This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Toyota/Save Mart 350
Location: Sonoma, Calif.
Course: Sonoma Raceway
Format: 1.99-mile road course
Laps: 110
NASCAR Toyota/Save Mart 350 Race Preview
One week after a series of unexpected events enabled Austin Cindric to scoop up an unexpected victory over teammate Ryan Blaney, the NASCAR Cup Series goes road course racing in wine country. Cindric has been very good on road courses, but can he land back-to-back victories? The Joe Gibbs Racing squad will have something to say about that. Martin Truex Jr. won at Sonoma last season and teammates Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs are both no slouches at the track. This season, the surface is fully repaved for the first time in 23 years. The new smooth surface should push lap speeds higher than ever before with added grip to help cars turn through the undulating layout. It will be the 35th series race at the track, which rarely sees victors starting from outside the first six rows. Only once in the last 10 races has someone started lower than 11th to win, and that was Truex from the 14th position in 2013. Chevrolet and Toyota won nine of those last 10 races, which means fantasy players will be heavily weighing qualifying results as well as manufacturer when choosing lineups for this week's Toyota/Save Mart 350.
Key Stats at Sonoma Raceway
- Number of races: 34
- Winners from pole: 6
- Winners from top-5 starters: 17
- Winners from top-10 starters: 25
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 2
- Fastest race: 83.922 mph
Previous 10 Sonoma Winners
2023 - Martin Truex Jr.
2022 - Daniel Suarez
2021 - Kyle Larson
2019 - Martin Truex Jr.
2018 - Martin Truex Jr.
2017 - Kevin Harvick
2016 - Tony Stewart
2015 - Kyle Busch
2014 - Carl Edwards
2013 - Martin Truex Jr.
Sonoma Raceway is a natural-terrain road course that requires drivers to get into a consistent rhythm to come out on top after 110 laps. The track's off-camber, blind turns, and narrow surface make passing a challenge and often contact is how drivers get it done. The two primary passing zones are into turn 7 and the final hairpin, turn 11. Making passes in either of those places require drivers to maximize pace out of the sections before and then out-braking the competition into the corner. Drivers will often force the issue by bumping the car ahead to move it off of the racing line opening the door to sneak through and complete the overtake. Track position and pit strategy are two of the most important factors in setting up the victory. The track's long lap and the elimination of stage breaks on road courses enable teams to pit off sequence but still remain on the lead lap. Going off sequence can sometimes enable a faster car to gain track position by turning faster lap times without being in traffic. The best recipe for success this Sunday will be to qualify inside the top 10 and keep that track position throughout the race by settling quickly and clicking off laps without mistakes on track or pit road.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Martin Truex Jr. - $10,500
William Byron - $10,200
Kyle Larson - $10,000
Christopher Bell - $9,800
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Tyler Reddick - $9,500
Chase Elliott - $9,300
Denny Hamlin - $9,200
Ty Gibbs - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
AJ Allmendinger - $8,800
Chris Buescher - $8,600
Michael McDowell - $8,500
Ross Chastain - $8,300
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Kyle Busch - $7,700
Will Brown - $7,200
Justin Haley - $6,400
Daniel Hemric - $5,200
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Toyota/Save Mart 350
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Martin Truex Jr. - $10,500
Ty Gibbs - $9,000
Chris Buescher - $8,600
Ross Chastain - $8,300
Kyle Busch - $7,700
Erik Jones - $5,900
Last year's Sonoma winner, Martin Truex Jr. (DK $10,500, FD $14,000) has four total wins at the track, including three of the last five. He was 10th at the only other road course race so far this season, and could have his best shot at his first 2024 victory yet this weekend. He has led more than 50 laps at Sonoma on four different occasions and should be expected to be one of the contenders for the win this week. His teammate, Ty Gibbs (DK $9,000, FD $12,000) should also be expected to outperform expectations. Gibbs has several Xfinity Series road course victories and finished in the top five in the last three road course stops in Cup. He qualified sixth for this race but only finished 18th. With last year's experience under his belt, he should be poised for another top five again this week. Chris Buescher (DK $8,600, FD $9,500) is another great choice on road courses. His best Sonoma results have come in the past few seasons with the last two being top fives. He was the runner up in 2022 and finished eighth earlier this season at the Circuit of the Americas. He holds the 16th and final playoff position in the standings and a win would solidify that championship opportunity.
Some of the value options for this weekend's race include Ross Chastain (DK $8,300, FD $8,200). The Trackhouse Racing driver is winless in 2024 and is well priced this week considering he has three Sonoma top-10s from four starts. Chastain also finished in the top 10 earlier this season at COTA. Kyle Busch (DK $7,700, FD $9,000) might even be a better value. Busch is a two-time winner at this track who led 17 laps and finished second last year. He was ninth at COTA and fantasy players may want to take advantage of his discounted cost for this race. Finally, Erik Jones (DK $5,900, FD $4,000) finishes the low-risk selections. He has not been as competitive since returning from a back injury. However, he is getting more comfortable each week and has had some Sonoma success in the past. He has three finishes of 11th or better from six series starts.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kyle Larson - $10,000
Denny Hamlin - $9,200
AJ Allmendinger - $8,800
Michael McDowell - $8,500
Will Brown - $7,200
Austin Dillon - $6,300
Kyle Larson (DK $10,000, FD $11,500) has one Sonoma win and has come close several other times. His first eight series starts at the track all included top-five qualifying spots including five consecutive pole positions. Last season was the first time he started outside of the top five for this race, but he still finished eighth. His one-lap speed at this track is undeniable. He just needs to stretch that into more top-five finishes. Denny Hamlin (DK $9,200, FD $8,500) has also been good here. Despite not winning, he does have four top-fives and seven top-10s from 17 starts. He was last year's pole sitter and led 33 laps before crashing. He led 33 laps on two other occasions, too.
AJ Allmendinger (DK $8,800, FD $10,500) is one of the best road course racers in NASCAR, but he hasn't translated that into a win yet at Sonoma. From 12 series starts, he has just three top-10 finishes. His move to a part-time schedule in Cup this season also makes one off race weekends more challenging. Despite all of that, Allmendinger remains a top prospect on road courses and is a logical selection for many formats at Sonoma. Michael McDowell (DK $8,500, FD $10,000) is also extremely good on road courses. His best Sonoma results have come in the last two seasons with the new generation of car. He finished seventh in this race last season and was third in 2022. Though Will Brown (DK $7,200, FD $5,500) will be making his first ever NASCAR start this weekend, there is reason to be optimistic about his chances. Brown is from the Australian Supercars series and will be piloting a car fielded by Richard Childress Racing, which gives him the benefit of experienced teammates Austin Dillon (DK $6,300, FD $5,000) and Kyle Busch. He has three wins in that series already in 2024 and is looking to emulate Shane van Gisbergen's Chicago win from last season. This is an instance where a top driver gets his first outing in the series with good equipment and organization. His presence could give Dillon a boost, too. The series veteran has struggled in 2024 but scored a rare top-10 last week and should be aiming for a top-15 or top-20 finish this weekend.
