Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250
Location: Sonoma, CA
Course: Sonoma Raceway
Format: 1.99-mile road course
Laps: 79
Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 Preview
We had some relatively predictable results in Chicago last weekend, with Shane van Gisbergen winning a close race over Connor Zilisch That duo should be in for another good weekend as the Xfinity Series heads west to Sonoma, California, another road course race rather than a traditional oval. We'll delve further into the details of the weekend later in the article, but it's worth noting that the Xfinity Series has a relatively limited history at the track.
Key Stats at Sonoma Raceway
- Number of races: 2
- Winners from pole: 1
- Winners from top-5 starters: 2
- Winners from top-10 starters: 2
- Winners from 21st or lower starters:
Last 10 Road Course Winners
2025 Loop 110- Shane van Gisbergen (1)
2025 Chilango 150 – Daniel Suarez (39)
2025 Circuit of Americas – Connor Zilisch (1)
2024 Roval – Sam Mayer (2)
2024 Watkins Glen – Connor Zilisch (1)
2024 Chicago Street Course - Shane van Gisbergen (1)
2024 Sonoma Raceway -Shane van Gisbergen (1)
2024 Portland International Raceway – Shane van Gisbergen (1)
2024 Circuit of the Americas – Kyle Larson (1)
2023 Roval – Sam Mayer (1)
We have a very limited sample for the Xfinity Series at Sonoma, though the two races we have seen have come in the last two years. The raceway is considered a very technical course, featuring 12 turns on a course that sees significant changes in altitude. It's worth studying the recent sample of races at road courses, including the three already completed in 2025. Circuit of Americas and Watkins Glen are the most comparable tracks to Sonoma, so extra weight should be given to the results we've seen at those circuits.
RotoWire NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Pit Boss/Food Maxx 250
Based on Standard 50k Salary Cap
Tier 1 DraftKings Values
Shane van Gisbergen - $13,000
Connor Zilisch - $12,000
Tier 2 DraftKings Values
Sam Mayer - $9,500
Sheldon Creed- $9,300
Justin Allgaier - $9,200
Austin Hill - $9,000
Jesse Love - $8,600
Tier 3 DraftKings Values
Christian Eckes - $8,300
Taylor Gray - $8,200
Austin Green - $7,800
Alex Labbe - $7,200
Tier 4 DraftKings Values
Josh Williams - $6,600
NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Picks for the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250
Connor Zilisch - $12,000
Christian Eckes- $8,300
Nick Sanchez - $8,100
Austin Green - $7,800
Alex Labbe - $7,200
Josh Williams - $6,600
The driver pool to consider is very similar to what we saw last week, but pricing has changed significantly. In turn, that changes the strategy of how to build the most effective lineups. Van Gisbergen will be a landslide favorite to win yet another road course and potentially sweep another weekend of events, but his price continues to rise (up $500 from The Loop). He's still clearly a good pick, but Zilisch raced him tough and potentially learned a lesson after being raced harder than expected on the final restart to cost him a chance at a win.
Mayer is another excellent road course driver, albeit now overshadowed. He opens up so much in the rest of the build relative to Zilisch and van Gisbergen and should be seriously considered. He would allow a more balanced lineup, potentially pairing him with the likes of Hill or Love.
Eckes, Gray and Green are all standout options in Tier 3, and I'd be happy to roster all of them. Eckes has finishes of fifth, fourth and 15th in the road courses this year, two of which required significant recovery drives that racked up DK points. Gray was in contention for a top-10 finish last weekend before getting involved in an incident through no fault of his own in Chicago, yet his price has dipped $800 and to its cheapest point since Memorial Day weekend. Austin Green is a cheap road-course ace.
After that, it's about making the budget work. Williams pops on the optimizer thanks to some very strong work at road courses this season, and looks to be the premier value option.
Best Bets for the Pit Boss/Food Maxx 250
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 11:30 AM ET Friday
Head-to-Head Matchups:
Sam Mayer (-115) vs. Sheldon Creed (-115)
Austin Hill (-125) vs. Justin Allgaier (-105)
Christian Eckes (-105) vs. Jesse Love (-125)
Taylor Gray (-115) vs. Sammy Smith (-115)
Race Winner: Sam Mayer (+1600), Austin Hill (+2000)
We continue to see head-to-head offerings for Xfinity Series races, which is a very nice addition to wagering options. As can be expected, many are close calls. In what is becoming a common theme, Gray is my favorite of the group. Smith has had good results at road courses this season, but his history is checkered at Sonoma. Eckes also stands out due to price. He shouldn't necessarily be a favorite against Love, but even odds feel more appropriate.
As was the case last week, it's tough to take the favorites in this race because the odds are so short for both Zlisich (+140) and van Gisbergen (-150). Things will shift with qualifying, but getting some of the second-tier drivers in the context of road courses is the direction to go early in the weekend.
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