Final Sonoma Thoughts

The Cup race at Sonoma is going to begin in about an hour, so I though I would give some final thoughts on how to have a good race at Infineon Raceway.

Basically, for the guys up front, it's just follow the leader. Don't make any mistakes, keep four wheels on the track, and keep the car on the pavement. If you can do this, you'll be in good shape, possibly contending for the win with a few late passes. Don't be overaggressive, just follow the leader's pace and drive cautiously.

For the guy's up back, you have to use some strategy, because you're not going to make up a ton of positions throughout the race. This track just doesn't allow it. Use pit strategy and gas mileage to gain some track position and get up front. That's really the only way to do it. One would want to do this as quickly as possible, as cars in the back have a good chance to hit the many drivers who will be spinning out of control in the race.

Like I said yesterday, I'm just not sure if Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick can make their way back up. You should see both guys use strategy to do it.

Anything less than a win today for Jeff Gordon is really not acceptable. He has a good car, is starting in the top ten, and knows this track better than just about anyone else. Plus, he was my pick.

Watch out for Marcos Ambrose. His car has been fast all week, and he is good on road-courses. How about a win or top-five for the guy's first ever Cup race? That would be just awesome.

It'll be very interesting to see if Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson, the first row of the starting lineup, can have a race as good as their qualifying efforts. Both of these guys have not found prior success at Infineon.

Another thing I'll be looking out for is if Jeff Burton, who's starting twentieth, can get another top ten. Remember, he hasn't gotten anything else this season.

How many specialists will be in the top ten at the end of the race? It should be more, but I'll guess two, Boris Said and Ron Fellows.

Some guys who would normally not be in contention for a Cup race, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Robby Gordon, and I don't know, Dave Blaney, could get the win in this one. That's what I love about road-course racing, everyone has a chance regardless of their equipment.

So, there you go. Even though Sonoma doesn't exactly offer the thrills of a normal race, make sure to tune in on TNT. It's a fun race to watch, and I'm sure that you'll find it enjoyable to watch.