Sonoma Returns to the Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is set to return to Sonoma Raceway this weekend, bringing its road‑course tradition back to the rolling vineyards of Northern California. Among the 38‑car field, two drivers with limited but notable histories at the 2.52‑mile layout are John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones.
Nemechek arrives with just two Cup Series starts at Sonoma, the most recent a 28th‑place finish in July 2025, while his lone Truck Series outing saw him start seventh and finish eighth. His crew chief, Travis Mack, will be making his sixth Cup start at the track, having previously guided Daniel Suarez to a victory in June 2022 and a sixth‑place finish with A.J. Allmendinger in 2024.
Erik Jones, by contrast, boasts nine Cup Series starts at Sonoma, the highlight being a seventh‑place finish in June 2018, and he has collected two top‑10s and four top‑20s across his eight prior visits. Jones will also be busy off the track, handing out sunscreen samples to promote skin‑cancer awareness as part of the weekend’s community outreach.
Both drivers will be part of Legacy Motor Club’s entry in TNT’s In Season Tournament, a new format that pits teams against one another for a $1 million prize. Team owner Jimmie Johnson, who has a modest record of one win, four top‑fives and seven top‑tens in twelve Sonoma starts, will be looking for his first victory at the venue, while competition advisor Matt Kenseth brings 19 Cup starts at Sonoma, his best finish an eighth in June 2008.
With crew chiefs Justin Alexander and Travis Mack drawing on past successes, the pair express confidence that their preparations could translate into better results this time around. The combination of on‑track experience and off‑track initiatives like Jones’s health campaign adds a layer of narrative intrigue to what promises to be a competitive and socially conscious event.