To say this weekend’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race is loaded is an understatement.
In addition to the continued championship battle of Bob Bruncati’s Sunset Ford Racing team and Bill McAnally Racing, which holds down six of the top seven spots in the standings, Saturday’s Carneros 200 will include a bevy of road-course ringers — including several Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver.
Back east, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will make a sojourn south for the WhosYourDriver.org 150 at Langley Speedway on Saturday night.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West’s annual trip to the road course at Sonoma Raceway usually draws its share of Cup Series drivers, and this year is no different. As the only other series on track, this is an opportunity for Cup drivers — especially the younger ones — to get extra track time before Sunday’s show. Past West race winners include Brian Vickers (2006), Joey Logano (2011), Kyle Larson (2014) and Chase Elliott (2016).
This year’s entry list includes Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and William Byron, along with Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez. Bowman will be driving in a car prepared by BMR, while Bowman will be with Jefferson Pitts Racing. DGR-Crosley will field cars for Jones and Suarez. In addition, Cup veteran Aric Almirola will be making his second K&N Pro Series start. He won the East race at Dover in 2008.
Will Rodgers, the 20-year-old NASCAR Next driver who nearly stole the spotlight with his runner-up finish to Kevin Harvick in last year’s Sonoma race, will return. Rodgers is coming off an East win at New Jersey Motorsports Park — his third straight series’ road course win.
The field also includes long-time K&N Pro West driver Jim Inglebright. Inglebright has run every Sonoma event since the series return in 2006, and scored his last win in 2008 on the road course in Portland. Rally car driver Cole Keatts, who made his series debut at New Jersey this past weekend, is entered, as is series’ veteran David Mayhew. Mayhew has 10 career West wins, including Sonoma in 2015.
And, lest we forget, series points leader Derek Thorn is the only other non-Cup driver to visit Victory Lane on the California road course since 2011. Thorn finished second in 2012 and won in 2013 en route to his championship.
RACING-REFERENCE: Previous K&N Pro Series West races at Sonoma | K&N Pro Series West drivers’ career stats at Sonoma
NASCAR PR
