TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Sonoma RacewayJune 27-28, 2026

NASCAR’s west coast adventure continues on as the sport’s top-two division, the Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, wrap up back-to-back road course weekends in “The Golden State”. Trading in the southern California coastline for the picturesque hills of the Sonoma Valley Wine Country, the 1.99-mile circuit will mark the final road course race of the season for both series. Chevrolet’s quest to defend its 2025 Sonoma wins will get underway with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in Saturday’s Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250, with the Cup Series taking its turn on Sunday in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 to also mark the first round of the In-Season Challenge.

CHEVROLET AT SONOMA RACEWAY: Chevrolet will be the only manufacturer with past Sonoma winners represented across both divisions this weekend, including the track’s reigning winners Shane van Gisbergen (NCS) and Connor Zilisch (NOAPS). In an over 35-year history with the northern California circuit, the Bowtie brand has accumulated a combined 17 victories across NASCAR’s top-two divisions – highlighted by 15 all-time Cup Series wins to sit nearly double the next leading manufacturer, Ford, with eight wins. Among those triumphs includes career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon’s series-leading five victories; the track’s winningest active driver Kyle Larson with two victories; Daniel Suarez’s first career Cup Series win; and the track’s most recent winner Shane van Gisbergen. The series-leading Sonoma feats stem past just all-time wins for the Chevrolet camp, with the manufacturer also holding a record-setting win streak of four-straight Cup Series wins at the track (2003-2006) and a double-digit lead in pole wins with 18.

LEADING IN SEASON’S ROAD COURSE AVERAGESChevrolet’s driver lineup is filled with road racing prowess and this season’s results have proven just that. The NASCAR Cup Series has paid a visit to three road/street courses thus far this season including Circuit of The Americas, Watkins Glen International and the San Diego Street Course. Analyzing the field’s average finish across the three events, it’s a pair of Team Chevy drivers that sit one-two at the top of the leaderboard with a single-digit average. Topping the list is Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell with an impressive average finish of 5.7, highlighted by his season-best runner-up result that came in upstate New York. Not far behind is the California native, AJ Allmendinger, with a 7.0 average finish, including his first top-five result of the season that came just last weekend in San Diego. The top-10 also sees the reigning champion, Kyle Larson, in sixth with a 10.7 average finish. While his early departure last weekend dropped his average to 13.7, Shane van Gisbergen still manages to maintain the eighth-best average finish courtesy of his Watkins Glen win and a runner-up result at COTA.

ALLMENDINGER GEARING UP FOR MILESTONE STARTTeam Chevy veteran driver, AJ Allmendinger, will look to reach a monumental milestone in his home state this weekend, with a trip to Sonoma Raceway marking his 500th career NASCAR Cup Series start. Among the series’ road course ringers, the Los Gatos, California, native is a three-time winner in the sport’s top division – all of which have been earned on a road course under the Chevrolet banner. Allmendinger’s robust road course resume also extends into the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series where he holds a series-leading 11 all-time wins on the configuration. While he’s still seeking his first trip to victory lane at Sonoma Raceway, he’s been a steady fixture among the contenders in recent seasons, scoring a pair of top-six results in two of his past three starts at the circuit.

LARSON HEADING HOME ON A HOT STREAKWhile Kyle Larson’s title-defending pursuit has been nothing short of turbulent, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team have been finding their footing during the early stretch of the second-half of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. Dating back one month ago to Charlotte Motor Speedway, a fifth-place finish kickstarted a stretch of four top-fives in the past five races, including a streak of three-straight heading into his home race at Sonoma Raceway. With a podium finish at San Diego, the California native holds the second-best average finish over the past five races at 8.0. The northern California circuit serves as the perfect opportunity for Larson to boost that average even more. In 11 starts at the track, Larson owns two career wins to lead the series’ active drivers, accompanied by a series-leading average starting position of 4.5, two top-fives and four top-10s.

ROAD COURSE RINGERS READY TO REBOUNDWhile it was a disappointing ending to the inaugural San Diego weekend for Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch, a trip up the coast to Sonoma Raceway serves as the prime opportunity for a reset. Both drivers know what it takes to reach victory lane at the 1.99-mile circuit, with the New Zealand native holding a win in both the Cup (2025) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2024) at the track. For the ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender, Sunday might mark his first career Cup Series start at Sonoma, but he’ll return to the track as the defending winner in the sport’s second-level series. The pair of road course ringers are also slated to return to the JR Motorsports stable for a double-duty weekend with Van Gisbergen returning to the seat of the No. 9 Chevrolet and Zilisch back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet – both of which have been race-winning pairings this season.

HILL HITS A CAREER-FIRSTA late-race surge and dramatic last-lap pass at San Diego saw Austin Hill and the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team earn their second trip to victory lane of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. While he’s a series veteran with 16 wins in the second-level series, it was a career-first feat for the Georgia native as he became a first-time road course winner. The outing was enough to see Hill re-enter the top-five of the points standings heading into part two of NASCAR’s California adventure. In the series’ short three-year stint at the circuit, Hill has tallied a pair of top-eight finishes, with this best result of fifth coming in the 2024 event.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway:  Kyle Larson – two wins (2024, 2021)Daniel Suarez – one win (2022)Shane van Gisbergen – one win (2025) ·        In 26 NASCAR Cup Series road/street course events in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads the series with 18 victories – recorded by eight drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations. ·        In three road/street course events for the NASCAR Cup Series season, Team Chevy’s Michael McDowell and AJ Allmendinger has earned an average finish of 5.7 and 7.0, respectively, to lead the series.  ·        At Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet tallied six top-10 finishes, marking the second time this season a manufacturer has placed six cars in the top-10 of a Cup Series event. The Bowtie brand took it one step further by achieving the highest representation of different organizations within those results with five Chevrolet organizations placing drivers in the top-10.  ·        With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.  ·        In 160 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 72 victories – a winning percentage of 45%.  ·        Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.  ·        With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 886 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup SeriesToyota/Save Mart 350Sunday, June 28, at 3:30 p.m. ETTNT Sports, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesPit Boss/FoodMaxx 250Saturday, June 27, at 5:30 p.m. ETCW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhen you think back to the moment you won at Sonoma, what does it mean to you?“Sonoma is always special to me. It’s one of those road courses where you really have to earn everything you get. Nothing comes easy. When I first came into NASCAR, tracks like this were a big challenge, but over time I’ve learned how to be more patient and how to manage the race better. Every time I come back, I think about the journey – coming from Mexico, learning these tracks, and now competing and trying to win at this level. That means a lot to me. How did your 2022 win at Sonoma Raceway change the way you think about strategy and patience on road courses?“Sonoma is one of those places where you have to stay disciplined all day long. You’ve got to take care of your tires, be smooth, and make the most of every lap. Strategy is always important, so communication with the team makes a big difference. We’ve had some ups and downs at Sonoma over the years, but every time we come back, we learn something. Hopefully, we can put together a solid race, execute when it matters most, and be there at the end.”   Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing ChevroletWhat do you think of your chances this year in the In-Season Challenge?“I’m really excited to start the In-Season Challenge this year. I feel like our road course stuff is really good, and I’m feeling really confident, especially at Sonoma. That track has become one of my favorite road courses. San Diego was a bummer, because we didn’t get the result, but we we’re really, really fast. We think we broke a toe link so really didn’t get to race the second half of the race. So we’ll just take that and go into Sonoma, and hopefully be the upset king again. Denny is on a roll this year but we will do our best and see what happens!!”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletWhy is Sonoma Raceway special to you?“Sonoma has always been a special racetrack for me because it’s my home race. I get to see a lot of family and friends there, which makes the weekend even more enjoyable. We also have a new sponsor, EchoPark Automotive, and I’m happy to have them with us in my home state. From a results standpoint, Sonoma hasn’t always been our strongest track, but we’ve consistently shown good speed there. The goal is always to win, but I feel confident that we can run inside the top 10 and put together a strong race. Last year, we had a lot of speed; we just didn’t get the finish we wanted. Overall, Sonoma is a track I really enjoy and one that will always mean a lot to me. I’m looking forward to getting back there and representing EchoPark Automotive at my home race.” As you prepare for you 500th NASCAR Cup Series start at Sonoma, what stands out most to you when you reflect on your career?“Reaching 500 Cup Series starts is something I never could have imagined when I first got behind the wheel,” said Allmendinger. “To do it at Sonoma, in my home state of California, with the men and women at Kaulig Racing makes it even more special. I’ve been fortunate to race for great teams, work alongside incredible people and enjoy the support of amazing fans throughout my career. I’m especially grateful to Matt Kaulig (Owner) and Chris Rice (CEO) for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be part of this organization. Winning races with Kaulig Racing has meant so much because of the people here and the effort everyone puts in every day.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Road course racing always brings a different kind of challenge, and Sonoma is one of the toughest ones we go to all season. I’m excited to have Brazier Lumber Company with us this weekend and looking forward to seeing what our No. 47 team can do. If we execute all day, I think we’ll have a good shot at being competitive.”   Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing ChevroletDo you like road racing?“Road racing is where I did a lot of my growing up and learning how to race. There was a lot of back and forth between stock cars and GT cars and sports cars over the years as I found my place in NASCAR. So I’m always, ‘The more the merrier,’ when it comes to road racing.” What are some of Sonoma’s characteristics that stand out to you?“Sonoma has a lot of elevation changes and it presents some pretty good passing opportunities. The layout makes for some really aggressive, tight racing. Anytime you put a stock car on a road course with that kind of elevation, it creates some really good racing. It’s one of the coolest road courses we go to, for sure.” The street course in San Diego and the road course in Sonoma both involve turning left and right, but they’re also very different. Nonetheless, does it help being in road-course mode ahead of Sonoma after having competed at San Diego?“Having back-to-back road-course weekends – the steering feel, the braking feel, the power input – it’s all still relevant. Track conditions between San Diego and Sonoma will obviously be very different, but when you only have a handful of road-course races a year, it’s hard to get into a rhythm. But at least with San Diego, we’re in a bit of a flow. It was a good refresher before tackling Sonoma.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat are the keys to getting around Sonoma?“Sonoma is a lot of fun. It’s one of those tracks where I have a lot of seat time. I spent a lot of time there before moving to North Carolina. Before going NASCAR racing, my wife and I actually lived not too far from there for a season of life. When I was young and coming up through formula cars, I worked outside of Turn 11. For me, the track is super straightforward. It’s one line, there’s not a lot of tricks, you have to manage your tires and be technical to be fast. So, I enjoy it, and it’s been good for us across the last couple of years. I think we finished second and third the last few years and picked up a top-five finish last year. I think we are close. So, it’s just a place that I am comfortable with, which is great after San Diego, where there were a lot of unknowns. I know my marks, I know my rhythm, and it all comes together well. I do think it’s still one of the tracks if you save your tires, it will pay off. At Watkins Glen now, every lap is like qualifying, just hammering down, which is fun, too. Sonoma is its own fun where you still have that technical aspect of managing everything pretty well to have a shot at the end.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhile you didn’t get the finish you were hoping for last week, you put together, arguably, the strongest road course performance of your career. How do you build off that momentum heading into Sonoma?“I am excited. I probably wasn’t super excited heading into San Diego from a performance standpoint. I was looking forward to the event and everything around it, but we were a straight-up contender throughout the weekend. Going to Sonoma, I have two great teammates to lean on. Michael (McDowell) really loves that place and is arguably one of his best tracks and Daniel (Suarez) has won there. So, I have some good data points with them, a good idea for the car, and a good setup. We had a really fast car last weekend, and I know our team will have a fast Classic Collision Chevy this week. It makes me excited that we can run strong there.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts about entering Sonoma this weekend?“I’m excited to get to Sonoma. feel like I’ve got a pretty good notebook entering my first Cup race there. It’s one of the most historic road racing tracks that we go to in the NASCAR Cup Series and one of the most beautiful tracks that NASCAR has on the schedule. Sonoma is certainly one of the more challenging road courses that we go to with the elevation changes and all the things that come with racing at Sonoma. Fortunately, I won there in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series there last year and it was one of the coolest races of the year. I got to race against SVG all race long and learn from him.” How important is it to manage your tire wear at Sonoma?“I think the biggest thing about Sonoma is that although it was paved recently, it’s important to save your tires make it last throughout the duration of a run. The track is degrading and you must manage your tires. That’s one of the things that I learned from Shane last year, not only in talking to him but watching him in the O’Reilly race there too. I got to see a lot of what Shane did on Saturday which translated to his win in the Cup race on Sunday.” How do you manage the passing zones at Sonoma?“You must use the braking zones that you have. Going into Turn 11, the last corner is a big one. You can easily make passes there and reshape your corner to get by a guy. It can be tough to pass, but there are certainly places where you can make a pass. You can set up a pass through the esses to get a good run into the last corner. The track races well but you have to be smart.” I’m excited to go to Sonoma.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletAre you looking for a different feel at Sonoma than you were at San Diego? How do you approach Sonoma from that perspective?“The car set up will be very different. At San Diego, we were very high, very soft to try to get over the bumps, get the car nice and compliant. When we go to Sonoma this weekend, it’s very smooth and high grip, so the car will be stiff and low. Everybody’s cars will be on the edge, which you have to have it like that to make grip. It’s cool to watch the differences. It’s cool to see differences in the cars on the weekend. This weekend everybody will be pushing hard and set up for the high grip.  Do you have a favorite corner at Sonoma?“I have a favorite section. At the end of Sonoma, we leave the hairpin and come down the hill, there are these fast right and left handers. Before you get to the hairpin, it’s a very challenging but rewarding section to get right. There is a lot of time you can gain or lose there. Coming back down the hill is really spectacular to watch.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCESonoma RacewayJune 27-28, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR’s west coast adventure continues on as the sport’s top-two division, the Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, wrap up back-to-back road course weekends in “The Golden State”. Trading in the southern California coastline for the picturesque hills of the Sonoma Valley Wine Country, the 1.99-mile circuit will mark the final road course race of the season for both series. Chevrolet’s quest to defend its 2025 Sonoma wins will get underway with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in Saturday’s Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250, with the Cup Series taking its turn on Sunday in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 to also mark the first round of the In-Season Challenge.

CHEVROLET AT SONOMA RACEWAY: Chevrolet will be the only manufacturer with past Sonoma winners represented across both divisions this weekend, including the track’s reigning winners Shane van Gisbergen (NCS) and Connor Zilisch (NOAPS). In an over 35-year history with the northern California circuit, the Bowtie brand has accumulated a combined 17 victories across NASCAR’s top-two divisions – highlighted by 15 all-time Cup Series wins to sit nearly double the next leading manufacturer, Ford, with eight wins. Among those triumphs includes career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon’s series-leading five victories; the track’s winningest active driver Kyle Larson with two victories; Daniel Suarez’s first career Cup Series win; and the track’s most recent winner Shane van Gisbergen. The series-leading Sonoma feats stem past just all-time wins for the Chevrolet camp, with the manufacturer also holding a record-setting win streak of four-straight Cup Series wins at the track (2003-2006) and a double-digit lead in pole wins with 18.

LEADING IN SEASON’S ROAD COURSE AVERAGESChevrolet’s driver lineup is filled with road racing prowess and this season’s results have proven just that. The NASCAR Cup Series has paid a visit to three road/street courses thus far this season including Circuit of The Americas, Watkins Glen International and the San Diego Street Course. Analyzing the field’s average finish across the three events, it’s a pair of Team Chevy drivers that sit one-two at the top of the leaderboard with a single-digit average. Topping the list is Spire Motorsports’ Michael McDowell with an impressive average finish of 5.7, highlighted by his season-best runner-up result that came in upstate New York. Not far behind is the California native, AJ Allmendinger, with a 7.0 average finish, including his first top-five result of the season that came just last weekend in San Diego. The top-10 also sees the reigning champion, Kyle Larson, in sixth with a 10.7 average finish. While his early departure last weekend dropped his average to 13.7, Shane van Gisbergen still manages to maintain the eighth-best average finish courtesy of his Watkins Glen win and a runner-up result at COTA.

ALLMENDINGER GEARING UP FOR MILESTONE STARTTeam Chevy veteran driver, AJ Allmendinger, will look to reach a monumental milestone in his home state this weekend, with a trip to Sonoma Raceway marking his 500th career NASCAR Cup Series start. Among the series’ road course ringers, the Los Gatos, California, native is a three-time winner in the sport’s top division – all of which have been earned on a road course under the Chevrolet banner. Allmendinger’s robust road course resume also extends into the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series where he holds a series-leading 11 all-time wins on the configuration. While he’s still seeking his first trip to victory lane at Sonoma Raceway, he’s been a steady fixture among the contenders in recent seasons, scoring a pair of top-six results in two of his past three starts at the circuit.

LARSON HEADING HOME ON A HOT STREAKWhile Kyle Larson’s title-defending pursuit has been nothing short of turbulent, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team have been finding their footing during the early stretch of the second-half of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season. Dating back one month ago to Charlotte Motor Speedway, a fifth-place finish kickstarted a stretch of four top-fives in the past five races, including a streak of three-straight heading into his home race at Sonoma Raceway. With a podium finish at San Diego, the California native holds the second-best average finish over the past five races at 8.0. The northern California circuit serves as the perfect opportunity for Larson to boost that average even more. In 11 starts at the track, Larson owns two career wins to lead the series’ active drivers, accompanied by a series-leading average starting position of 4.5, two top-fives and four top-10s.

ROAD COURSE RINGERS READY TO REBOUNDWhile it was a disappointing ending to the inaugural San Diego weekend for Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch, a trip up the coast to Sonoma Raceway serves as the prime opportunity for a reset. Both drivers know what it takes to reach victory lane at the 1.99-mile circuit, with the New Zealand native holding a win in both the Cup (2025) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2024) at the track. For the ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender, Sunday might mark his first career Cup Series start at Sonoma, but he’ll return to the track as the defending winner in the sport’s second-level series. The pair of road course ringers are also slated to return to the JR Motorsports stable for a double-duty weekend with Van Gisbergen returning to the seat of the No. 9 Chevrolet and Zilisch back behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet – both of which have been race-winning pairings this season.

HILL HITS A CAREER-FIRSTA late-race surge and dramatic last-lap pass at San Diego saw Austin Hill and the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet team earn their second trip to victory lane of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. While he’s a series veteran with 16 wins in the second-level series, it was a career-first feat for the Georgia native as he became a first-time road course winner. The outing was enough to see Hill re-enter the top-five of the points standings heading into part two of NASCAR’s California adventure. In the series’ short three-year stint at the circuit, Hill has tallied a pair of top-eight finishes, with this best result of fifth coming in the 2024 event.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway:  Kyle Larson – two wins (2024, 2021)Daniel Suarez – one win (2022)Shane van Gisbergen – one win (2025) ·        In 26 NASCAR Cup Series road/street course events in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads the series with 18 victories – recorded by eight drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations. ·        In three road/street course events for the NASCAR Cup Series season, Team Chevy’s Michael McDowell and AJ Allmendinger has earned an average finish of 5.7 and 7.0, respectively, to lead the series.  ·        At Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet tallied six top-10 finishes, marking the second time this season a manufacturer has placed six cars in the top-10 of a Cup Series event. The Bowtie brand took it one step further by achieving the highest representation of different organizations within those results with five Chevrolet organizations placing drivers in the top-10.  ·        With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.  ·        In 160 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 72 victories – a winning percentage of 45%.  ·        Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.  ·        With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 886 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup SeriesToyota/Save Mart 350Sunday, June 28, at 3:30 p.m. ETTNT Sports, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesPit Boss/FoodMaxx 250Saturday, June 27, at 5:30 p.m. ETCW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhen you think back to the moment you won at Sonoma, what does it mean to you?“Sonoma is always special to me. It’s one of those road courses where you really have to earn everything you get. Nothing comes easy. When I first came into NASCAR, tracks like this were a big challenge, but over time I’ve learned how to be more patient and how to manage the race better. Every time I come back, I think about the journey – coming from Mexico, learning these tracks, and now competing and trying to win at this level. That means a lot to me. How did your 2022 win at Sonoma Raceway change the way you think about strategy and patience on road courses?“Sonoma is one of those places where you have to stay disciplined all day long. You’ve got to take care of your tires, be smooth, and make the most of every lap. Strategy is always important, so communication with the team makes a big difference. We’ve had some ups and downs at Sonoma over the years, but every time we come back, we learn something. Hopefully, we can put together a solid race, execute when it matters most, and be there at the end.”   Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing ChevroletWhat do you think of your chances this year in the In-Season Challenge?“I’m really excited to start the In-Season Challenge this year. I feel like our road course stuff is really good, and I’m feeling really confident, especially at Sonoma. That track has become one of my favorite road courses. San Diego was a bummer, because we didn’t get the result, but we we’re really, really fast. We think we broke a toe link so really didn’t get to race the second half of the race. So we’ll just take that and go into Sonoma, and hopefully be the upset king again. Denny is on a roll this year but we will do our best and see what happens!!”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletWhy is Sonoma Raceway special to you?“Sonoma has always been a special racetrack for me because it’s my home race. I get to see a lot of family and friends there, which makes the weekend even more enjoyable. We also have a new sponsor, EchoPark Automotive, and I’m happy to have them with us in my home state. From a results standpoint, Sonoma hasn’t always been our strongest track, but we’ve consistently shown good speed there. The goal is always to win, but I feel confident that we can run inside the top 10 and put together a strong race. Last year, we had a lot of speed; we just didn’t get the finish we wanted. Overall, Sonoma is a track I really enjoy and one that will always mean a lot to me. I’m looking forward to getting back there and representing EchoPark Automotive at my home race.” As you prepare for you 500th NASCAR Cup Series start at Sonoma, what stands out most to you when you reflect on your career?“Reaching 500 Cup Series starts is something I never could have imagined when I first got behind the wheel,” said Allmendinger. “To do it at Sonoma, in my home state of California, with the men and women at Kaulig Racing makes it even more special. I’ve been fortunate to race for great teams, work alongside incredible people and enjoy the support of amazing fans throughout my career. I’m especially grateful to Matt Kaulig (Owner) and Chris Rice (CEO) for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be part of this organization. Winning races with Kaulig Racing has meant so much because of the people here and the effort everyone puts in every day.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Road course racing always brings a different kind of challenge, and Sonoma is one of the toughest ones we go to all season. I’m excited to have Brazier Lumber Company with us this weekend and looking forward to seeing what our No. 47 team can do. If we execute all day, I think we’ll have a good shot at being competitive.”   Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing ChevroletDo you like road racing?“Road racing is where I did a lot of my growing up and learning how to race. There was a lot of back and forth between stock cars and GT cars and sports cars over the years as I found my place in NASCAR. So I’m always, ‘The more the merrier,’ when it comes to road racing.” What are some of Sonoma’s characteristics that stand out to you?“Sonoma has a lot of elevation changes and it presents some pretty good passing opportunities. The layout makes for some really aggressive, tight racing. Anytime you put a stock car on a road course with that kind of elevation, it creates some really good racing. It’s one of the coolest road courses we go to, for sure.” The street course in San Diego and the road course in Sonoma both involve turning left and right, but they’re also very different. Nonetheless, does it help being in road-course mode ahead of Sonoma after having competed at San Diego?“Having back-to-back road-course weekends – the steering feel, the braking feel, the power input – it’s all still relevant. Track conditions between San Diego and Sonoma will obviously be very different, but when you only have a handful of road-course races a year, it’s hard to get into a rhythm. But at least with San Diego, we’re in a bit of a flow. It was a good refresher before tackling Sonoma.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat are the keys to getting around Sonoma?“Sonoma is a lot of fun. It’s one of those tracks where I have a lot of seat time. I spent a lot of time there before moving to North Carolina. Before going NASCAR racing, my wife and I actually lived not too far from there for a season of life. When I was young and coming up through formula cars, I worked outside of Turn 11. For me, the track is super straightforward. It’s one line, there’s not a lot of tricks, you have to manage your tires and be technical to be fast. So, I enjoy it, and it’s been good for us across the last couple of years. I think we finished second and third the last few years and picked up a top-five finish last year. I think we are close. So, it’s just a place that I am comfortable with, which is great after San Diego, where there were a lot of unknowns. I know my marks, I know my rhythm, and it all comes together well. I do think it’s still one of the tracks if you save your tires, it will pay off. At Watkins Glen now, every lap is like qualifying, just hammering down, which is fun, too. Sonoma is its own fun where you still have that technical aspect of managing everything pretty well to have a shot at the end.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhile you didn’t get the finish you were hoping for last week, you put together, arguably, the strongest road course performance of your career. How do you build off that momentum heading into Sonoma?“I am excited. I probably wasn’t super excited heading into San Diego from a performance standpoint. I was looking forward to the event and everything around it, but we were a straight-up contender throughout the weekend. Going to Sonoma, I have two great teammates to lean on. Michael (McDowell) really loves that place and is arguably one of his best tracks and Daniel (Suarez) has won there. So, I have some good data points with them, a good idea for the car, and a good setup. We had a really fast car last weekend, and I know our team will have a fast Classic Collision Chevy this week. It makes me excited that we can run strong there.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts about entering Sonoma this weekend?“I’m excited to get to Sonoma. feel like I’ve got a pretty good notebook entering my first Cup race there. It’s one of the most historic road racing tracks that we go to in the NASCAR Cup Series and one of the most beautiful tracks that NASCAR has on the schedule. Sonoma is certainly one of the more challenging road courses that we go to with the elevation changes and all the things that come with racing at Sonoma. Fortunately, I won there in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series there last year and it was one of the coolest races of the year. I got to race against SVG all race long and learn from him.” How important is it to manage your tire wear at Sonoma?“I think the biggest thing about Sonoma is that although it was paved recently, it’s important to save your tires make it last throughout the duration of a run. The track is degrading and you must manage your tires. That’s one of the things that I learned from Shane last year, not only in talking to him but watching him in the O’Reilly race there too. I got to see a lot of what Shane did on Saturday which translated to his win in the Cup race on Sunday.” How do you manage the passing zones at Sonoma?“You must use the braking zones that you have. Going into Turn 11, the last corner is a big one. You can easily make passes there and reshape your corner to get by a guy. It can be tough to pass, but there are certainly places where you can make a pass. You can set up a pass through the esses to get a good run into the last corner. The track races well but you have to be smart.” I’m excited to go to Sonoma.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletAre you looking for a different feel at Sonoma than you were at San Diego? How do you approach Sonoma from that perspective?“The car set up will be very different. At San Diego, we were very high, very soft to try to get over the bumps, get the car nice and compliant. When we go to Sonoma this weekend, it’s very smooth and high grip, so the car will be stiff and low. Everybody’s cars will be on the edge, which you have to have it like that to make grip. It’s cool to watch the differences. It’s cool to see differences in the cars on the weekend. This weekend everybody will be pushing hard and set up for the high grip.  Do you have a favorite corner at Sonoma?“I have a favorite section. At the end of Sonoma, we leave the hairpin and come down the hill, there are these fast right and left handers. Before you get to the hairpin, it’s a very challenging but rewarding section to get right. There is a lot of time you can gain or lose there. Coming back down the hill is really spectacular to watch.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturer Championships:Total (1949-2025): 44First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2025 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Driver Championships:Total (1949-2025): 34First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29 Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2026 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 5Poles: 4Laps Led: 1,315Top-Fives: 32Top-10s: 61Stage Wins: 13 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 886 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 770Laps led to date: 258,049Top-fives to date: 4,468Top-10s to date: 9,212                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,220           Chevrolet: 886           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 848                                                                                          Ford: 748           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 214