NASCAR Sonoma Sunday, June 5, 2022
SONOMA RACEWAY NASCAR CUP SERIES STATS HIGHLIGHTS
33rd NASCAR Cup Series Sonoma Raceway race – First race: 1989 (Ricky Rudd winner)
16th of 36 races this season – 11 Races before Playoffs – 21 Races remaining this season
2nd of 6 road course races this season
Sonoma wins:
Martin Truex Jr. 3
Kyle Busch 2
Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson 1
Champions winless at Sonoma:
Chase Elliott: 5 Races – Best finish: 2nd (2021)
Brad Keselowski: 11 Races – Best finish: 3rd (2017)
Joey Logano: 12 Races – Best finish: 3rd (2016)
Kyle Larson
2021 Sonoma winner – Started 1st, Stage 1 & 2 winner, 57 laps led, 60 points scored (2nd of 3 straight wins – Charlotte, Sonoma & Nashville
Winner pit stops: Kyle Larson (5 Stops) Lap 10 (green), 22, 42, 64 (green), 73
Longest green flag run: 27 Laps (45-71)
Top 5 Stage 1 & 2: Kyle Larson (1st & 1st), Chase Elliott (2nd & 5th), Alex Bowman (5th & 3rd)
Speeding: Bubba Wallace 14th
Rear of field: Scott Heckert 26th & Anthony Alfredo 31st
Best Hendrick: Kyle Larson 1st
Best Gibbs: Martin Truex Jr. 3rd
Best Stewart-Haas: Chase Briscoe 17th
Best Penske: Joey Logano 4th
20 Different winners in 32 NASCAR Cup Series Sonoma races
6 California drivers won 11 Sonoma races
5 Won Sonoma & championship in same year –
’98 J. Gordon, ’05 Stewart, ’10 Johnson, ’15 Kyle Busch & ’21 Larson
Kyle Larson is only driver to win Sonoma after winning previous race of season (2021 Charlotte & Sonoma winner)
Kyle Larson started first last 4 Sonoma races – Finished 26th, 14th, 10th & 1st
Only 1 winner from first starting last 16 Sonoma races – Kyle Larson won 2021
6 Sonoma races won from first starting position
2 Won consecutive Sonoma races – Jeff Gordon (1998, ’99 & ’00) & Martin Truex Jr. (2018 & ’19)
Martin Truex Jr. only repeat winner last 12 Sonoma races (3 Wins) – 9 Others 1 win each
Martin Truex Jr. tied for 2nd all-time in Sonoma wins with Tony Stewart (3) – Jeff Gordon leads all with 5 wins
Martin Truex Jr. won Sonoma with 3 different teams – Michael Waltrip Racing, Furniture Row Racing & Joe Gibbs Racing
Martin Truex Jr. led most laps 3 of last 4 Sonoma races – Finished 37th in 2017 & Winner 2018 & ‘19
Martin Truex Jr. led most laps 4 of last 8 Sonoma races – 3 Wins
Longest winless streaks ended at Sonoma:
Martin Truex Jr. 218 races (2013), Tony Stewart 84 (2016), Robby Gordon 51 (2003) & Mark Martin 42 (1997)
9 of last 14 winners scored their first career road course win at Sonoma
First Sonoma win for 10 of last 14 winners
Only win of season for 6 Sonoma winners
16 Scored first win of season at Sonoma including 6 of last 10 winners
First win of season for 3 of last 6 Sonoma winners – Kyle Busch (’15), Stewart (’16) & Harvick (’17)
Only 1 scored first career win at Sonoma – Juan Pablo Montoya (2007)
Drivers starting in top 5 won 17 of 32 NASCAR Cup Series Sonoma races
9 of 32 Sonoma winners started outside top 10
13 Sonoma lead changes in 2021 – Tied for most (2017)
Most laps led from start of Sonoma race: 37 – Jeff Gordon (1998)
Most laps led to Sonoma finish: 53 – Ricky Rudd (1989)
Joey Logano passed for final lead change last Sonoma race – Finished 4th
2 Won Sonoma in first try – Ricky Rudd 1989 & Juan Pablo Montoya 2007
Most tries before first Sonoma win – Kevin Harvick won in 17th try in 2017
Juan Pablo Montoya only Rookie of the Year contender to finish top 5 in Sonoma race – 2007 Winner
Rookie of the Year contender finished 15th or worse last 11 Sonoma races
Longest green flag run at Sonoma: 82 Laps 1-82 (2012)
Longest green flag run to finish Sonoma: 56 Laps (2018)
Final green run 9 laps or less 18 Sonoma races
4 Sonoma Overtime finishes – Leader at scheduled distance won all 4
Chevrolet leads all with 12 Sonoma wins
2019 Return of Carousel for first time since 1997
18 States represented first Sonoma race in 1989 – 8 From California