A road course coming soon! The NASCAR Cup Series heads west this week for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, one of five road or street courses in the NASCAR this year. And you know what that means: a race full of surprises!
As we do every week, we threw our NASCAR questions at Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi, including what to think about the whole Kyle Larson waiver drama, who they like in Sonoma and their favorite picks. They also give us their thoughts on the one piece of NASCAR memorabilia they’d like to own.
The race will take place on Sunday, June 9 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
1. Jeff, you wrote An Open Letter to NASCAR asking them to grant Kyle Larson a waiver — what they finally did —and it’s gotten a LOT of attention. People have feelings! WE have feelings! How much goodwill do you both think NASCAR executives have lost because of this, and/or how quickly will it all go away?
Jeff: The case seemed to drag on unnecessarily and was certainly a record for the length of time a waiver decision was taken. In the end, NASCAR officials came to the correct and reasonable conclusion, but it’s certainly frustrating that it took this long. That said, I doubt it will last. By the time the Sonoma race is over this weekend, it will likely be an afterthought — at least until the next waiver controversy arises. Had the decision gone the other way, it would have been a talking point all season long.
Jordan: It’s not a problem, and going forward, any discussion about whether Larson should have been granted a waiver and how the process was handled is over. But as Jeff pointed out, if Larson hadn’t been granted a waiver, it absolutely would have been a topic that would have remained at the forefront throughout the season.
NEWS: @KyleLarsonRacin obtained an exemption and maintains his eligibility for the #NASCAR Playoffs. pic.twitter.com/bUOPgxCzez
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 4, 2024
2. A follow-up question to that. The waiver system itself seems a bit controversial. Can you explain why it exists, why some fans think it’s unnecessary, and why the rules aren’t clearer on what actions are eligible for a waiver?
Jeff: NASCAR has never been very clear about when this waiver might be applied, which is part of the problem. Fans, drivers and members of the media have had different opinions about when it will be granted, but no one outside of NASCAR knows for sure. I remember the day it was announced a few years ago, one of the questions was whether a driver could miss a race to attend the birth of his child — and even that was vague. NASCAR probably wrote the rule to be vague on purpose, so it could judge on a case-by-case basis. Ultimately, though, officials simply don’t want drivers taking a week off or resting before the playoffs; that’s why most waivers have been approved over the years. But is it really necessary? Probably not, because no top driver is going to want to miss the opportunity to collect playoff points.
Jordan: As Jeff explained, the waiver rule exists for many reasons. But another reason is that NASCAR wants to make sure its star drivers compete in every race so that fans who attend an event or watch it on TV know they’re watching the best in the sport compete at all times. What NASCAR doesn’t want is to have a system like professional golf or tennis where stars only compete in select tournaments. And while awarding playoff bonus points is one way to discourage someone from missing a race, implementing the waiver rule effectively erases any doubt that a driver might try to take a week off.
3. Back to racing! Few thought Team Penske’s Austin Cindric would win last Sunday. It was Penske’s first regular-season win (Penske’s Joey Logano finished fifth, but Ryan Blaney literally ran out of gas). Do they seem to have found a solution and moved into a more consistent position, or is this an exception?
Jeff: Gateway is a bit of an unusual track, but there’s no arguing with the pace of the Penske cars. They were 1-2-3 in the fastest 10-lap averages during practice, and then it looked like Blaney and Cindric were going to go 1-2 until Blaney ran out of gas. It’s definitely something to keep in mind for the upcoming races at Iowa and especially New Hampshire, but it would still be nice to see more consistent pace before jumping to conclusions.
Jordan: Overall, the Ford teams have found more speed in recent races. In addition to Penske coming back to life, RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher have both seen significant improvement over the past month and change. For Penske specifically, Cindric’s win is significant. It’s Penske’s first point-scoring race win since last October, a long streak for an organization that has won back-to-back championships and shouldn’t go that long without a win.
4. Since this is the last week for one of the participants here, there’s a good chance that a lot of the memorabilia and simulation questions will die down (but the wine questions might increase!). I just wanted to thank you both for the advice you’ve given me over the years, including the one-on-one with Raj Caruth, as he now has a relatively large presence in my card collection. My question today is this: If you could own one thing in NASCAR history, like Bristol dirt or Richard Petty mustache clippings, what would it be?
Jeff: This is such an incredible question that it had me thinking about it for a long time. I was tempted to go for a pair of Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s sunglasses since I never got to cover “The Intimidator” or see him race in person. They’re certainly iconic. But really, how could you pass up one of Richard Petty’s iconic Charlie 1 Horse hats (a hat he wore himself, of course)? Just by looking at the silhouette of the hat, you immediately know who it belongs to. Imagine that thing sitting in a box in your office. The king’s crown, basically!
Jordan: One of Richard Petty’s cowboy hats would be awesome. It’s such a distinctive look that even some non-NASCAR fans would probably recognize it. Other cool items that would make a great collectible: something from the meeting Bill France Sr. held at the Streamline Hotel to form NASCAR; the race car a fan stole and took for a drive before the 1986 spring race at Talladega; the lucky coin Dale Earnhardt Sr. had stuck in his car when he finally won the Daytona 500.
Richard Petty and one of his famous hats (John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
5. Wine Lover Question of the Week: What is Sonoma Raceway like? It looks fancy and has a lot of great wine! What should new fans know about the track and the culture of this race?
Jeff: Sonoma is usually my favorite trip of the year. The track is in a beautiful area, nestled in those brown hills of Northern California. It’s not in the heart of wine country, but it’s not too far away either. You can also get to San Francisco pretty easily, as the track is just north of the city. As for the track itself, there are some surprising elevation changes (more than you see on TV) and the weather is usually beautiful this time of year. Plus, as someone who grew up in the Bay Area, it always feels like a homecoming to me. It’s usually more of a casual NASCAR crowd than, say, a place like Talladega, but it’s always a great mix of enthusiastic people and there’s a great atmosphere.
Jordan: Wine + NASCAR = Good times.
6. Who would you like to see win in Sonoma?
Jeff: There has only been one road course race so far this season – at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin – and it didn’t have any “natural” cautions. The only yellow flags were for stage breaks. Expect a similar race this weekend as the Next Gen cars are easier to keep on track than the previous model, which had a lot of wheel hop that pushed drivers into making mistakes. So that means for the long runs, you’ll probably need the best road course racers to do it. William Byron dominated the race at COTA, but Christopher Bell almost managed to get back in front after being buried under track position. So I’ll be picking Bell (+800), who could be coming off a two-race win streak if not for an engine issue last week at Gateway.
Jordan: Elliott appears poised to pick up a few wins and establish himself as a title contender. That streak could very well begin at Sonoma, a track where he has finished eighth or better in four of the last five races and is often a regular at the front of the field. A second Elliott win of the season on Sunday would not surprise anyone.
7. Who has the potential to achieve this?
Jeff: Road courses are ripe for surprises. Daniel Suarez won his first career here a few years ago, and Michael McDowell dominated the Indianapolis road course last season. There are two Australian Supercars drivers in the field (championship leader Will Brown and Cam Waters), so they’re worth keeping an eye on after seeing what Shane van Gisbergen did in Chicago last year. Chase Briscoe is way too low at +10000 (he’s won two Xfinity Series road courses and has also come close to the Cup Series), so you might want to take a chance on him as well.
Jordan: The odds on Penske teammates Joey Logano (+3000) and Ryan Blaney (+3500) are too high for two drivers who have already won on a road course and are coming into the game on a roll (see above). That’s especially true for Logano, whose 12.9 points average is third-best among active drivers.
Odds for Toyota/Save Mart 350 Race Winner
Odds by BetMGM.
(Photo by Austin Cindric: Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
