NASCAR makes a rare stop at a right-turn racetrack this week, as the tour moves to Sonoma Raceway for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 on Sunday, June 24. Perhaps because of the change in the turn, you get some different winners here than what you see usually. Tony Stewart won here in 2016 after recovering from fractured vertebrae — and the year before, Kyle Busch won just four months after major leg injuries at Daytona. Carl Edwards won here in 2014 to collect his only road course victory in any NASCAR Cup Series event. Take a look at our wagering suggestions as you figure out your auto racing betting from this week’s battle for the checkered flag.
2018 Toyota/Save Mart 350 Betting Preview
Kyle Busch is still someone to consider every week, as he has ten top-four finishes in his last 3 races and has four first-place trophies this year alone. He has two winners’ trophies from the Toyota/Save Mart 350 already, and he has not finished outside the top ten in his last three races at Sonoma Raceway. When you’re thinking about the favorites on this course, you have to have him on your list. Kurt Busch continues to push drivers in front of him, even though he has not drawn the checkered flag himself yet this year. It’s been five years since he went this long in a season without a win, so he could be due. He has five top-eight finishes in his last six races, and he won the Toyota/Save Mart 350 seven years ago, and in his last seven races at Sonoma Raceway, he has six top-ten finishes. He also was the runner-up here in 2015. So if you like him to end his drought, this is as good a course as any. Kevin Harvick won this event back in 2017 and has not finished outside the top six in each of the last three editions of the Toyota/Save Mart 350. At Sonoma Raceway, he has six top-10 results in his last eight races. He has been almost as dominant lately as Kyle Busch has, with six top-five finishes in his last seven races. So if you look at his record at Sonoma Raceway and his current form overall, you have to think about putting his name down. Brad Keselowski finished third at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 in 2017 and cracked the top ten in 2011, but other than that, he has not had all that great a luck here. He’s still looking for his first checkered flag in 2018, and he’s been close, as he has four top-six finishes in his last five events, and nine top-ten finishes in his last 14. If you look at all of the drivers who are still winless in 2018, he is probably the most consistent. So even though the right turns at Sonoma have not always been kind to him, he’s someone to consider. Clint Bowyer was the big winner in Michigan and has two checkered flags so far in 2018. He won the Toyota/Save Mart 350 in 2012 and took second place a year ago, and he has five top-five finishes in his last seven races at Sonoma Raceway. He has never won races two weeks in a row, but given his recent form and his success in Michigan, he has an excellent shot at going back-to-back for the first time. A.J. Allmendinger is a definite dark-horse pick for this week. He has solid results in his career at Sonoma Raceway, but he’s one of those all-or-nothing racers that either finishes with the checkered flag or ends up way back in the pack. If you’re looking for a value pick to add to your card, he’s definitely someone to consider — since the race is here.Are you ready for @NASCAR to turn right?#TSM350 pic.twitter.com/w7pTHni1jF
— Sonoma Raceway (@RaceSonoma) June 18, 2018
