SONOMA, Calif. — Hendrick Motorsports arrives at Sonoma Raceway with momentum, depth and a proven track record on road courses as the NASCAR Cup Series opens its In-Season Challenge on the 1.99-mile circuit.
Kyle Larson headlines the effort in his home race. The Elk Grove, California, native enters the weekend fourth in the standings and riding a series-best streak of three consecutive top-five finishes, including a third-place run last week at Naval Base Coronado. Larson is a two-time Sonoma winner and one of only two repeat winners at the track in the last 16 races. He has also accumulated a series-leading 150 stage points through 17 events. Seeded sixth in the In-Season Challenge, Larson faces Riley Herbst in the opening round.
Chase Elliott brings similar road course credentials. The Dawsonville, Georgia, driver owns the longest active streak at Sonoma with three straight top fives and five consecutive top 10s. Elliott also boasts the best average finish (10.2) among active drivers at the track and ranks among the leaders in Next Gen road course performance. Sixth in points, Elliott will open tournament competition as the No. 4 seed against Noah Gragson.
William Byron looks to rebound after a 32nd-place finish last weekend that did not reflect his pace. The Charlotte, North Carolina, driver showed speed before sustaining damage, and he has been one of the stronger performers on road courses recently with two wins, six top fives and nine top 10s in the last 16 events. Sonoma has been less consistent for Byron — his best finish is eighth — but he enters as the No. 11 seed against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., holding a statistical edge at the track.
Alex Bowman enters seeking a turnaround. The Tucson, Arizona, driver sits 32nd in the standings but has shown capability on road courses, including a win at the Chicago Street Course in 2023. Bowman has two career top-10 finishes at Sonoma and will face top-seeded Tyler Reddick in the opening round, placing added emphasis on qualifying and track position.
Rookie Corey Day continues to impress in limited starts. The 20-year-old Californian sits third in the O’Reilly Series standings and has recorded 13 top-10 finishes this season. Day rallied from multiple setbacks to finish 10th last weekend and now returns to his home track after making his Sonoma debut last year.
As an organization, Hendrick Motorsports remains the benchmark on road courses and at Sonoma. The team leads all organizations at the track with eight wins, 10 poles, 37 top fives, 65 top 10s and 833 laps led. Hendrick drivers have won five of the last 16 road course races, and the team has placed at least two cars in the top 10 in each of the past five Sonoma events.
With Larson and Elliott among the favorites and Byron, Bowman and Day capable of contending, Hendrick Motorsports enters the weekend positioned to extend its road course success while beginning its push through the In-Season Challenge.