After running the longest race of their season, the NASCAR Cup Series drivers and teams will turn their attention back to road racing this weekend. The action heads out to the west coast as Sonoma Raceway is set to host its first NASCAR race since 2019 this Sunday. Unlike the last two weeks, there will be no live practice or qualifying this week. As such, the performance metrics formula is once again responsible for generating the Toyota Save Mart 350 starting lineup.

This article contains all kinds of vital information to get you set for this weekend’s action at Sonoma Raceway. Read on for the Toyota Save Mart 350 starting lineup, start time, race facts and NASCAR stats.

Credit: Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat

NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway

Toyota Save Mart 350
Date: Sunday, June 6, 2021
Start Time: 4 p.m. EST
Track: Sonoma Raceway — Sonoma County, CA
Coverage: FS1
Pole Sitter: Kyle Larson
Defending Champion: Martin Truex Jr. (2019)

Toyota Save Mart 350 Race Details

Distance: 217.48 miles (350 kilometers)
Laps: 90
Lap Length: 2.52 miles
Stages: Three (Laps 1-20; 21-40; 41-90)
Surface: Asphalt
Turns: 12

Toyota Save Mart 350 Starting Lineup

See below for a breakdown of qualifying.

Starting PositionDriverCar NumberTeamManufacturer
1Cole Custer41Stewart-Haas RacingFord
2Christopher Bell20Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
3Tyler Reddick8Richard Childress RacingChevrolet
4Chase Briscoe14Stewart-Haas RacingFord
5Kyle Larson5Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
6Justin Haley31Kaulig RacingChevrolet
7Ty Dillon42Petty GMS MotorsportsChevrolet
8Alex Bowman48Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
9Chase Elliott9Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
10Joey Logano22Team PenskeFord
11Kyle Busch18Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
12Austin Dillon3Richard Childress RacingChevrolet
13Kurt Busch4523XI RacingToyota
14Erik Jones43Petty GMS MotorsportsChevrolet
15Chris Buescher17Roush Fenway Keselowski RacingFord
16Ricky Stenhouse Jr.47JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet
17Michael McDowell34Front Row MotorsportsFord
18Brad Keselowski6Roush Fenway Keselowski RacingFord
19William Byron24Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet
20Austin Cindric2Team PenskeFord
21Daniel Suarez99Trackhouse RacingChevrolet
22Bubba Wallace2323XI RacingToyota
23Todd Gilliland38Front Row MotorsportsFord
24Harrison Burton21Wood Brothers RacingFord
25Ryan Blaney12Team PenskeFord
26Corey LaJoie7Spire MotorsportsChevrolet
27Justin Allgaier77Spire MotorsportsChevrolet
28Noah Gragson16Kaulig RacingChevrolet
29J.J. Yeley15Rick Ware RacingFord
30Martin Truex Jr.19Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
31Aric Almirola10Stewart-Haas RacingFord
32Kevin Harvick4Stewart-Haas RacingFord
33Ross Chastain1Trackhouse RacingChevrolet
34Denny Hamlin11Joe Gibbs RacingToyota
35Cody Ware51Rick Ware RacingFord
36Josh Williams78Live Fast MotorsportsFord

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Overview

Following the interruption to racing last season, NASCAR did away with practice and qualifying runs at the majority of races. A combination of grouped draws and a performance-metrics formula were used to determine starting grids. That same formula remains in place for the majority of races on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, including this weekend’s Toyota Save Mart 350 starting lineup.

So, what exactly is involved in the performance-metrics formula? Well, it draws on a number of factors including individual race performances and seaosn-long results. The following breakdown illustrates the weighted grades associated with each component of NASCAR’s metrics formula:

NASCAR Cup Series Metrics Formula Breakdown

  • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
  • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
  • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
  • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
Credit: HHP/Andrew Coppley

Toyota Save Mart 350 Race History and NASCAR Stats

  • This race has utilized four different Sonoma Raceway layouts over the years. The first-ever running in 1989 was held on the full 2.52-mile course. It remained that way until 1998 when NASCAR switched to running on the 1.949-mile layout.
  • In 2019, NASCAR made the decision to revert to the original 2.52-mile layout. This marked the first time in 22 years that the ‘Carousel’ section of Sonoma Raceway was included in the race.
  • From 1989-2001, the course only had 34 pit stalls. Race teams were actually required to share pit boxes in the first dozen editions of the Toyota Save Mart 350!
  • This race was not held last season due to virus-related restrictions in the state of California. NASCAR moved it to Charlotte as a result.
  • Jeff Gordon tops the all-time driver wins list in this race with five career victories, good for two more than any other driver in history.
  • Among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers, Martin Truex Jr. holds the most victories in this race with three. Truex has won each of the last two runnings in 2018 and 2019.
  • Hendrick Motorsports leads all race teams with six prior wins in the Toyota Save Mart 350. Of course, five came courtesy of Gordon and the most recent HMS win came all the way back in 2010. Joe Gibbs Racing is just behind with five prior wins.
  • Chevrolet holds an 11-8 advantage over Ford for the most wins in this race among NASCAR Cup Series manufacturers.


Follow us on all of our social channels! Check out our Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok for more great FlurrySports content.


 

Share.

Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball and NASCAR. He counts the NFL, the WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.

Leave A Reply
Exit mobile version