The NASCAR Cup Series In‑Season Challenge begins this Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, kicking off a high‑stakes weekend that will test the mettle of the series’ top drivers.
Shane van Gisbergen enters the Toyota/Save Mart 350 as the clear favorite, opening at -150 odds, while Connor Zilisch and Tyler Reddick sit at +750 each, making the betting landscape tightly packed.
Denny Hamlin, who rode a three‑race win streak into the weekend, is now listed as a longshot at +10000, a stark contrast to his recent dominance that ended last week.
Mike McClure’s predictive model
Insider Mike McClure, whose simulation engine has predicted 31 race winners since 2021 and correctly called Hamlin’s recent victories, runs a lap‑by‑lap model that crunches every variable of NASCAR action.
The model advises fading Ryan Blaney, who carries +1200 odds, and instead backs longshots such as AJ Allmendinger, projected at +3300, who has posted top‑6 finishes in his last three Sonoma starts and top‑20 results in four straight races at the track.
Corey Heim captured the San Diego street‑course victory but will not start the Sonoma event, yet the model identifies three additional longshots with odds of at least +4000 who could break into the leaderboard.
With the green flag scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET, fans can expect a blend of strategy, skill, and surprise as the In‑Season Challenge unfolds on the scenic Sonoma circuit.