Sonoma Raceway has long stood apart from nearly every other stop on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Instead of high-speed drafting or tight short-track racing, drivers face a twisting road course filled with elevation changes, heavy braking zones and corners that punish even the smallest mistake.

Located in California’s famous Wine Country, Sonoma has produced some of NASCAR’s most memorable road-course finishes while rewarding patience, precision and strategy over outright speed. Here’s everything NASCAR fans need to know before the Cup Series returns to Sonoma.

Where Is Sonoma Raceway?

Sonoma Raceway is located in Sonoma, California, about an hour north of San Francisco in the heart of Northern California’s Wine Country.

The 1,600-acre motorsports complex is the largest racing facility in Northern California and hosts NASCAR, NHRA drag racing, sports cars, motorcycles and numerous amateur racing events throughout the year.

Since joining the NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 1989, it has become one of the sport’s signature road-course venues.

Sonoma Raceway Fast Facts

• Location: Sonoma, California
• Opened: 1968
• First year of operation: 1969
• Track owner: Speedway Motorsports
• Original name: Sears Point Raceway
• Former names: Sears Point Raceway, Golden State Raceway, Infineon Raceway
• Current name adopted: 2012
• Facility size: Approximately 1,600 acres
• Full road course: 2.52 miles
• NASCAR Cup layout: 1.99 miles
• Turns (full course): 12
• Elevation change: Roughly 160 feet
• Cup Series race: Toyota/Save Mart 350
• Race distance: 110 laps (218.9 miles)

Why Sonoma Raceway Is One of NASCAR’s Toughest Tracks

Unlike the oval tracks that dominate NASCAR’s calendar, Sonoma Raceway forces drivers to constantly shift gears while navigating a combination of left- and right-hand turns, steep elevation changes and technical braking zones.

Passing opportunities are limited, making qualifying especially important. Drivers must carefully manage tire wear while balancing fuel strategy, pit timing and track position over the course of the race.

The changing elevations also create several blind corners where drivers can’t always see what’s waiting on the other side. A missed braking point or slight wheel hop entering a turn can cost multiple positions, or end a driver’s afternoon altogether.

Road-course specialists have historically excelled at Sonoma, but even the sport’s biggest stars have learned that experience alone doesn’t guarantee success.

A Brief History of Sonoma Raceway

Construction on Sonoma Raceway began in 1968, with the facility opening the following year as Sears Point Raceway.

Over the decades, the track has undergone several name changes, including Golden State Raceway and Infineon Raceway, before officially becoming Sonoma Raceway in 2012.

Speedway Motorsports purchased the facility in 1996 and invested heavily in upgrades that helped modernize the circuit.

One of the most significant additions came in 1998 with the creation of “The Chute,” a high-speed shortcut connecting Turns 4 and 7. NASCAR adopted the shorter layout for many years before returning to the full-course configuration beginning in 2019, restoring several technical corners that had previously been bypassed.

Today, Sonoma remains one of the most recognizable permanent road courses in American motorsports.

NASCAR’s History at Sonoma Raceway

The NASCAR Cup Series made its first visit to Sonoma in 1989, and the event quickly became one of the most unique races on the schedule.

Because it is one of the few road-course events each season, Sonoma often produces unpredictable results. Pit strategy, caution timing and fuel mileage frequently decide the winner, while drivers who dominate on ovals sometimes struggle to adapt to the technical layout.

The race has become an annual stop for the Cup Series and remains one of the sport’s premier road-course events.

Sonoma Raceway Records

Some of NASCAR’s biggest names have built impressive résumés at Sonoma, but no driver has enjoyed more success than Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon.

Among the track’s notable Cup Series records are:

• Most wins: Jeff Gordon (5)
• Most poles: Jeff Gordon (5)
• Most top-five finishes: Jeff Gordon (14)
• Most top-10 finishes: Jeff Gordon (18)
• Most lead changes in a race: 13 (twice, most recently 2021)
• Closest margin of victory: 0.197 seconds (1999)
• Largest margin of victory: 10.513 seconds (2018)
• Most victories by a manufacturer: Chevrolet (13)

What Makes Sonoma Raceway Different?

Few tracks test every aspect of a driver’s skill quite like Sonoma.

Unlike superspeedways, where drafting often determines the outcome, Sonoma rewards precision. Drivers must hit braking markers lap after lap, maximize acceleration coming off corners and avoid costly mistakes through the circuit’s technical sections.

Crew chiefs also play a major role. Fuel windows, tire strategy and perfectly timed pit stops can completely reshape the race, particularly when cautions fall at unexpected times.

That combination of strategy and driver skill is what makes Sonoma one of NASCAR’s most anticipated races every season.

Final Thoughts

Every NASCAR season features its share of unpredictable races, but few demand complete precision like Sonoma Raceway. Between its challenging layout, dramatic elevation changes and strategy-heavy racing, the California road course consistently produces compelling storylines and memorable finishes.

Whether you’re a longtime NASCAR fan or watching Sonoma for the first time, understanding what makes this track unique helps explain why winning in Wine Country remains one of the sport’s toughest accomplishments.

Most NASCAR drivers would gladly take a second-place finish on a new street course.

Bubba Wallace wasn’t one of them.

Wallace crossed the finish line second behind teammate Corey Heim in Sunday’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race on the San Diego Street Course, giving 23XI Racing a historic 1-2 finish. It was one of the organization’s strongest overall performances of the season.

But when Wallace climbed from the No. 23 Toyota after the race, his focus wasn’t on what his team accomplished.

It was on what got away.

Bubba Wallace Couldn’t Stop Thinking About the ‘What-Ifs’

Wallace admitted frustration was the overwhelming emotion after the checkered flag.

“I was super frustrated,” Wallace told reporters.

While a runner-up finish would typically be viewed as a successful day, Wallace said San Diego felt like another race where victory was within reach but ultimately slipped away.

“So many races this year had results with asterisk marks besides them,” Wallace said. “Like the what-ifs.”

That thought has followed Wallace throughout much of the 2026 season. The speed has often been there, but the results have not always matched the performance.

Sunday’s race only added to that feeling.

One Mistake Still Stuck With Him

Wallace pointed to a costly mistake during the race that he believed changed the outcome.

“After every race we do a debrief,” Wallace said. “I hate it, I hate it for my crew. This one little mistake cost us the next couple of weeks.”

The comment reflected how closely teams examine every detail after a race, especially when they believe a win was realistic.

Despite the disappointment, Wallace acknowledged there were positives to take away from the afternoon.

“I really had fun today in the car,” he said. “I don’t know, it worked out.”

Still, the frustration remained difficult to hide.

“I’m frustrated with second,” Wallace added. “There’s so much potential left on the table.”

Wallace Was Happy to See Corey Heim Get His Moment

Even though he wanted the victory himself, Wallace made it clear he was genuinely happy for Heim.

The 23-year-old delivered the first Cup Series victory of his career in just his fifth start while helping 23XI Racing secure the first 1-2 finish in team history.

“Super happy for him,” Wallace said. “He’s put in so much work when he’s off behind the scenes.”

Wallace also spoke about the relationship the two drivers have developed through Toyota’s driver pipeline and within the 23XI organization.

“Him and I have a really good relationship,” Wallace said. “He beat me today. So he’ll have that bragging right.”

In the end, Wallace recognized the bigger picture.

“Great day for 23XI.”

But his final thought summed up the mindset of a driver who believes bigger opportunities are still ahead.

“Onto Sonoma.”

Corey Heim may have stolen the spotlight with a surprise victory in Sunday’s inaugural Anduril 250, but the biggest story leaving San Diego could be the tightening battle at the top of the NASCAR Cup Series standings.

While Tyler Reddick held onto the points lead despite a difficult afternoon, Denny Hamlin continued closing the gap. Elsewhere, several playoff contenders made significant gains while others lost valuable ground with just nine regular-season races remaining.

Here are the biggest winners and losers in the standings after San Diego.

Biggest Winner: Denny Hamlin Closes In on Tyler Reddick

Reddick remains the NASCAR Cup Series points leader with 716 points, but his advantage has shrunk considerably.

Hamlin entered the weekend trailing by 20 points. After San Diego, he sits just eight points behind Reddick, cutting 12 points from the deficit in a single race.

Despite finishing 14th, Hamlin gained valuable ground after Reddick struggled to a 25th-place finish. The veteran now has four victories, nine top-five finishes, 11 top-10s, and a series-leading 824 laps led through 17 races.

Reddick still controls the standings, but the margin separating the top two drivers is now the smallest it has been in weeks.

Biggest Winner: Kyle Larson Climbs Back Into the Top Four

Larson’s third-place finish delivered one of the biggest gains among the championship contenders.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver climbed two positions in the standings, moving from sixth to fourth overall. Larson now trails Reddick by 180 points and continues to lead all full-time drivers with 150 stage points.

After entering the weekend outside the top five, Larson leaves San Diego back among the sport’s elite and carrying momentum into the next stretch of the season.

Biggest Winner: Erik Jones Makes the Biggest Jump

No driver inside the top 20 gained more positions than Erik Jones.

Jones climbed four spots, moving from 18th to 14th in the standings after another solid performance. While he remains outside the championship picture, the Legacy Motor Club driver continues building momentum after a challenging start to the season.

Every position matters as teams battle for playoff positioning and momentum entering the second half of the year.

Biggest Loser: Christopher Bell’s Difficult Stretch Continues

Bell arrived in San Diego already dealing with a fractured wrist.

His weekend only became more challenging.

After starting the race, Bell handed the No. 20 Toyota over to relief driver Brent Crews. A mechanical issue later ended the team’s afternoon, leaving Bell with a 39th-place finish.

The result dropped Bell from 10th to 12th in the standings. He now sits 294 points behind Reddick after losing additional ground in the title race.

For a driver who spent much of the season among the frontrunners, San Diego represented another frustrating setback.

Biggest Loser: Carson Hocevar Gives Away Ground

Hocevar entered Sunday’s race with a front-row starting position and an opportunity to strengthen his standing inside the top 10.

Instead, he left San Diego moving in the opposite direction.

A 19th-place finish dropped Hocevar two positions in the standings, from seventh to ninth. Both Daniel Suárez and Chris Buescher moved ahead of him following the race.

The Spire Motorsports driver remains firmly in playoff contention, but San Diego was a missed opportunity.

Biggest Loser: Brad Keselowski Slides Four Spots

Few drivers experienced a tougher day in the standings than Brad Keselowski.

The RFK Racing veteran dropped from 15th to 19th after San Diego, falling four positions and recording one of the largest declines among full-time drivers.

Keselowski now trails the points leader by 362 points and faces an increasingly difficult climb as the regular season continues.

The Points Battle Is Tightening

The standings leader did not change Sunday, but the fight behind him became much more interesting.

Reddick continues to lead the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 716 points. Hamlin sits second, just eight points back, while Ryan Blaney remains third.

Larson’s climb into fourth place keeps another championship contender firmly in the mix, while several drivers further down the standings continue battling for playoff position.

With only nine regular-season races remaining, every point gained — or lost — is becoming increasingly important.

The NASCAR Cup Series made history Sunday with its first-ever points race on the San Diego Street Course, and when the checkered flag flew, it was Corey Heim standing in Victory Lane.

Heim delivered the biggest victory of his young Cup Series career in the inaugural Anduril 250, surviving an eventful afternoon filled with cautions, strategy battles, a high-profile driver change involving Christopher Bell, and several frontrunners seeing their races unravel before the halfway point.

The win immediately secured Heim a place in the NASCAR record books as the first Cup Series driver to win on the San Diego Street Course at Naval Base Coronado. After starting 13th, Heim steadily worked his way through the field, led three laps, and held off teammate Bubba Wallace over the closing stages to claim the historic victory.

Wallace finished second for 23XI Racing, while Kyle Larson completed the podium in third.

Corey Heim Wins NASCAR’s Historic San Diego Debut

NASCAR’s long-awaited debut on the San Diego Street Course delivered plenty of drama from the opening laps.

Several of the race’s biggest contenders saw their afternoons end early. Pole winner Shane van Gisbergen finished 38th after an early exit, while Connor Zilisch, who led eight laps, finished 37th. Austin Hill, who also spent time at the front of the field, was credited with a 36th-place finish after leading one lap.

Championship leader Tyler Reddick entered the race facing adversity before the green flag even waved. After NASCAR sent the No. 45 team to the rear of the field because of unapproved adjustments following splitter repairs, Reddick spent much of the afternoon fighting traffic before finishing 25th.

Christopher Bell’s challenging weekend also came to an early end. Bell started the race despite a fractured wrist suffered earlier this month but turned the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota over to 18-year-old Brent Crews during the event. A mechanical issue later brought out a caution and left the team with a 39th-place finish.

Elsewhere, Denny Hamlin crossed the line 14th, Chase Elliott rallied from a 30th-place starting position to finish 12th, and Ryan Blaney recorded a ninth-place finish after leading a race-high 12 laps.

Full NASCAR Cup Series San Diego Results

1. Corey Heim
2. Bubba Wallace
3. Kyle Larson
4. Zane Smith
5. AJ Allmendinger
6. Chris Buescher
7. Ross Chastain
8. Riley Herbst
9. Ryan Blaney
10. Michael McDowell
11. Ryan Preece
12. Chase Elliott
13. Daniel Suarez
14. Denny Hamlin
15. Ty Gibbs
16. John Hunter Nemechek
17. Chase Briscoe
18. Joey Logano
19. Carson Hocevar
20. Erik Jones
21. Todd Gilliland
22. Austin Cindric
23. Cody Ware
24. Austin Dillon
25. Tyler Reddick
26. Alex Bowman
27. Kevin Magnussen
28. Jimmie Johnson
29. Josh Berry
30. Ty Dillon
31. Cole Custer
32. William Byron
33. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
34. Brad Keselowski
35. Noah Gragson
36. Austin Hill
37. Connor Zilisch
38. Shane van Gisbergen
39. Christopher Bell

With the victory, Heim becomes the first winner in NASCAR Cup Series history on the San Diego Street Course and adds one of the most significant wins of the 2026 season to his growing résumé.

NASCAR nears its halfway point of the Cup Series season with a pair of Toyota machines at the top of the standings. Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 for 23XI Racing, is still in the lead by 19 points, but Denny Hamlin is closing in on him. The No. 11 for Joe Gibbs Racing has taken the checkered flag in each of the past three weekends.

But neither of those drivers will be viewed as the favorite on Sunday, June 21 when NASCAR enters uncharted territory. For the first time ever, the Cup Series is racing on an active U.S. military installation at Naval Base Coronado off the coast of San Diego. Secretary of War Pete Hegsethwill wave the green flag.

The pole sitter is Shane van Gisbergen, widely viewed as the best road course racer in NASCAR at the moment. The 37-year-old is in just his second season of racing full-time at the Cup Level with Trackhouse Racing. van Gisbergen is entering what could be a historic stretch for him with NASCAR racing at Naval Base Coronado this Sunday and this next weekend at Sonoma — he is just two wins away from tying Jeff Gordon’s all-time record for Cup Series career victories at road courses. Should van Gisbergen drive into victory lane in these next two races, he would have tied Gordon’s mark of nine victories in just 16 starts, while it took the Hall of Famer 47 to get there.

But this track will present unique challenges, even for van Gisbergen.

The track blends together fresh pavement, worn streets of the base, a rough tarmac where jets land and even train-style tracks that are used to guide cranes on the facility. Drivers will have to navigate all that, some 16 turns, going uphill and downhill, and more than 3,000 barriers that were installed.

Racers in the Truck Series and second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series on Friday and Saturday encountered their own unique problems. A manhole cover got lodged in Corey Day’s radiator, walls were banged into and some machines caught air coming off one downhill portion of the track.

Here's everything you need to know to get ready for the Cup Series race at Naval Base Coronado on June 21:

More: Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray headline NASCAR Truck Series race on Navy base

What time does the NASCAR Cup race in San Diego start?

The Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET Sunday in San Diego, California.

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup race in San Diego on?

The Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado is the final race of the year to be broadcast exclusively on Prime Video. That means there is no national TV broadcast for the race. Pre-race coverage will start at 2:30 p.m. ET.

MRN will carry live radio coverage.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR Cup race at San Diego?

Yes, the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado will be streamed on Prime Video.

Individual driver cameras can be watched on HBO Max.

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup race at San Diego?

The Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado is 75 laps around the 3.4-mile track for a total of 255 miles. It is the longest track that NASCAR will compete at this season. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 20 laps; Stage 2: 20 laps; Stage 3: 35 laps.

Who won the last NASCAR Cup race on a road course?

Shane van Gidbergen has become NASCAR’s king of road courses, winning six of the last seven races on those styles of track. The New Zealand native and veteran of V8 Supercars won at Watkins Glen in May. He also won the last two races where NASCAR raced on a street course at a new venue for the first time, taking the checkered flag at the Chicago Street Course in 2023 and the 2025 road course in Mexico City. van Gisbergen needs just two victories at the Cup level to tie Jeff Gordon’s all-time wins record on road courses. 

What is the lineup for the Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado?

1. (97) Shane van Gisbergen, Chevrolet
2. (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet
3. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford
4. (38) Zane Smith, Ford
5. (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford
6. (7) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet
7. (60) Ryan Preece, Ford
8. (88) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet
9. (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet
10. (33) Austin Hill, Chevrolet
11. (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota
12. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota
13. (67) Corey Heim, Toyota
14. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet
15. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet
16. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford
17. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota
18. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet
19. (22) Joey Logano, Ford
20. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet
21. (91) Kevin Magnussen, Chevrolet
22. (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota
23. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet
24. (35) Riley Herbst, Toyota
25. (41) Cole Custer, Chevrolet
26. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota
27. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet
28. (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota
29. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford
30. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet
31. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford
32. (4) Noah Gragson, Ford
33. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet
34. (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet
35. (21) Josh Berry, Ford
36. (84) Jimmie Johnson, Toyota
37. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota
38. (43) Erik Jones, Toyota
39. (51) Cody Ware, Chevrolet

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR at Naval Base Coronado: Start time, streaming, lineup for Anduril 250

Things have been difficult for Richard Childress Racing in the month since Kyle Busch’s shocking death.

A winner of 234 races across NASCAR’s top three national touring series — the most ever — Busch had driven in the top-level Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing over the past four seasons until he tragically died on May 21 at the age of 41 due to complications of severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.

But on Saturday night in San Diego, RCR finally had a reason to celebrate again.

Austin Hill, the driver tasked with replacing Busch at the Cup level, won the United Rentals 250 in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Naval Base Coronado. A veteran of the O’Reilly Series, the victory marked Hill’s first-ever at a road course and RCR’s first win at that style of track since 2016.

More: Kyle Busch embraced being ‘Rowdy’ — and NASCAR needed him

After taking the checkered flag, Hill drove his No. 21 Chevrolet over to a spot on the military installation where Busch’s stylized No. 8 was printed and did a burnout next to it.

.@_AustinHill celebrates around Kyle Busch's No. 8.

It marks @RCRracing's first victory since Kyle's passing. pic.twitter.com/zTaStMJcyy

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) June 21, 2026

“Hell yeah man,” one of Hill’s crew members said on the radio during his burnout. “Good doing it on the logo. KB would be proud.”

Upon arriving in victory lane, Hill swapped out his sponsor’s ballcap with one that had Busch’s No. 8 on the front of it. He was emotional after the victory during an interview with a reporter from the CW.

“I was just looking for something those last few laps. I’m not going to lie, I started talking to this guy a little bit,” Hill said, pointing at the No. 8 on his hat. “Down the straightaways, I’m like, ‘Man, Kyle if you’re here, give me something right? Let me find another gear.’ For whatever reason the car started to come to life…Everybody at RCR, we’ve been through a lot these last several weeks.”

"It's extremely special just to finally check that box of getting a road course win."

A special victory for @_AustinHill. pic.twitter.com/t8GkJdU1bu

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) June 21, 2026

In victory lane, Hill and his RCR team all performed the Busch Bow, a nod to the two-time Cup Series champion's signature celebration.

The CW also caught up with team owner Richard Childress and the 80-year-old veteran of the sport was searching for words to describe how the win felt.

“It’s great. It’s great to win here. We all got Kyle in our hearts,” Childress said, his voice cracking. “You may not show it on the outside but you do.”

Hill dedicated the victory to the entire team based in Welcome, North Carolina.

"RC has been through a lot in this sport. I knew that this win meant a lot to him. You don't really see RC get too emotional. To see him emotional in victory lane like he was, that just goes to show hard (Busch's death) is hitting everybody, and him included, and how special this win is for RCR," Hill said after the race. "This win is for everyone. This win isn't just for the No. 21 team. This is for the entire organization of 300-plus employees that we have."

The chaotic race across the 3.4-mile track — NASCAR’s first on an active U.S. military base — lasted more than four-and-a-half hours and featured 14 cautions and two red flags. Hill passed Taylor Gray on the final lap for a memorable finish. His celebratory burnout damaged his rear tires so badly that his car had to be towed to victory lane.

A 32-year-old from Georgia, Hill has driven full-time in the O’Reilly Series for RCR over the past five seasons, finishing inside the top six of the standings each year. Saturday marked his 16th win in the series. He also has eight wins in the Truck Series and has been a regular season champion of both the O'Reilly and Truck Series.

For Sunday’s Cup Series race, Hill qualified 10th. Since jumping into Busch’s seat following his sudden death, the car has been renumbered from 8 to 33. Childress has said that Busch’s stylized No. 8 will remain retired until his son, 11-year-old Brexton, wants to use it.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Austin Hill, who replaced Kyle Busch in Cup Series, gets NASCAR victory for RCR