Wide-open field: Tabbing Sonoma favorites no easy task these days
Sunday marks the first of our two road-course races in the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
I just have to tell you that the racing at Sonoma has really evolved. We started going there in 1989 and from that point all the way up through the majority of the 1990s, you could pretty well pick on one hand who was probably going to win that race. You had Ricky Rudd, Rusty Wallace, Ernie Irvan and a couple of others that were it. They were always the favorites and more times than not won the race.
So back then it obviously was a small box of drivers who had a chance to win at Sonoma. I'm here to tell you it's not that way anymore. Now today trying to tell the fans who the favorite is to win Sunday at Sonoma is like trying to tell you who the favorite is to win at Daytona or Talladega.
If you don't believe me, then I simply say go look at the last 10 races there. In the last 10 races at Sonoma we've had 10 different winners. That's unbelievable when you really stop to think about it. Why has that changed from the past? It's because the teams and drivers are putting just as much effort in the road course races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen as they do the other 34 races of the season.
The new Chase format also has added urgency to that. This is another place for someone like a Clint Bowyer or Jeff Gordon who have been struggling of late, but are really good on the road courses, to grab a win, turn their season around and make the 2015 Chase. For those on the bubble of making the Chase, this is a place that pays the exact same amount of points as every other track, so a great finish Sunday will help in their quest to be in the 16-car Chase field.
So like I mentioned earlier, I look for Jeff and Clint to be tough Sunday. I think we can't rule out AJ Allmendinger on Sunday or at Watkins Glen.
If you said I have to pick one driver today to put some money on, I probably would go with Kurt Busch. He is an excellent road racer. The other one you might want to consider based on how he is running, plus the fact I think he flies under a lot of folks radars when it comes to road racing is Martin Truex Jr. He and that team have so much positive momentum going that I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see them celebrate another victory on Sunday.
VIDEO: Five incredible moments from past races on the road course at Sonoma
Stewart-Haas Racing JTG Daugherty Racing Michael Waltrip Racing Hendrick Motorsports Furniture Row Racing
