Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway… In 82 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway, Richard Childress Racing owns two wins. Dale Earnhardt claimed the first win for the organization in 1995, leading the final two laps of the race to secure the victory. Earnhardt also won the pole for that same event, the first for the Welcome, N.C.-based team. Robby Gordon won at Sonoma in 2003, leading 81 of 110 laps and holding off Jeff Gordon for the win. RCR has racked up 15 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes since the NASCAR Cup Series made its debut at the track in 1989. The team has led 158 laps at the California road course and has completed 8,490 of a possible 8,624 laps (98.4 percent).
Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Sonoma Raceway… In four NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Sonoma Raceway, RCR has earned one top-five and two top-10 finishes. In last year’s Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway, Austin Hill scored a fifth-place finish after leading 21 laps and Jesse Love earned a strong 12th-place finish after starting sixth.
Tickets to the 2025 Carolina Cowboys Home Stand Are Available Now… Driven by the same passion for performance that guides his race team, Richard Childress’ latest endeavor brings Professional Bull Riding to the Carolinas. The Carolina Cowboys represent the Carolinas in the PBR Team Series, an elite league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games throughout the country. The team is owned by Richard Childress and Jeff Broin with 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Dillon serving as General Manager. Don’t miss the Carolina Cowboys 2025 “Cowboy Days” Home Stand September 12-14 at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Tickets are on sale at PBR.com and Ticketmaster.
Catch the Action on Saturday… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250 at Sonoma Raceway will be televised live Saturday, July 12, beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET on The CW. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Friday’s practice and qualifying sessions will be shown for free on The CW App.
Watch Us on TNT Sports… The Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway will be televised live on Sunday, July 13, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on TNT Sports, the third of five consecutive races this season that will air on TNT Sports. The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NASCAR Cup Series practice & qualifying at Sonoma Raceway will be broadcast on truTV and Max. Ride shotgun all season long with live, in-car camera feeds and scanner audio with a paid subscription to Max as part of their NASCAR driver cam experience during the race.
Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet at Sonoma Raceway… Austin Dillon has made 10 previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Sonoma Raceway, earning his best finish of 11th at the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course in 2022. He has completed 93 percent of the laps run at the track. Dillon is looking for redemption at Sonoma Raceway this year after crashing out of the race on lap 39 and finishing 36th in last year’s race.
Did You Know? In addition to his NASCAR Cup Series starts, Dillon has made three NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts at Sonoma Raceway, earning a best finish of third in 2019 among two top-10 finishes.
About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations, and more. In 2017, Bass Pro Shops united with Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations, and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit basspro.com.
The Winchester Legacy… Winchester is the largest small-caliber ammunition enterprise in the world and the leader in delivering innovative ammunition products to hunters, sport shooters, law enforcement, and the U.S. Warfighter. The 159-year-old Winchester® brand is built on integrity, hard work, and a deep focus on its loyal customers. Learn more about Winchester and the responsible use of its products by visiting Winchester.com or connecting with us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WinchesterOfficial.
Let’s Ride… Dillon is wearing two hats this weekend, as the driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet officially kicks off his fourth season as general manager of the Carolina Cowboys, an elite professional bull riding team in the PBR Team Series. The Carolina Cowboys face off against the Nashville Stampede on Friday night, July 11 as part of Wildcatter Days in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Carolina Cowboys will begin the 2025 season with a talent-packed roster returning the likes of veteran riders Cooper Davis (2016 PBR World Champion), Daylon Swearingen (2022 PBR World Champion) and Derek Kolbaba (nine-time PBR World Finals Qualifier). The contingent also returns three-time PBR World Finals qualifier Adriano Salgado along with surging young gun Ethan Winkler, all the while welcome North Carolina’s own Clay Guiton (Cherryville) for his first season with the Carolina Cowboys.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
What’s the most challenging part of the Sonoma Raceway layout for you—Turn 11 hairpin, the esses, or something else?
“Turn 11 has always been the most challenging aspect of Sonoma Raceway. You’ve got to have patience and make a really good arch on entry. You know that drivers are going to be attacking that corner, so you don’t know what’s going to happen at times. The best thing to do is to roll the curb as fast as you can and pick up the throttle early to get off the corner. We’ve put a lot of effort into Sonoma Raceway on the simulator.
How do you manage brake wear and overheating with all the heavy braking zones?
“You try not to overlap on two pedals and use the brakes efficiently. Sonoma Raceway is a track where you can overheat your brakes very fast, and there’s not much time to cool them down with the long runs we’ve seen over the last few races. You want to keep as much rear brake in the car as possible, and you can have a good day.”
What is your assessment of the No. 3 team heading into the final stretch of the regular season?
“I think the consistency of our team is getting better. I would love to bring more speed to some of the races. We’ve been very close in qualifying, and qualifying at the Chicago Street Race was a huge improvement. We’ve been on the outside looking in at a lot of these places. I was pumped after our recent race at Atlanta Motor Speedway because we had really struggled at Atlanta in the past, but this year we had a racecar that was capable of possibly winning the race. Now, going back to Atlanta next year, I feel like we have a notes package we can build on and I feel really good about that. We have to develop some better setups that give me confidence as a driver. I’m excited about going back to Richmond Raceway, we’re always decent at the speedways, and Iowa Speedway is coming up, too, and that’s a place I’ve always run well at in the past. Sonoma Raceway will be intense and the key will be being disciplined and doing my job to get the most out of the car.”
How much of racing to you is strategic, and how much is instinct?
“A lot of racing is instinct, especially during restarts because you’re trying to react to what the guy ahead of you is doing, and if you can time it right you can get an advantage. Your reaction to their move, or knowing the guy and what he’s going to do is really important. You’re trying not to give up any information yourself. You’re instincts and the strategy behind it really plays into it. We do a lot of studying on what lines to choose. You make multiple mistakes throughout a race, but you just hope that you make the right choices at the right time to put yourself in position.”
Kyle Busch and the No. 8 zone Chevrolet at Sonoma Raceway… Sunday’s 110-lap race will mark Kyle Busch’s 20th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Sonoma Raceway. Busch has two wins (2008 and 2015), seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his previous starts at the track. Additionally, he has an average starting position of 14.1, an average finish of 14.6, and has completed 97.7 percent (2,011 of 2,059) of the laps he’s contested there.
Road Course Prowess… Busch has 58 career road course starts at NASCAR’s highest level, racking up four wins (two at Sonoma and two at Watkins Glen International), 20 top-five finishes and 30 top-10 finishes. He has earned two poles in road course competition (Watkins Glen International in 2011 and 2017) and has led 472 laps in road course competition in the Cup Series.
Success Not Limited to the Cup Series… In addition to his Cup Series successes at Sonoma Raceway, the veteran racer earned a NASCAR Truck Series win at the track in 2022.
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KYLE BUSCH QUOTES:
We’re headed west to Sonoma Raceway this weekend. What are your thoughts?
“I’m looking forward to racing at Sonoma Raceway this weekend. We’ve had some good runs on road courses as of late. We had a fast car in Mexico and another last weekend at the Chicago Street Race. We need to keep our good runs at road courses coming . The guys at RCR have done a great job of putting together good stuff for our road course races, so I’m excited about that.”
Is Sonoma Raceway a track you circle on the schedule as a place you like to go?
“I always enjoy going to Sonoma. It’s a great place to go for a race, but also all the other cool reasons that everyone looks forward to getting out to wine country. I’m looking forward to getting back on the twisty roads and having a good race. We’ve been fast at Sonoma Raceway in the past, and I’ve won there a couple of times. I hope we’ll be able to capitalize on a fast car and put ourselves in a position to win.”
Jesse Love and the No. 2 National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Chevrolet at Sonoma Raceway… Jesse Love has made one career NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Sonoma Raceway, driving the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet last season. The 2024 Sunoco Rookie of the Year qualified in the sixth position and earned stage points, en route to a 12th-place result. Love has also competed in one ARCA Menards Series West event at the California road course (2021).
Back-to-Back Lefts and Rights… As the Xfinity Series heads to back-to-back road courses, Love looks to continue his successful road course outings. In two of the three road course events in the 2025 campaign, the 20-year-old has captured two sixth-place finishes (Circuit of The Americas and Chicago Street Race).
Honoring Fallen Officers… For Saturday’s Xfinity Series race, Whelen Engineering and RCR have teamed up with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) for the fourth consecutive season to honor fallen law enforcement officers. The No. 2 Chevrolet will sport a black and blue design, featuring the NLEOMF logo predominately on the hood and sides. The decklid will carry the names of 345 officers killed in the line-of-duty, all of whom were recently added to the walls of the memorial earlier this year.
Move Over… The NLEOMF special design also highlights the Move Over Law, which requires motorists to slow down and change lanes when approaching an emergency vehicle that is parked on a roadway to give safe clearance to law enforcement officers.
Coming Home… This weekend’s event at Sonoma Raceway marks a California homecoming for Love. The 20-year-old is a native of Menlo Park – a short one-hour drive from the 1.99-mile asphalt facility.
Gaining Ground… With 18 races complete, Love remains in the fourth position in the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings – 16 points behind a two-way tie for second-place.
About the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund… Established in 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the fallen, telling the story of American law enforcement, and making it safer for those who serve. The first pillar of this mission, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., honors the names of more than 24,000 officers who have died in the line of duty to date throughout U.S. history. Additionally, the NLEOMF maintains and publishes comprehensive details on the circumstances surrounding official line-of-duty deaths. The Officer Safety and Wellness pillar uses that data, coupled with best-practice program models, to produce programming directed at solutions to improve survivability and enhance wellness. NLOEMF’s third pillar, the National Law Enforcement Museum (LawEnforcementMuseum.com) is committed to preserving the history of American law enforcement and sharing the experiences of service and sacrifice for generations to come.
About Whelen Engineering… Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, and we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.
Meet Love… On Friday, July 11 at 11:45 a.m. Local Time, Love and his teammate Austin Hill are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Midway at Sonoma Raceway. On Saturday, July 12 at 10:15 a.m. Local Time, Love is scheduled to join fellow Xfinity Series drivers for a series autograph session in the Turn 10 Midway at Sonoma Raceway. Stop by to meet the home state driver before the green flag waves.
JESSE LOVE QUOTE:
With two back-to-back road course events, is there anything that can be taken from the Chicago Street Race and applied to Sonoma Raceway?
“I don’t think so. Sonoma is super high grip with a bunch of curves where you are climbing and have a ton of passing zones, whereas Chicago is tighter and not a lot of elevation compared to Sonoma. Sonoma is one of my favorite racetracks and my favorite road course in the whole world. It’s right close to home for me, so I love going there. I’ve had a lot of laps around there throughout my career in a multitude of different vehicles and made my first laps there when I was 12 or 13 years old. We had a good run last year but came up short. This year, it is a good opportunity for our No. 2 team.”
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet at Sonoma Raceway… Austin Hill has made two career starts at Sonoma Raceway, earning two top-10 finishes and leading laps in each event. After securing an eighth-place finish in 2023’s NASCAR Xfinity Series inaugural race at the California road course, Hill returned last season to lead 21 laps and finish in the fifth position. The Winston, Georgia native has completed 100 percent of the laps competed (158).
Another Road Course Top-Five… With another strong effort through the streets of Chicago, Hill has now finished inside the top-five in all three Xfinity Series road course events in 2025 – fourth at Circuit of The Americas, third at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and fourth at the Chicago Street Race. A road course victory is the only style of track that the veteran racer has not won at thus far into his series career.
Eyes Forward… Through 18 races, Hill is currently tied with Sam Mayer for second-place in the Xfinity Series driver championship point standings – 49 points behind leader Justin Allgaier.
First Cup Series Top-10… Last weekend at the Chicago Street Race, Hill earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series top-10 finish, crossing the finish line in the ninth position. During the premier series event, Hill made 55 green flag passes – the most of any driver in the field.
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Meet Hill… On Friday, July 11 at 11:45 a.m. Local Time, Hill and his teammate Jesse Love are scheduled to sign autographs at the RCR Merchandise Hauler in the Midway at Sonoma Raceway. On Saturday, July 12 at 10:15 a.m. Local Time, Hill is scheduled to join fellow Xfinity Series drivers for a series autograph session in the Turn 10 Midway at Sonoma Raceway. Stop by to meet the 13-time Xfinity Series winner and purchase new No. 21 gear.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
With two back-to-back road course events, is there anything that can be taken from the Chicago Street Race and applied to Sonoma Raceway?
“No, I wish I could. Other than the shifting repetitions, there isn’t much that transfers from street racing in Chicago to an actual road course in Sonoma. When you don’t race on road courses often, it can take a little extra time – five or six laps – to get back accumulated to the up shifts, down shifts, and hitting your shifting marks. Because we just did a street course, that adjustment period should be very short if non-existent. That’s the one thing I can take from Chicago. Sonoma is just a totally different animal.”
