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The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will turn to its third of seven road courses for the 2021 season on Sunday as racers prepare to take on Sonoma Raceway for the Toyota Save Mart 350.
Chase Elliott is the favorite heading into Sunday’s race, having won five of the last six road courses — including the most recent, the Circuit of the Americas, on May 23. He is also NASCAR’s active leader in road course victories with six. Yet despite his run of recent success, Elliott has not yet won at Sonoma.
Moreover, Martin Truex Jr. is the two-time defending champion at Sonoma, having last won the event in 2019 (the 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). He won his first race there in 2013, making him the active leader in wins at the track.
MORE: Watch today’s NASCAR race live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)
Will either of Elliott or Truex win on Sunday, or will another racer take the crown at Sonoma? There’s NASCAR Cup Series points leader Denny Hamlin, who despite having no victories this year has 11 top-10 finishes, including nine in the top five. Then there’s Kyle Larson, whose dominance at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, N.C., made him only the second driver with multiple wins this season (the other being Truex, with three wins).
Sporting News is tracking live updates and highlights at Sonoma Raceway for the Toyota Save Mart 350:
NASCAR at Sonoma live updates, highlights from Toyota Save Mart 350
This section will be updated closer to the waving of the green flag.
6:04 p.m.: You can never count Larson out, it seems (he’s actually up to second as of the time of this update).
5:56 p.m.: And there’s Elliott in the lead!
5:48 p.m.: Kurt Busch, Elliott, Byron, Kyle Busch and Keselowski make up your top five heading into the final stage. Only 45 laps remaining.
5:47 p.m.: More bad news for Wallace. He was down a lap when he pitted for his flat tire and, because he entered pit row when it was closed, is ineligible to get a free pass under the caution.
5:36 p.m.: Caution 4 (Lap 40). And there’s the second stage in the books. Larson wins his sixth straight stage, giving him a NASCAR-leading 11 on the season.
The full top 10:
- Kyle Larson
- Joey Logano
- Alex Bowman
- Kurt Busch
- Chase Elliott
- WIlliam Byron
- Kyle Busch
- Brad Keselowski
- Denny Hamlin
- Christopher Bell
5:34 p.m.: Bad luck for Bubba Wallace, who got a flat on his rear left tire after driving into the top 10. It looked as if he might have lost some rubber, but it appears the caution won’t come out on the final lap of the stage.
5:31 p.m.: Curious interaction from Elliott and Byron.
5:24 p.m.: Your top 10 drivers coming out of the caution with six laps remaining in the stage:
- Kyle Larson
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Ross Chastain
- Joey Logano
- Alex Bowman
- Erik Jones
- Ryan Preece
- Chase Briscoe
- Corey LaJoie
- Daniel Suarez
5:16 p.m.: Caution 3 (Lap 31). Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s off the course just after the starting line, into the grass. He seems to have sustained some damage and is driving on a flat front-right tire. He also hit the barrier, which might require some work.
5:13 p.m.: And now Byron is your leader halfway through Stage 2.
5:12 p.m.: Bowman and Reddick are out here playing bumper cars.
5:05 p.m.: Your top 10 coming out of caution:
- Kurt Busch
- Matt DiBendetto
- Brad Keselowski
- Ryan Blaney
- Denny Hamlin
- Christopher Bell
- Cole Custer
- William Byron
- Aric Almirola
- Ross Chastain
4:58 p.m.: Interesting. Kurt Busch and DiBenedetto didn’t pit under the caution; they’re now your top two racers coming out of the caution, respectively.
4:52 p.m.: Caution 2 (Lap 20). Surprise, Larson wins another stage. He’s first after 20 laps at Sonoma. The entire top 10:
- Kyle Larson
- Chase Elliott
- Kyle Busch
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Alex Bowman
- Austin Dillon
- Tyler Reddick
- Kurt Busch
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Erik Jones
4:39 p.m.: Larson and Elliott retake the top two spots, followed by Byron, Kyle Busch and Truex in the top five.
4:34 p.m.: This nifty move helped Hamlin take the lead heading into the competition caution:
4:31 p.m.: Caution 1 (Lap 10). And there’s the competition caution. Denny Hamlin has assumed the lead following several pits. He’s followed by Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney and Cole Custer in the top five. Larson falls to six, followed by Chase Elliott, James Davison, WIlliam Byron and Kyle Busch in the top 10.
4:24 p.m.: That’s a slightly sharper turn than drivers are typically used to:
4:19 p.m.: Kyle Larson is picking up right where he left off, leading each of the first five laps from Sonoma.
4:14 p.m.: And there they go!
4:08 p.m.: Anthony Alfredo (body panel infraction, crew chief ejected) and Scott Heckert (unapproved adjustments) have been moved to the back of the lineup.
4:06 p.m.: Nice energy from the 49ers head coach:
4:04 p.m.: Sunday’s 90-lap, 226.8-mile race will have three stages, concluding at 20, 40 and 90 laps. There’s also a 10-lap competition caution.
3:53 p.m.: NASCAR, wine and Guy Fieri, that’s what California does.
NASCAR start time today
The green flag for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., is scheduled to wave at 4:14 p.m. ET.
Drivers can expect to race in good weather. The National Weather Service forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s at the road course. Wind could become an issue with gusts up to 32 mph possible.
NASCAR starting lineup at Sonoma
Here is the complete NASCAR starting lineup for Sunday’s race at Sonoma Raceway, the Toyota Save Mart 350:
Start pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
1 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
2 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
3 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
4 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
5 | Kyle Busch | 18 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
6 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
7 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
8 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
9 | Brad Keselowski | 2 | Team Penske |
10 | Tyler Reddick | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
11 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
12 | Chris Buescher | 17 | Roush Fenway Racing |
13 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
14 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
15 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
16 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing Team |
17 | Matt DiBenedetto | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
18 | Erik Jones | 43 | Richard Petty Motorsports |
19 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
20 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
21 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
22 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
23 | Cole Custer | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
24 | Ryan Newman | 6 | Roush Fenway Racing |
25 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
26 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
27 | Ryan Preece | 37 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
28 | Anthony Alfredo | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
29 | Ross Chastain | 42 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
30 | Kurt Busch | 1 | Chip Ganassi Racing |
31 | Ben Rhodes | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
32 | James Davison | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
33 | Quin Houff | 00 | StarCom Racing |
34 | Garrett Smithley | 53 | Rick Ware Racing |
35 | Scott Heckert | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
36 | Josh Bilicki | 52 | Rick Ware Racing |
37 | Cody Ware | 51 | Petty Ware Racing |