The NASCAR Cup Series field travels to the Wine Country region of California this weekend. The race on Sunday will be an important step in deciding the final cut of 16 drivers who will be playoff-eligible at the end of the regular season. If the aspect of racing for a championship in the postseason isn’t reason enough, the field will be further lured with huge monetary rewards for performance.
Advertisement
Veteran reporter Bob Pockrass announced on X that the collective purse size for the race will be $8,426,274. The amount is inclusive of all payouts from contingency awards to historical performance funds. Compared to the purse in 2023, which was $8,054,721, this year’s represents a considerable increase. This follows a trend that has been seen in every premier-tier race since the start of the season.
Purses for Sonoma weekend, including all payouts, all positions, contingency awards, contribution to points funds and charter payouts:
Cup: $8,426,274
Xfinity: $1,747,861
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 5, 2024
As the field navigates the new pavement at the track, Joe Gibbs Racing star Martin Truex Jr. stands the highest chance to emerge as the winner and take home the largest piece of the $8.4 million prize. DraftKings Sportsbook has his opening odds at 11-2. The Cup Series event will be accompanied by an Xfinity Series race. The purse for the same is set at $1,747,861. Last year, it was $1,545,934.
The new challenge that the Sonoma Raceway brings up in 2024
The 2.5-mile road course underwent a fresh repave, after 23 years, during the offseason. The track which is now brand new to race brings forward challenges that every driver and crew chief will be wary of. Prime among them is the high speed and minimal tire fall-off that will be facilitated. Sonoma has always been a tricky venue when it comes to handling. It will be even more so this weekend.
Another worrying factor is the quality of the repave. Weeks after the job was completed back in February, the asphalt broke away in Turn 11 failing to adhere to the surface. Though the issue was almost immediately rectified by the company that handled the original job, the incident will linger in the atmosphere during the races.
Truex Jr.’s teammates Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs both placed second favorite to win the Cup Series race with opening odds of 15-2. Joining them with the same numbers are Hendrick Motorsports stars Kyle Larson and William Byron. Sonoma is set to provide an interesting racing spectacle this weekend with multiple storylines surrounding it.
