A purse that commands attention
NASCAR is gearing up for the 20th race weekend of the 2026 season at Sonoma Raceway, a milestone that marks the series' continued expansion on the West Coast.
The O'Reilly Series event will offer a purse of $1,653,590, a modest increase of roughly $2,000 over the previous year, underscoring the series' steady financial growth.
NASCAR has stopped disclosing the exact share that goes to the winning driver, leaving teams to negotiate their own distributions from the prize pool.
Connor Zilisch, who captured his third victory of the 2025 season at Sonoma, is now focused on achieving back‑to‑back wins, a feat that would cement his dominance on the road course.
Fellow competitors Shane van Gisbergen and William Sawalich impressed in 2025, piloting cars that proved competitive and are expected to challenge Zilisch again.
The upcoming weekend promises a blend of strategy, speed, and the unpredictable drama that has become a hallmark of Sonoma's road‑course races.