Toyota Save Mart 350 Starting Lineup and Stats for NASCAR Cup Series Race

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.

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 Position	Driver	Car Number	Team	Manufacturer
1	Cole Custer	41	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford
2	Christopher Bell	20	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
3	Tyler Reddick	8	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet
4	Chase Briscoe	14	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford
5	Kyle Larson	5	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
6	Justin Haley	31	Kaulig Racing	Chevrolet
7	Ty Dillon	42	Petty GMS Motorsports	Chevrolet
8	Alex Bowman	48	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
9	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
10	Joey Logano	22	Team Penske	Ford
11	Kyle Busch	18	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
12	Austin Dillon	3	Richard Childress Racing	Chevrolet
13	Kurt Busch	45	23XI Racing	Toyota
14	Erik Jones	43	Petty GMS Motorsports	Chevrolet
15	Chris Buescher	17	Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing	Ford
16	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	47	JTG Daugherty Racing	Chevrolet
17	Michael McDowell	34	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
18	Brad Keselowski	6	Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing	Ford
19	William Byron	24	Hendrick Motorsports	Chevrolet
20	Austin Cindric	2	Team Penske	Ford
21	Daniel Suarez	99	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet
22	Bubba Wallace	23	23XI Racing	Toyota
23	Todd Gilliland	38	Front Row Motorsports	Ford
24	Harrison Burton	21	Wood Brothers Racing	Ford
25	Ryan Blaney	12	Team Penske	Ford
26	Corey LaJoie	7	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
27	Justin Allgaier	77	Spire Motorsports	Chevrolet
28	Noah Gragson	16	Kaulig Racing	Chevrolet
29	J.J. Yeley	15	Rick Ware Racing	Ford
30	Martin Truex Jr.	19	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
31	Aric Almirola	10	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford
32	Kevin Harvick	4	Stewart-Haas Racing	Ford
33	Ross Chastain	1	Trackhouse Racing	Chevrolet
34	Denny Hamlin	11	Joe Gibbs Racing	Toyota
35	Cody Ware	51	Rick Ware Racing	Ford
36	Josh Williams	78	Live Fast Motorsports	Ford

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

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.

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