NASCAR is gearing up for the 20th race weekend of the 2026 season at Sonoma Raceway, a venue that has become a staple of the Cup Series calendar and a favorite among drivers and fans alike.
The event will feature a purse of $11,233,037, marking a modest rise from the $11,055,250 awarded a year earlier, underscoring the series’ growing financial commitment to the California track.
In 2025, New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen captured his third victory of the season, edging out Chase Briscoe in a dramatic finish, and he is now eyeing a back‑to‑back win on the same track.
This year’s field also includes Chase Elliott, who showed strong pace in the previous edition, adding another layer of intrigue to the competition and raising expectations for a tightly fought race.
NASCAR has stopped publishing individual driver earnings, instead highlighting the total prize pool as the primary metric for fans and sponsors, which places even greater emphasis on the upcoming purse.
What to Watch
With the purse climbing and a mix of seasoned competitors, the Sonoma weekend promises a tightly contested race that could reshape the championship picture and set the tone for the remainder of the 2026 season.