellow Hickory track champion Tommy Houston, all of whom pushed Ingram to his limits at the short tracks, intermediates and superspeedways.

Watching Ingram battle it out with those veterans as both a fan and pit crew member at Hickory are among Piercy’s favorite childhood memories, as it allowed him to gain an appreciation for Ingram and how he would utilize every part of the track to gain an advantage over his competition.

“[Ingram] was a tenacious racer,” Piercy said. “When you saw his car pull into the racetrack, everybody knew he was the car to beat. I have memories of him kicking that left front tire down off the corner and kick up a little dirt because he was so low on the track.

“Jack Ingram was a hard charger, competitive, a fan favorite and a winner. He set the standard for how things should be done in [the Xfinity Series].”

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jack Ingram will be honored at Hickory Motor Speedway this weekend with a 111-lap Late Model Stock feature. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

Although stock car racing has undergone significant changes since Ingram last raced at Hickory, Piercy said the qualities he displayed on track are still prevalent in the current group of competitors that race at the track on Saturday nights.

One driver who views Ingram as a source of inspiration is current Hickory Late Model Stock points leader Landon Huffman, who comes from a proud racing heritage at the facility himself with his father Robert being a two-time track champion in 1988 and ’89.

Like Ingram did, Huffman primarily works on his own cars and utilizes volunteer help in order to race every weekend, a practice he is starting to see dwindle as more money and resources are poured into short track racing around the United States.

While Huffman cannot compare himself to Ingram or his accomplishments, he said the Hall of Famer perfectly embodies what a racer should strive to be and is thrilled to see Hickory honor his legacy with a marquee event.

“Jack is the iron man,” Huffman said. “He’s a grassroots racer who worked on his own equipment. Anytime racers of this time period get to honor someone like Jack or race in an event that memorializes their competitive nature, it’s pretty special. We don’t have many people in our current time that do things like Jack did.”

RACING REFERENCE: Career NASCAR stats for Ingram 

NASCAR Hall of Fame Jack Ingram (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Huffman sees the Jack Ingram Memorial 111 as a de facto replacement for the Dwight Huffman Memorial that ran at Hickory from 2008-11. He is confident this race will bring more notoriety to Hickory and become a crown jewel event alongside the Bobby Isaac Memorial and the Fall Brawl.

Unlike the other two races, the Jack Ingram Memorial 111 falls in the middle of the season, meaning Huffman is going to place an equal amount of emphasis on bagging the $5,011 race-winning paycheck while simultaneously protecting his points lead over William Sawalich, Charlie Watson and others.

A larger entry list will only add to the challenge of winning the Jack Ingram Memorial 111 for Huffman, but he feels comfortable about the speed his car possesses and wants nothing more to proudly represent grassroots racing by taking home a checkered flag in a race dedicated to Ingram.

“It’s always great to win one of these big races,” Huffman said. “I won the Limited [Late Model] portion of the Bobby Isaac Memorial in 2011, and that was my first ever win. I’ve won a lot of races at Hickory since then but haven’t had the privilege of winning one of the big races. I would gladly take the Jack Ingram Memorial as my first big win at Hickory.”

Like Huffman, Piercy anticipates a vibrant atmosphere for the inaugural Jack Ingram Memorial 111 and is doing everything possible to make sure the event becomes a mainstay for Hickory over the next several years.

For the first running, Piercy will have Ingram’s widow Aline Cole Ingram at the track as a special guest, while the Pontiac Grand Am that Ingram drove to victory on numerous occasions during his long career will pace the field during the parade laps.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has also been named as the grand marshal of the inaugural Jack Ingram Memorial 111 and will take part in an autograph session before the race. Other notable dignitaries for the event include Houston, as well as Harry Gant, Robert Pressley, L.D. Ottinger and Rex White.

Honoring the history of Hickory and NASCAR has been a key part of Piercy’s philosophy since he became the general manager of the track, and he hopes the Jack Ingram Memorial 111 helps newer fans gain the same appreciation he still has for Ingram and other drivers from the same era.

“These heroes need to be honored,” Piercy said. “People like Jack [Ingram] counted on the money to drive home. He came from the old school form of racing where you had to make your way in the sport, so we need to look back and make sure we don’t forget folks like Jack that paved the way for the future of stock car racing.”

While Piercy wishes Ingram could celebrate the race named after him, he takes pride in knowing that Ingram will always be remembered as one of the greatest drivers to ever take a lap at Hickory.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

In order to capture his final checkered flag at NASCAR’s top level, Tony Stewart literally shoved Denny Hamlin out of his way in the treacherous Turn 11 of Sonoma Raceway’s road course. Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet led the final 22 laps – the only laps it spent out front – and ultimately beat Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota to the finish line by 0.625 seconds. Hamlin, meanwhile, had led twice for a race-high 33 laps, still settling for second.

That race played out on June 26, 2016.

SONOMA: Watch all-time top finishes | GIFs of Turn 11’s turmoil

This Sunday (4 p.m. ET, FS1), Hamlin has the opportunity to tie Stewart at 15th on the all-time wins list at that same track out in California wine country. Stewart, of course, retired in 2016 after 18 full-time seasons and hasn’t competed in a NASCAR race since. Hamlin is in the midst of his 17th full run, so he’s still able to pile on victories.

The two drivers’ career numbers are actually rather similar – and vary on who leads in certain categories. Take a look below.

Screen Shot 2022 06 08 At 5.01.04 Pm

RELATED: All-time Sonoma winners | All-time Cup winners

In fewer starts, Hamlin has managed to tally more top-five finishes than Stewart. Hamlin matches Stewart in top 10s but falls short in runner-ups. It’s a mixed bag, yet somehow evens out.

Hamlin has led more laps but is one win short of Stewart. Stewart tallied win No. 48 at 42 years old. Hamlin did so at 41 – earlier this year at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stewart hit 49 wins at age 45. Hamlin turns 42 in November.

They’ve both had 16 seasons with at least one win, though. They both won Rookie of the Year; Stewart in 1999, Hamlin in 2006.

This is where the two really differ: Stewart won three championships (2002, 2005 and 2011). A title still escapes Hamlin. His best final showing was second in 2010. He has had six top-four finishes in the final standings.

Granted, Hamlin has three Daytona 500s to Stewart’s zero.

And then reverse it again, if getting into specifics. Stewart has three wins at Sonoma. Hamlin, none.

SONOMA: Weekend schedule | Betting odds | Paint schemes

BetMGM lists Hamlin at 14-1 in its opening odds to win Sunday. Hamlin has only ever won on a road course once in his career, Watkins Glen International in 2016. He already owns two wins this year and has therefore already been granted a provisional berth into the 16-driver playoffs, which begin in 11 races. But he still sits 19th in the points standings due to an up-and-down regular season that sees him posting a 20.5 average finish. And points – specifically playoff points earned from winning stages or races – will keep his title chances alive.

Hamlin placed eighth in last year’s event at Sonoma. His best result there, ever: second to Stewart in 2016.