Saturday’s DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway is shaping up to be a thrilling event for NASCAR Xfinity Series regulars, as they face stiff competition from a group of seven full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers. These Cup regulars are eager to gain valuable seat time at the 1.99-mile road course, resulting in a significant increase in the entry list, with a total of 41 drivers vying for only 38 available spots on the starting grid.
Leading the charge among these interlopers are the last two Cup Series winners at Sonoma, Daniel Suárez (2022) and Kyle Larson (2021). Joining them are Ross Chastain, Ty Gibbs, Ty Dillon, AJ Allmendinger, and Aric Almirola, all aiming to make their mark in the Xfinity race.
The presence of AJ Allmendinger is particularly noteworthy, as he has showcased his exceptional talent on road courses, with both of his Cup Series victories and the majority of his 16 Xfinity wins coming on tracks featuring both right and left turns. However, Allmendinger’s past performances at Sonoma haven’t matched his undeniable skill. In 11 Cup starts at the venue, he has only secured two top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 23.5. Nevertheless, the driver from Los Gatos, California, is optimistic about his chances of significantly improving those numbers this weekend.
“Sonoma is always a special, important weekend for me. It’s near where I grew up, and I still get to see a lot of friends and family there. Quite honestly, it’s a race track that I don’t have a very good average finish. I’ve felt like I’ve always been fast there, but it hasn’t worked out.”
NASCAR Driver AJ Allmendinger
Having the opportunity to compete in both races, Allmendinger is eagerly looking forward to the event. Winning at Sonoma holds great significance for him, as it is his home racetrack, providing the chance to secure a victory in front of numerous friends and family. He hopes to build on his program’s success and achieve a positive outcome this time around.
Sonoma Raceway is one of the eight road courses on the Xfinity Series schedule this year, and it follows last Saturday’s event at Portland International Raceway, where Cole Custer emerged as the winner, narrowly defeating Justin Allgaier in an intense battle.
For either Custer or Allgaier to secure victory this Saturday, they will have to overcome fierce competition from some of the top drivers in NASCAR’s premier division, the Cup Series. The presence of these seasoned drivers adds an extra layer of excitement and anticipation to the DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway.
