The NASCAR Cup Series visits Sonoma Raceway this weekend for its fourth road course race of the 2026 season. The 2.52-mile track in Northern California features demanding elevation changes and tight corners that challenge competitors with a technical layout. Sonoma took over as the West Coast road course venue after NASCAR left Riverside International Raceway following its 1988 closure. NASCAR has staged 37 Cup Series races at Sonoma since the track’s 1989 debut.

This weekend in Sonoma, Kaulig Racing welcomes new partner EchoPark Automotive as the primary sponsor on AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 entry, while Patriot Mobile returns to Ty Dillon’s No. 10 car.

The 2026 NASCAR In-Season Challenge Begins

TNT Sports will take over a portion of the NASCAR Cup Series broadcast schedule beginning Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. The network returns this summer for five events as part of the current media rights deal. TNT’s package includes the In-Season Challenge races, marking the network’s first Sonoma broadcast since 2014.

NASCAR begins the 2026 In-Season Challenge Sunday in Sonoma. TNT Sports will broadcast the 32-driver, single-elimination tournament across five Cup Series races. Officials set top seeds by points standings after the Pocono race, and drivers advance by finishing ahead of their bracket opponent in each head-to-head matchup. The champion claims a $1 million bonus in the final round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

AJ Allmendinger enters the challenge as the 21st seed and faces 12th-seeded Chase Briscoe in the opening round.Ty Dillon draws the 31st seed and a tough matchup against second-seeded Denny Hamlin.The Underdog Edge: Allmendinger, Dillon, and their Kaulig Racing teams arrive in Sonoma as the only organization in the NASCAR Cup Series that competes without technical support or an alliance with another Cup team.

Broadcast Info: The NASCAR Cup Series race in Sonoma will air Sunday at 3:30 p.m. EDT on TNT, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel 90.

AJ Allmendinger – Driver, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

AJ Allmendinger will pilot Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 EchoPark Automotive Chevrolet in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

Milestone Start: On Sunday, Allmendinger will make his 500th NASCAR Cup Series start at Sonoma Raceway.Sonoma Raceway Experience: In 14 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Allmendinger has recorded four top-10 finishes, captured a pole award in 2015, and has led 68 laps. His best finishes at the road course are a pair of sixth-place results.In the Booth on Saturday: Allmendinger will join Adam Alexander and Parker Kligerman in the CW booth to call the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race on June 27th at 5:30 PM ET.Season Highlights: Allmendinger recorded a season-best finish of fifth last week at Naval Base Coronado on the San Diego Street Course. He also finished seventh at Watkins Glen International and ninth at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) earlier this year.Career Highlights: Allmendinger is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series winner. He owns 23 top-five finishes, 90 top-10 finishes, and five pole awards in the division. He is also an 18-time winner in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.Crew Chief: Trent Owens became Allmendinger’s NASCAR Cup Series crew chief in 2025. Owens has 20 years of experience in NASCAR and has won in all three of NASCAR’s top series.AJ Allmendinger Quotes

Why is Sonoma Raceway special to you?

“Sonoma has always been a special racetrack for me because it’s my home race. I get to see a lot of family and friends there, which makes the weekend even more enjoyable. We also have a new sponsor, EchoPark Automotive, and I’m happy to have them with us in my home state. From a results standpoint, Sonoma hasn’t always been our strongest track, but we’ve consistently shown good speed there. The goal is always to win, but I feel confident that we can run inside the top 10 and put together a strong race. I’m looking forward to getting back there and representing EchoPark Automotive at my home race.”

As you prepare for your 500th NASCAR Cup Series start at Sonoma, what stands out most to you when you reflect on your career?

“Reaching 500 Cup Series starts is something I never could have imagined when I first got behind the wheel. To do it at Sonoma, in my home state of California, with the men and women at Kaulig Racing makes it even more special. I’ve been fortunate to race for great teams, work alongside incredible people, and enjoy the support of amazing fans throughout my career. I’m especially grateful to Matt Kaulig (Owner) and Chris Rice (CEO) for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be part of this organization.”

About EchoPark Automotive

The automotive retailer currently serves as the naming rights holder for EchoPark Speedway serving the Atlanta, Georgia market. Launched as a subsidiary of Sonic Automotive, Inc., EchoPark has disrupted the traditional car-buying experience with transparent, no-haggle pricing, a focus on high-quality pre-owned vehicles, and a seamless omnichannel process.

Ty Dillon – Driver, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Ty Dillon will pilot Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 Patriot Mobile Chevrolet in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

In-Season Challenge Repeat: In 2025, Dillon entered the 32-driver bracket as the No. 32 seed — the lowest possible — and recorded major upsets over Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, and John Hunter Nemechek before falling to Ty Gibbs in the championship round. He faces Hamlin again this Sunday.Last Year at Sonoma: On the final lap of the Sonoma race, trailing Alex Bowman, Dillon executed a bold bump-and-run in the final hairpin (Turn 11) to earn a 17th-place finish and successfully punch his ticket into the 2025 tournament’s Semifinal “Final Four.”Superspeedway Success: Dillon earned a 13th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway and finished 14th in the 2026 Daytona 500. This ranks ninth-best among all drivers in those two high-speed events in 2026.Crew Chief: Andrew Dickeson, a native of Melbourne, Australia, joined Kaulig Racing before the 2025 season after years in Australian racing and serving as an engineer at Richard Childress Racing.Racing Family: Dillon is the grandson of Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress, the son of retired driver Mike Dillon, and the younger brother of Austin Dillon.Ty Dillon Quotes

What do you think of your chances this year in the In-Season Challenge?

“I’m really excited to start the In-Season Challenge this year. I feel like our road course stuff is really good, and I’m feeling really confident, especially at Sonoma. That track has become one of my favorite road courses. San Diego was a bummer because we didn’t get the result, but we were really, really fast. We think we broke a toe link, so we really didn’t get to race the second half of the race. So we’ll just take that and go into Sonoma, and hopefully be the upset king again. Denny is on a roll this year, but we will do our best and see what happens!”

Kaulig Racing PR