Toyota/Save Mart 350 Race Preview

Infineon Raceway -- 06/22/08

Author: Becca Gladden

Published: Thursday Jun 19 2008 9:27pm

"It makes your head spin."

That's what driver Elliott Sadler thinks of the road course race coming up this weekend in California.

I think the same might be said of the race's various nicknames. In fact, Sunday's road course race has almost as many names as it does turns.

The race itself is titled the "Toyota/Save Mart 350," while the track it's being held on, Infineon Raceway, was formally known as Sears Point - that is, until the year 2002, when the Infineon company bought the track naming rights. It is located in Sonoma, California, about 45 minutes south of San Francisco.

So, whether you hear someone refer to this race by its proper name, or as "Sonoma," "Infineon," or even "Sears Point," it's all the same thing.

Elaborating on his message, Elliott Sadler, with four top-10 finishes at Sonoma, said, "You get absolutely no breaks at that track. You are constantly thinking of what to do next, where and when to turn, what marks to hit, and when to brake. There are 10 turns there and you go from the left to right so many times all day it makes your head spin. You cannot have any mistakes through the turns or you end up off the course."

Staying on top of the many physical and mental challenges in road course racing was a common theme among drivers in their race previews this week. Denny Hamlin (+2250), who finished 2nd here last year, notes, "It's tough mastering this road course because you need to be aware of your shifting, the condition of your brakes, and all the while you're thinking about fuel mileage, and the next opportunity to pass."

Another thing that makes road course racing different from the ovals is the presence of the "ringers" - drivers who specialize in road racing - who are hired by some teams on a one-off basis to improve the team's chances of winning or finishing well here.

Among the ringers in this race are Scott Pruett, sitting in for Reed Sorenson in the No. 41 car, and Ron Fellows (+1850), who will pilot the No. 01 in place of Regan Smith. Max Papis, Brian Simo, Brandon Ash, and Boris Said (+1850) are also on the entry list.

In reality, a road-course ringer has never won a Cup race at Infineon, though Boris Said has achieved four top-10 finishes. Nevertheless, a top-15 or top-20 finish might be crucial for teams that are struggling or teetering on the brink of dropping out of the top 35 in owner's points. Overall, a ringer hasn’t won a road course race in over 30 years.

The NASCAR Cup series first raced at Sears Point in 1989, making this weekend the 20th race held here. The track is a 1.99 mile twisting course with 10 turns including a series of challenging esses and changes in elevation throughout the course.

A quick glance at the Sonoma winners list reveals one name dominating the statistics: Jeff Gordon (+405). Gordon won three straight here from 1998-2000 and twice after that (2004, 2006), giving him a total of 5 victories in the past 10 races.

Not surprisingly, Gordon has the best average finish among active drivers (with more than two starts) at Sonoma, a 9.7. He has started on the pole five times and, in 15 total starts, has nine top 5s and 11 top 10s, including his five victories. He's also led 437 laps. Incidentally, Gordon has four wins at NASCAR's other road course in Watkins Glen, NY.

Following close behind Gordon in the average finish category is Ryan Newman (+2550) at 9.8 and Tony Stewart (+415) at 10.0. Though Newman hasn't won here, he has four top 10s in six starts, including a 2nd in 2006. Meanwhile, Stewart is the only driver besides Gordon to win more than once at Sonoma, posting victories in 2001 and 2005, and finishing 2nd in 2002.

Robby Gordon (+985) and Juan Pablo Montoya (+685) have each won once, with Montoya the victor last year.

Greg Biffle (+3850), while not widely known for his road racing achievements, may present an intriguing option for bettors. Biffle is riding two straight top-5 Infineon finishes into Sunday's race - a 4th in 2006 and a 5th last year.

In fact, Biffle leads all drivers in total points earned at Sonoma over the past three races, followed by Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch (+2025), Ryan Newman, and Elliott Sadler. Another possible contender is Kevin Harvick (+1085), who finished 2nd here last year.

Current points leader Kyle Busch (+1550), has made three Cup starts at Sonoma, with finishes of 40th, 11th, and 8th. Jeff Burton (+5000), 2nd in points, has three top 10s in his past four Infineon starts, including a 3rd last year.

As has so often been the case this year, the above facts and stats may not play out as expected due to the full-schedule implementation of the Car of Tomorrow/Today. "You can't carry the corner speed with this car like you could with the older version," notes Jeff Gordon. "We're on bump stops in the front, so the front suspension reacts quite differently. Going up the front straightaway to Turn One, you're braking and turning at the same time. You have to be careful about loading one corner of the car too abruptly under the braking zones."

If nothing else, Sunday's race should prove an entertaining change of pace for both fans and drivers.