The Toyota Save Mart 350 will take place in Sonoma, California this weekend. Sunday will mark the second road race of six on this year’s NASCAR schedule. Sonoma Raceway is a decent-sized track, measuring just under two miles in length. The first one occurred back in late March. Due to its short acceleration sections, multiple heavy braking zones, and hairpin turns as drivers return to the start/finish line, Sonoma is often monikered the “short track of road courses.” As well as hosting the Cup Series, Sonoma Raceway hosts the IndyCar Series, the NHRA Camping Drag Racing Series, and motorcycle races such as the AMA Superbike Series. There are some ‘ringers’ entered including AJ Allmendinger, Joey Hand, and Scott Heckert.
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Practice & Qualifying
A practice session and a qualifying race for a single-car single-lap run will begin the Cup Series weekend. The 36 drivers will be separated into two groups. Based on last weekend’s results, both sets of drivers will have 15-20 minutes of practice time. In each group, the top five drivers with the fastest qualifying time will advance to the second round of qualifying. A single-lap, single-car race will then determine the pole position for Sunday.
This week, the Money Train delves into the DFS options for Sunday’s Cup Series event in Sonoma, California. The selections are broken down between high salary, mid-range, and value play. Included are player salaries from both FanDuel (FD) and DraftKings (DK). Best of luck to everyone with lineups this weekend.
High Salary
Martin Truex Jr. (13,000 FD | 10,000 DK)
After all the debate about possible retirement Truex ran one of his best races last weekend in a good long while. Now with another visit to Napa Valley, Truex will be excited to again compete for another win. In those two recent Sonoma wins, Truex led half of the laps showing once he gains a lead it’s been virtually impossible to bypass him. Truex’s former crew chief, Cole Pearn, will be returning for this race.
The man that helped lead Truex to his first and only Cup title. While he will be just a one-race fill-in, the addition of Pearn is notable. Hot on the trail of Jeff Gordon for all-time wins at Sonoma, a victory this weekend would put him one win closer. Don’t worry about where Truex starts, as he will find a way to get to the front regardless.
Ryan Blaney (9,000 FD | 9,400 DK)
Blaney might seem an unexpected choice with names like Chase Elliott on the board. However, if you look at Blaney’s road course results over the last three attempts they’re quite impressive. His runner-up finish last year at the Brickyard, most notably. In that race, he needed to start from deep as 16th. Blaney didn’t have a great start to his Cup career at Sonoma with a pair of poor showings. However, over the last two Sonoma visits, he’s answered back for third and 10th place outcomes respectively. Even though he’s sitting second in points, Blaney shouldn’t feel comfortable. Although a win at Sonoma would all but lock him into the playoffs.
Mid-Range
Kurt Busch (8,000 FD | 8,200 DK)
Busch has always been a pretty competitive road racer. As fantasy NASCAR fans might remember, he came from 30th place to finish a strong sixth in last June’s visit to Napa Valley. Moreover, he would lead eight laps. It was his lowest starting position at Sonoma since 2001 when he competed for Roush Racing. Busch needed a good run last weekend, so I advised owners to take a chance on him as a value play. Those players who followed the advice were rewarded with a third-place finish. Which earned him the fifth-most points on DraftKings. Since he’s about the same price this weekend, you won’t have to worry about hurting the rest of your roster.
Value Play
Erik Jones (6,500 FD | 7,500 DK)
His sophomore year with Petty Motorsports has seen Jones step up his game. Despite starting from as far back as 21st, he placed seventh last weekend at Madison. His next chance at success is at Sonoma, where he has placed 11th or better in three of his four attempts. A big reason Jones is as underrated as he is on road courses, and Sonoma in particular, is his ability to continue outperforming his starting position. At the COTA, he came from as far back as 30th to place ninth. Having a starting position in the top 20 would be ideal, so keep an eye on Saturday’s qualifying session. He should be able to provide you with good roster flexibility.
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