Welcome back, race fans. For the second straight week, the Cup series will go road racing with a trip to Sonoma Raceway, which is also the fourth and final road race of the season.
In this article, we will preview the track, look at some Sonoma and road course trends, and then identify some drivers who should be on our radar this weekend.
NASCAR DFS: Toyota Save Mart 350
Track Preview & Fantasy Angle
Sonoma is a 2.385-mile road course with 12 total turns. Some of the challenges drivers will face include up to 160 feet of total elevation changes during a lap, long straightaways followed by sharp turns, and the famous “Carousel” turn. With those challenges, the track demands elite handling, brake control, and, of course, patience as passing opportunities are few and far between.
Top Pre-Qualifying Targets for DraftKings
Shane van Gisbergen ($14,000)
He looked like the car to beat last week in San Diego before a wreck in Stage 2 took him out. I am going right back to the well here in a more traditional road race at Sonoma despite the price going up. He dominated this race last year, leading 97 laps en route to a win, and is easily the top road racer in NASCAR.
Michael McDowell ($9,300)
The price on McDowell is also on the rise this week, but he backs it up by checking a lot of boxes. He returns to Sonoma as one of just two drivers to record three Top 5’s and four Top 10 finishes in all four NextGen races here. He has also established himself as one of the best road racers in the series as he comes in with four straight Top 10 finishes and ranks 3rd in average finish (10.3) on road courses since the start of last season.
Chase Elliott ($8,000)
The price trend on Elliott has gone in the opposite direction, and I am not quite sure why. He is coming off a 12th-place finish in San Diego, but starting 30th, which gave him the 6th most DraftKings points. He is not only 6th in average finish on road courses since the start of last year, but he has also been excellent here at Sonoma with top 10 finishes in five straight and seven of his last eight trips. Elliott is my favourite PTS/$ upside play.
Ryan Preece ($7,000)
Preece is right up there with Elliott in terms of PTS/$ value heading into the weekend. He has been very consistent here at Sonoma with three straight finishes of 18th or better, including a career-high 12th in 2025. He joins an elite group of road racers as one of seven with eight top 20 finishes in the last nine since the start of 2025.
John Hunter Nemechek ($5,900)
Down in the $5K range, provided he doesn’t over-qualify, I will be taking a shot on JNH this week. While the 28th and 29th place finishes in two Sonoma starts don’t look appealing, he has been much better this year on road/street races, finishing 17th or better in all three this season, including a Top 10 at Watkins Glen.
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