The NASCAR Cup Series returns to picturesque Sonoma Raceway this weekend for the 36th running of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR event, the third most all-time for road courses in the Cup Series.

The only race in California on the 2025 schedule, Sonoma has traditionally been held in June, but a shakeup to this year’s Cup schedule resulted in the latest date that NASCAR has ever come to the wine country, over a month later than the 2024 NASCAR weekend. 

Elk Grove native Kyle Larson will once again be one of the favorites, as he guns for his third win on the twisting 11-turn 1.99-mile road course. The only other previous winners in the field will be Kyle Busch and Daniel Suarez, each with one win apiece. Jeff Gordon holds the record for the most wins at Sonoma with five, while Martin Truex Jr. captured the checkered flag on four occasions.

After posting three victories early in the season, Larson has slumped a bit over the last 10 events, only finishing in the top 10 twice and dropping to third in the season points. Larson is hoping a return to his home track will jumpstart his drive to his second NASCAR Cup championship.

"We've just been a little off on speed. It is nice coming back to a track we won at last year and had success prior to that,” he said. "Just being back home in Northern California and Napa Valley is always awesome. Hopefully, Sonoma and being back home is what it takes.”

Larson’s stiffest competition appears to be New Zealand road course specialist Shane van Gisbergen. Racing a full Cup schedule for the first time this year, van Gisbergen pulled off the victory in the inaugural road course race in Mexico City last month and followed that up with victories in both the Cup and Xfinity Series races at last weekend’s Chicago street circuit.

Other drivers who will be looking to drink the wine from the crystal goblet in Sonoma’s traditional post-race victory celebration include local road course specialist A.J. Allmendinger of Los Gatos, Chris Buescher who finished top-five in the last three Sonoma races and Ross Chastain who has finished in the top 10 in the last four Sonoma races.

In addition to Sunday’s Cup race, 2025 marks the third year the NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to Sonoma Raceway, with the Pro Boss/Food Maxx 350 set to take the green flag at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Also, the full weekend of racing action in the wine country will kick off with the General Tire 200 ARCA Menards Series West race today at 3:30 p.m. Ripon’s Eric Nascimento, the 2020 Stockton 99 Speedway track champion, and Tracy’s Ryan Philpott will be competing in the ARCA event.

Saturday’s Xfinity race can be seen live on the CW network while Sunday’s Cup race, scheduled to take the green flag at 12:30 p.m., will be shown live on TNT.

Tickets for the July 11-13 Sonoma Raceway NASCAR weekend are on sale now at SonomaRaceway.com or by calling 800.870-RACE[7223].