Chip Ganassi Racing pulled off quite the turnaround within a week.
After filling the bottom two spots last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kurt Busch and Ross Chastain both rallied back with top-10 finishes Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. Both times, the two Chevrolets were listed back-to-back on the results sheet.
“A good day for both the No. 1 and 42 teams,” Chastain said. “I got to race with the No. 1 car a lot there at the end and only touch a little bit, which is hard to do here. A good teammate and good building day for CGR.”
Chastain placed seventh in Sonoma’s Toyota/Save Mart 350. Busch was just ahead in sixth. Chastain’s result tied for his second best in 2021, and Busch’s also marked his second best.
The experience levels couldn’t really be more different. While Chastain is in his first full-time Cup Series ride, Busch is a former champion (2004) in his 21st full season. Chastain made his second career start at Sonoma. Busch notched his 20th.
“We had a smooth day,” Busch said. “We figured out how to have a nice, easy execution. I worked with Ross, our teammate, to get two top 10s. It was almost a top-five type car, just needed better drive off the corners. To be in the mix and have the right strategy and have a smooth day, we’ll take it, and we’re going to build on it.”
The 37th and 38th finishes at Charlotte were flukes. Hendrick Motorsports executive vice president and general manager Jeff Andrews even publicly apologized and took responsibility for the performance of Chip Ganassi Racing’s engines on Friday. The organizations have a collaborative partnership as Chevrolet-backed teams.
Neither Chastain nor Busch is currently in the playoff picture. Busch is ranked 18th in the points standings, two spots outside the 16-driver field. Chastain is a bit further back in 20th. Ten races remain in the regular season, with the next points-paying opportunity not until June 20 at Nashville Superspeedway since the exhibition All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway is this upcoming Sunday (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Sonoma was a step back in the right direction for Chip Ganassi Racing, though. Busch and Chastain did both move up a standing tick after the pair of strong runs.
“Whoa, seventh on a dry road course,” Chastain said. “This No. 42 team is so good. They gave me a Clover Chevy that I can go out and race with the best Cup Series guys. It just seems wild.”
SONOMA, Calif. — Score another sweep for Kyle Larson, who dominated an action-filled Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.
Through a spate of late accidents and restarts, Larson held off Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott and three-time Sonoma winner Martin Truex Jr. to claim a second-straight race in which he also swept both the first and second stages.
The victory was Larson’s first at the 2.52-mile road course, his third of the season and the ninth of his career. It was the fourth straight 1-2 finish for Hendrick Motorsports and the first time since 2014 that HMS has posted four-straight wins.
The victory was the 270th for Hendrick, extending the record the organization broke last Sunday.
Coming off last week’s win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, Larson made the overtime win look easy. But looks can be deceiving, said the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet.
“It was not easy,” said Larson, who grew up in nearby Elk Grove, Calif. “Just keeping it on the track is tough, especially when you’ve got two of the best behind you on the last restart.”
Elliott was able to stay on Larson’s bumper after the race went to an overtime restart — the result of a four-car accident in Turn 4 on Lap 88 of a scheduled 90. But Larson inched away over the final two laps.
“I felt like I did a good job on the (restart) before and was able to stretch it out a little bit,” Larson said. “I didn’t want to give it another try at it, but (Chase) kept the pressure on. Martin was strong, too.
“What a car! I thought I would be OK today, but I really didn’t know how I would race — I don’t think any of us really knew with no practice, but our car was really good there, and I can’t say enough about it.”
The closeness of his hometown — east of Sacramento — made the victory that much more satisfying.
“It means a lot,” said Larson, who crossed the finish line .614 seconds ahead of Elliott. “Northern California will always be home to me, even if I live way on the East Coast now. … To get back-to-back wins in the Cup Series is something I’ve always dreamed of doing, and to get it done feels great.”
Elliott, the reigning series champion, achieved his best finish at Sonoma, but couldn’t find a way past his teammate.
“I wish I knew (where Larson was stronger),” said Elliott, who has six road-course wins to his credit. “I would have tried to give him a little better run. But congrats to Kyle and (crew chief) Cliff (Daniels) and everybody on the 5 team. They’ve been doing an amazing job.
“I’m really proud of our NAPA group, though. I felt like we were a lot better there at the end than we were at the beginning. That’s definitely the best I’ve ever been here at Sonoma.”
Truex came home third, followed by Joey Logano and Kyle Busch, who summed up Larson’s dominance in one sentience.
“The 5 was just out of this world,” Busch said.
Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Kurt Busch and Ross Chastain were sixth and seventh, respectively. Denny Hamlin, Alex Bowman and Ryan Blaney completed the top 10.
Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, who combined for 16 victories in 2020, left Sonoma still winless this season. Harvick was the victim of a seven-car chain reaction crash in Turn 11 on Lap 77 during a rash of four cautions within an 18-lap stretch near the end of the race.
Without a hood or right front fender on his car, Harvick salvaged a 22nd-place result.
Up next, the NASCAR Cup Series changes it up a bit. Instead of having its 17th points-paying race, it will head to Texas Motor Speedway for the 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Note: The race-winning No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet of Kyle Larson passed NASCAR’s post-race inspection. The No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of third-place Martin Truex Jr. had one lug nut not safe and secure. There were no other issues.
Monday, June 7
2:30 a.m., Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR (re-air), FS1
3:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Road Courses (re-air), FS1
4:30 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway (re-air), FS1
9:30 a.m., Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., One Hot Night: The NASCAR 1992 All-Star Race (re-air), FS1
Tuesday, June 8
3 a.m., NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 (re-air), FS1
6 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: Charlotte (re-air), FS2
6:30 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 1989 Banquet Frozen Foods 300 (re-air) , FS2
9:30 a.m., ARCA Menards Series Mid-Ohio 150 (re-air), FS2
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (re-air), FS2
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/ Save Mart 350 (re-air), FS2
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
Wednesday, June 9
6 p.m., ARCA Menards Series West: General Tire 200 (tape delay), NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., Unrivaled: Earnhardt vs. Gordon (re-air), FS1
Thursday, June 10
6 p.m., Dale Jr. Download: Ward Burton, NBCSN
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
7 p.m., One Hot Night: The NASCAR 1992 All-Star Race (re-air), FS1
Friday, June 11
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS2
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
Saturday, June 12
11 a.m., Renegades: The Bad Boys of NASCAR (re-air), FS1
12 p.m., NASCAR Raceday: NCWTS at Texas, FS1
1 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 220 at Texas Motor Speedway, FS1
3 p.m., NASCAR Raceday: Xfinity Texas, FS1
4 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 250 at Texas Motor Speedway, FS1 (Canada: TSN2)
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Post-Race Show, FS1
On MRN:
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: SpeedyCash.com 220
On PRN
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series: Alsco Uniforms 250
Sunday, June 13
1 a.m., NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco Uniforms 250 (re-air), FS1
3:30 a.m., NASCAR Race Hub Best of Radioactive: All-Star (re-air), FS1
5 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: All-Star Open at Texas Motor Speedway, FS1
6 p.m., NASCAR All-Star Open, FS1 (Canada: TSN3, 5)
7:30 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay: All-Star Race, FS1
8 p.m., NASCAR All-Star Race, FS1 (Canada: TSN3, 5)
On MRN:
5:30 p.m., NASCAR All-Star Coverage includes the Open and All-Star Race
The No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by Anthony Alfredo will start at the rear of the field for an inspection violation found prior to the start of Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway (4 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Crew chief Seth Barbour has been ejected for the violation.
Alfredo, a rookie in the sport’s top series, was slated to start 28th in the 37-car field and is making his first career start at Sonoma. The 21-year-old has made 15 starts this season with a best finish of 12th at Talladega Superspeedway in April.
Scott Heckert and the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford will also start at the rear of the field for unapproved adjustments. Heckert is making his second Cup start and was set to start 35th in Sunday’s race.
Kaulig Racing driver AJ Allmendinger and owner Matt Kaulig were riding high Saturday after the Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and rightly so. Their No. 16 Chevrolet was parked in Victory Lane for the second time this season. The smiles on their faces during post-race media availability were expected and evident.
Neither Kaulig nor Allmendinger faltered when asked if Allmendinger will pilot a Cup Series car for Kaulig Racing in 2022 as the team plans its anticipated full-time foray to the premier series.
“He’s definitely on our short list,” Kaulig said. “We fully plan on running at least one car in the Cup Series next year full time. Whether that’s AJ or someone else, we’re really not sure. I think AJ, regardless, will run road courses or maybe some superspeedways, I don’t know.”
Kaulig then clarified, however, that the team will seat only one driver in its full-time car so he or she can be eligible for the playoffs and championship. The Chevrolet-backed organization has not obtained a 2022 charter yet.
Mentioning Allmendinger for road courses and superspeedways, along with saying “at least one car,” does make it seem like there is more in the works than what has already been announced, which was simply a confirmed 2022 full-time effort in the Cup Series.
Allmendinger must have caught the possible slip-up since he covered with a joke immediately afterward.
“I might be the one driving the truck to the road courses and superspeedway races,” Allmendinger said. “They may part time me for that.”
Allmendinger has Cup Series experience — 373 starts to be exact, with two coming this year. He raced there full time from 2009-11 and then again from 2014-18. Allmendinger has one career win from 2014 at Watkins Glen International that came along with a postseason berth.
Since 2019, Allmendinger has been in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing. He had five starts in 2019 and 11 in 2020 before signing on full time in 2021. Allmendinger credits his current team for falling back in love with the sport.
“I’ve told Matt and Chris (Rice) that no matter what the role is, I just want to keep being a part of the growth,” Allmendinger said. “Because I truly enjoy it. And that’s something since 2019, I’ve enjoyed more than I thought I would.”
With a remarkable run from the back of the field in the final stage at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, AJ Allmendinger charged to an overtime victory in Saturday’s B&L Transport 170 and tied Marcos Ambrose for the most NASCAR Xfinity Series road course wins all-time.
The triumph at the home track of team owner Matt Kaulig was the fifth in the series on a road course for Allmendinger, the first two-time winner at the technical 2.258-mile, 13-turn circuit. Allmendinger went to Victory Lane in the inaugural event at the Lexington, Ohio, track in 2013.
After suffering a rear-of-the-field penalty for not taking the required 50 seconds on pit road under modified pit road rules, Allmendinger restarted 19th on Lap 56 of a scheduled 75 and quickly began working his way through the field.
When teammate Jeb Burton slid into a gravel trap off Turn 4 on Lap 68 to cause the sixth caution of the race, Allmendinger had climbed to third and took full advantage of a restart on Lap 72, diving to the inside and taking race leader and reigning series champion Austin Cindric and second-place Ty Gibbs three-wide in the first corner.
Allmendinger survived contact with Gibbs’ Toyota and came out of the corner with the lead, but Cindric pin-balled off the cars of Gibbs and Michael Annett and spun through the grass, ending his winning chances.
After a seventh caution for a wreck involving, Kris Wright, Alex Labbe and Kyle Weatherman, Allmendinger pulled away from Kaulig Racing teammate Justin Haley to win by .809 seconds. Haley nursed a car with right-front damage to the runner-up finish, one spot ahead of Gibbs.
“I’m not going to lie; I was a little upset,” Allmendinger said of the penalty. “But we win and lose as a team, so I was going to fight until the checkered flag flew. I knew we had the best car …
“I was shocked that Cindric took the outside (on the restart) … I know these guys would do it to me, so I was barreling in there when I saw a gap, and I was going to come out on the other side clean.”
Indianapolis 500 winning car owner Michael Shank, who fielded the team with which Allmendinger won the 50th running of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 2012, was watching from the pits and predicted his good friend would recover from the penalty.
“He came here to see me,” said Allmendinger, who won for the second time this season and the seventh time in his career. “How lucky am I? I love Shank. And this is Matt Kaulig’s Super Bowl … It’s just such a big deal. I always want to win for him, but here, I put a lot more pressure on myself to try to win.”
Gibbs, for one, wasn’t happy with Allmendinger’s move to the inside on the decisive restart.
“The 16 (Allmendinger) did us a little dirty there,” said Gibbs, who nevertheless collected his sixth top five (including two wins) in his seventh Xfinity Series start. “I feel like there is a point, you know … we are racing in Xfinity cars at road courses. It’s always going to be rough, but he took it to the next level.
“I guess I was a little torpedoed. I got the 22 (Cindric), knocked him out, but, yeah, I didn’t really have anywhere to go. That’s just part of it — part of the end of these races. Things get rough.”
Cindric, who led a race-high 30 laps to Allmendinger’s 23, finished 14th. Brandon Jones and road course ace Andy Lally ran fourth and fifth, respectively. Brandon Brown, Michael Annett, Josh Berry, Ryan Sieg and Josh Williams completed the to 10.
In addition to finishing 1-2, Allmendinger and Haley won Stages 1 and 2, respectively. Allmendinger increased his Playoff point total to 13, seven behind Cindric’s series-leading 20.
Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway (⏰ 4 p.m. ET | 📺 FS1 | 📻 PRN, SiriusXM)
Everything you need to know for Sunday’s race, the 16th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2021 season.
Where: Sonoma Raceway, 2.52-mile road course in Sonoma, California Qualifying: Kyle Larson won Busch Pole Award | Lineup Green flag: 4:14 p.m. ET TV/Radio: FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Forecast: Sunny, with a high near 85 degrees. Winds could gust as high as 18 mph., according to NOAA.gov. Grand Marshal: Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers head coach Race Distance: 90 laps, 226.8 miles Stages: 20 | 40 | 90 Pit-road speed: 40 mph Caution car speed: 45 mph Sonoma 101: Get the full lowdown
Entry list: See who’s in the field Pit-stall assignments: See who is pitting where| Expert breaks down pit selectionsJonathan Ferrey | Getty Images
Five to watch
Here are five big story lines we’ll be following at Sonoma Raceway.
1. Reigning champion Chase Elliott has won five of the last six road-course races, including the Cup Series’ most recent event at Circuit of The Americas. Elliott is NASCAR’s active leader in road-course wins with six career victories — none at Sonoma, though.
2. Ten drivers will be making their Cup Series debut at Sonoma: Anthony Alfredo, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Cole Custer, James Davison, Scott Heckert, Quin Houff, Tyler Reddick, Ben Rhodes and Garrett Smithley. Six are full-time drivers (Alfredo, Bell, Briscoe, Custer, Houff and Reddick), and only one is locked into the 2021 NASCAR Playoffs (Bell) thanks to a road-course win (Daytona Road Course).
3. Martin Truex Jr. has won the past two races at Sonoma (Jeff Gordon is the only driver to win three in a row from 1998-2000) and then a third back in 2013. He is the track’s winningest active driver. Truex is also one of three drivers in 2021 with multiple wins (three) through 15 races. Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson own two wins apiece but have never won at Sonoma.
4. Out of the two road-course races so far this season, Elliott (COTA) and Christopher Bell (Daytona Road Course) have won. Elliott’s win was two races ago. Bell’s was back in the second race of 2021, and his results haven’t been stellar since. In the seven races after his win, Bell did have four top-10 finishes. But in the past six races, he hasn’t posted one.
5. There are only four drivers who finished in the top 10 in the two road-course events this year, and none of them are either of the race winners. Joey Logano (second at Daytona Road Course, third at COTA), AJ Allmendinger (not entered into Sunday’s race; seventh at DRC, fifth at COTA), Michael McDowell (eighth at DRC, seventh at COTA) and Bowman (10th at DRC, eighth at COTA).
Race-day staples
Our biggest pieces of the week — get covered for race day from all angles.
•Power Rankings: Can Kyle Busch end Hendrick Motorsports’ power party? |Scope the ranks •Paint Scheme Preview: Check out the paint schemes for wine country |See the schemes •Fantasy Fastlane: See which drivers to use, avoid | Full Fantasy advice |Set your roster •Preview Show: Jonathan Merryman and Alex Weaver preview the race | Watch the show
Get in on the action
Think you know NASCAR? Put your mettle to the test with gaming, fantasy.
• Betting odds for the Sonoma race | See the odds
• Big bets expected on favorites, but long shots loom | Who to bet • Ten drivers in Sunday’s field who have never raced at Sonoma | Analyze the newbies
• Martin Truex Jr. returns to Sonoma as two-time defending winner | Read the preview • Take a shot at winning cash prizes with the free-to-play Jackpot Races app | Hit the jackpot
• Full guide to 2021 NASCAR Fantasy Live game | Get the FAQ
Turning left … and right
Learn all about NASCAR’s history on road courses and the drivers considered to be the best at the track type.
Hard-hitting, race-relevant statistics, brought to you by the experts at Racing Insights.
Sean Gardner | Getty Images
• Brad Keselowski has never won a road-course race in 26 starts, though he is a three-time runner-up.
• Denny Hamlin has led the most laps four times this season but remains winless.
• Aric Almirola has never finished in the top five in 23 road-course starts.
• Six of the last nine Sonoma winners got their first win of the season.
• Four different organizations won in 2021, but Stewart-Haas Racing is not one of them.
Catch the pack
Read up on all the headlines from the week leading up to Sunday’s race.
• Back at home: Jill Gregory welcomes NASCAR, fans back to Sonoma | Read more
• All-Star Race: Fan Vote still open, latest top 10 revealed | Read more
• Byron’s back: William Byron to make Truck Series return at Nashville | Read more
• Downtown driving: Chicago Street Course now available on iRacing | Read more
• Step toward normalcy: Several tracks set to fully reopen as COVID-19 limits lift | Read more
• Scholarship program: NASCAR partners with Stay Plugged IN on esports initiative | Read more
• Pro Invitational Series: James Davison wins at Chicago Street Course | Read more
• Title venue: Phoenix Raceway to host 2022 Championship Weekend | Read more
Say what?
Notable quotes from the stars of the sport heading into Sunday’s race.
“Yeah, going to a road course, I’m going to need the fastest pit crew on pit road to make up for my lack of road-course skills. It’s great to have them. They’ve been so strong all year. Strategy is really key at Sonoma. There’s a big balance between stage points and just trying to finish the race the strongest you can. Just trying to balance that and being a good shot to try and go win that thing.” — Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
“Sonoma is a racetrack that I haven’t been to in my career, not just in the Cup Series, but in any series. That doesn’t really concern me, though. I’ve been watching a lot of video of past races and we have a good notebook here at Hendrick Motorsports. From what I can tell, if you get buried in traffic, it’s hard to make up positions, even with pit strategy. Sonoma is a track where you either have to go for the win or go for maximum points. It doesn’t seem to be like most road courses where you can go for stage points in one stage and give up the points in another. You have to pick one strategy or the other, which is a challenge.” — Rudy Fugle, crew chief No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Maddie Meyer | Getty Images
“Our team is definitely looking forward to going back to Sonoma. It’s a place we have a lot of confidence going to, regardless of the track layout or the aero package. We’ve been fortunate to have had some good races there the last few times and been able to get to Victory Lane. We’ll have our work cut out for us on Sunday, but we feel like it’s a place we should run up front and have a shot to win at.” — Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
“Nobody is happy right now is the thing. We’re all trying to find different things to try and make our cars better and it’s just, like I said before, there’s no good way to really go about it right now when you don’t have any practice. That’s the plain and simple point. When you don’t have any practice you’re kind of guessing and you’re thinking through things and trying things at the simulator and you think they’re better, but if you’re not able to do it at that certain racetrack that certain weekend, you really don’t know how it’s gonna work out when you don’t have any practice time. In the Cup Series the competition is so stiff that if you’re off for that first run, it ruins your whole day.” — Cole Custer, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Elevation isn’t exactly a key component of NASCAR racing, unless of course you’re talking about Sonoma. If you’ve ever visited the venue, you’ll quickly pick up on its unique attributes, as drivers actually do deal with uphill and downhill portions of the venue. It’s a once-a-year locale for stock-car drivers and forces them out of their element.
That’s what is fun about Sonoma, which will host the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday (4 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Some of the drivers love this place, just north of the San Francisco bay area in wine country. Some drivers won’t admit they hate it, but you can tell by several career struggles how they probably feel — off-the-record of course.
There’s a reason Chase Elliott tops the NASCAR odds this week, and it’s not only because he’s the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion. It’s because he’s dominated road-course racing over the past few years.
Elliott has won six of his 12 career Cup Series races juking-and-jiving his way through the rare road-course version of NASCAR. He’s only been on road courses 14 times in his Cup career, yet has six wins. Now do you understand?
Let’s backpedal for a second: It has taken him 14 road-course races to nab six wins and 186 to collect his other six career wins in the top circuit of stock-car racing. Think about that.
It makes a ton of sense to see him as a favorite, but keep in mind he’s in a race this weekend with four guys who’ve won a total of seven Cup races at the California track. Martin Truex Jr. (three career wins), Kyle Busch (two), Kurt Busch (one), and Kevin Harvick (one) have more experience here. How will they factor in?
OTHERS: Not surprisingly, Martin Truex Jr. (+375), red-hot Kyle Larson (+750), and Kyle Busch (+750) are right behind Elliott in the road-course racing odds at Sonoma. Truex is running well this year, Kyle Busch is Kyle Busch, and Larson is the hottest driver on the circuit right now. How will they perform? We shall see.
Kurt has been here 20 times as of this weekend, along with Kevin Harvick (+1500). They both are tied with the most success — top 10-wise — with 10 career top-10 finishes.
Harvick and Kurt have both won here, and Kurt has seven top-five finishes to edge out Harvick’s six. They are the old men in the race, but old men have the experience to wheel around a place like this and upset the NASCAR apple cart.
Any young up-and-comer will want to keep an eye on these guys.
OTHERS: Ryan Blaney (+2000) has a road-course win in the Cup Series at Charlotte in 2018 and won a road-course race when he was in the Camping World Truck Series (Bowmanville). He has two top 10s and a top-five finish in his four career Cup Series starts at Sonoma.
Bowman has been a consistent performer on road-course tracks. He’s only raced four times at Sonoma, and has a top 10 performance, but he’s doing well this year (12th in the Cup Series standings) and has seven top-10 finishes in 15 races this year. He also has two wins this year and is with red hot Hendrick MotorSports — do the math, right?
Erik Jones (+15000) is also intriguing, considering he has two career top 10s in three starts at Sonoma.
Hendrick Motorsports Executive Vice President and General Manager Jeff Andrews issued an apology to collaborative-partner organization Chip Ganassi Racing on Friday, taking responsibility for the performance of Ganassi’s engines during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“We have made some corrections there and I do have to say that those are some of the toughest nights of all when you affect a great partner like we have in Chip Ganassi Racing and all their employees,” Andrews said in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We owe an apology to them because we let them down in a big, big way with both of their cars over there the other night.”
Despite Hendrick’s record-setting night, both Chip Ganassi Chevrolets landed on the opposite end of the spectrum. Ross Chastain finished 41 laps down in 37th position, while Kurt Busch completed only 139 laps before bowing out with engine issues to finish last in the 38-car field.
Andrews stated the teams are already joining forces to work on making corrections to the problems that affected CGR’s front-drive systems.
“We’ve made adjustments there and we’re moving forward,” Andrews said. “We’re working closely with those guys and staying in touch with them on exactly what happened. That was 100% on us.”
The Chip Ganassi Racing teams will look to bounce back at Sonoma Raceway this Sunday (4 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM). Busch saddles up for his 20th career start at the track, while Chastain will make his second.
Power Rankings: Can Kyle Busch end Hendrick Motorsports’ power party? | 
