The Sonoma Raceway is where the 2024 Cup Series field heads next in its journey toward the season finale in Phoenix. The race at the 2.52-mile road course will be the 16th event on the calendar and a crucial step in deciding who the playoff contenders will be. With the importance of the fixture in hindsight, here’s a look at the most successful drivers on the track.
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Hendrick Motorsports icon Jeff Gordon has the highest number of wins at the raceway. He conquered the track five times – the latest of the wins coming back in 2006. Notably, he won three consecutive times at the venue in 1998, 1999, and 2000. His five runner-up finishes, 14 top-5s, and 18 top-10s are track records as well.
Following close on his heels is Martin Truex Jr. with four wins. The Joe Gibbs Racing star is the defending winner at Sonoma. He secured consecutive victories in 2018 and 2019, with his first coming back in 2013. His latest victory that came last season was the 33rd of his career and the second of 2023. It helped him speed to be the regular season champion.
Truex Jr. is currently one of the top names without a victory yet in 2024. Heading to one of his better tracks in this corner could be an opportunity for him to fix a spot in the playoffs. Coming next to him on the all-time wins list at Sonoma is three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. The icon won once back in 2016 in his Stewart-Haas Racing car and twice in a Joe Gibbs Racing car (2001 and 2005).
His 2016 victory came atop an 84-race winless drought and was the final one of his illustrious career. He started the race in tenth place and held out towards the end in a battle with his former teammate Denny Hamlin to grab the win. Sitting steadfast in the fourth and fifth places are Ernie Irvan and Kyle Busch with two wins at Sonoma each.
Irvan’s wins at the track came back in 1992 and 1994. Both the races are crucial milestones in his overall fifteen career wins. He is currently involved with the late model racing career of his son, Jared. The 2X Cup Series Busch’s victories at Sonoma came in 2008 and 2015. The latter victory helped him overcome missing a host of races before winning his first-ever championship title. Heading to the track this Sunday, Busch and Truex Jr. stand a chance to climb higher on this list.
