NASCAR is back at the iconic Sonoma Raceway this weekend, bringing its road‑course spectacle to Northern California.
The weekend’s centerpiece is the Toyota/Save Mart 350, with Cup Series qualifying on Saturday setting the stage for Sunday’s race.
In‑Season Challenge Offers $1 Million Prize
Alongside the on‑track action, NASCAR’s In‑Season Challenge will award a $1 million prize to the top 32 drivers who advance through a series of metric‑based rounds, beginning with this weekend’s competition.
Drivers are ranked by a proprietary metric score, and the order determines both the starting lineup and progression into the next phase of the challenge.
Metric Scores Reveal Early Favorites
Connor Zilisch tops the metric leaderboard with a score of 36.400, followed closely by Noah Gragson at 33.800 and Austin Hill at 33.600, among a field of 36 competitors.
The qualifying order splits the drivers into two groups, with the top 19 placed in Group 1 and the remaining 17 in Group 2, shaping the early match‑ups for the challenge.
Fans can expect a tightly contested battle as the stakes rise, with each driver’s performance influencing not only the race outcome but also their standing for the million‑dollar prize.
The event marks a key moment in the NASCAR season, blending road‑course tradition with a novel points‑based incentive that has captured the attention of the sport’s expanding fan base.