Chase Elliott is in desperate need of a victory.
The Hendrick Motorsports star has been rudderless for large parts of the Cup Series campaign, unable to develop a rhythm in the face of injury and suspension. He sits adrift from the playoffs and unlikely to get in unless he can get to victory lane.
The good news for Elliott is that he’s at a place this weekend where he can win. Sonoma Raceway is a 2.52-mile road course, one of six road courses on this year’s Cup Series schedule. Elliott is the best road course driver in the series with seven victories on road in his career. That puts him at third-most in Cup Series history, trailing only Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.
All of that is quite good. What’s not good are Elliott’s recent performances. Elliott has finished all but two race days outside the top five. And his actions at the Coca-Cola 600 two weeks ago earned him a one-race suspension.
Elliott’s one of the best to ever race in the Cup Series. But he needs to start proving it. If he does, he might be able to cement his status as a contender from Hendrick Motorsports.
MORE: Watch the Toyota/Save Mart 350 live with Fubo (free trial)
The Sporting News is tracking live updates from Sunday’s race at Sonoma. Follow below for results and highlights from all the action in the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
NASCAR at Sonoma live updates, highlights from 2023 race
(All times Eastern)
4:53 p.m.: Michael McDowell showing real speed on the straightaways. He’s up to P5, jostling with Elliott for that fourth-place spot. The former Daytona 500 winner has enjoyed himself quite the weekend in wine country so far.
4:45 p.m.: Truex holding off Hamlin for first. Seems like the No. 19 car has been better on the medium/long run. Hamlin might have the advantage on the shorter distances. However, the No. 11 car is still keeping things interesting. A little less than two seconds is the difference.
4:41 p.m.: Not a great day for Reddick. He’s back to 10th place, eight spots on his starting position. Bit of a surprise from the 23XI star, widely viewed as one of NASCAR’s best road course drivers.
4:32 p.m.: Truex takes Hamlin’s spot in first! The No. 19 car stole a march on his teammate, gaining that all-important outside track position before making his move.
4:30 p.m.: Hamlin and Truex still leading the way through 30 laps. Elliott still in the mix, sitting in a distant P3. Lap traffic going to make an impact now as the No. 19 car tries to make its pass beyond its Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.
4:21 p.m.: No stage break today. Still, it’s Hamlin who takes Stage 1. He’ll add another playoff point to his collection. Expect the Top-10 cars to head over to pit road sooner rather than later.
4:20 p.m.: Lots of drivers headed to pit road as we near the end of Stage 1.
4:10 p.m.: Elliott doing everything in his power to pass Chris Buescher in P8. He needs a win. And he’s making things very uncomfortable for the No. 17 car on Turn 7. Even has handed Buescher a few love taps going around the bend.
4:07 p.m.: Truex passes Bell for P2. He’s charging down on Hamlin.
4:01 p.m.: Hamlin’s lap time is slowing down as we approach Lap 12. A little under a second in front of Bell. Truex isn’t far behind, either.
3:59 p.m.: Martin Truex Jr. moving well thus far. He’s up to P3, five spots on his starting spot. 15 laps to go in Stage 1.
3:54 p.m.: Looks like Suarez missed a shift on the opening turn. He raced here yesterday in the Xfinity Series. That might’ve messed up his timing a tad. He’s in P29.
3:51 p.m.: Not the best of starts for Reddick, who gave up P2 to Christopher Bell after struggling into the opening turn. Things not going too well for last year’s winner Daniel Suarez, as well. He’s 20 spots back on his starting position as we near Lap 5.
3:48 p.m.: We’re green at Sonoma! Hamlin and Reddick leading the front row to start!
3:45 p.m.: Second road course race of the season. Should be a doozy. Tyler Reddick, Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin among the favorites.
Engines fired at Sonoma. Stages 25-30-55 (no cautions at end of stages), 6 sets tires (5 stickers and one form qualifying), fuel 45-48 laps … race is on FOX
No cars to the rear at this point.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 11, 2023
3:40 p.m.: Adam Devine with a rousing rendition of the driver commands. And a leap to the heavens for good measure. We’re really out here.
3:36 p.m.: Last race before the break. Last race on Fox, as well. Lots of change on the horizon. But first, we return to wine country. Mere minutes separate us from the start of the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
What channel is the NASCAR race on today?
- TV channel: Fox (U.S.) | TSN (Canada)
- Live stream: FoxSports.com, Fubo
The Toyota/Save Mart 350 will be broadcast on Fox in the United States. Canadian viewers can follow the action on TSN.
Veteran broadcaster Mike Joy will call the lap-by-lap action. He’ll be joined in the booth by Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray.
Fans can watch online via FoxSports.com or Fubo, which offers a free trial.
NASCAR start time today
- Date: Sunday, June 11
- Start time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Sunday’s race has a 3:30 p.m. ET listed start time, but pre-race activities are expected to push the waving of the green flag back to 3:50 p.m. ET.
NASCAR at Sonoma starting lineup 2023
| Starting pos. | Driver | Car No. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 11 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2 | Tyler Reddick | 45 | 23XI Racing |
| 3 | Michael McDowell | 34 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 4 | Christopher Bell | 20 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 5 | AJ Allmendinger | 16 | Kaulig Racing |
| 6 | Ty Gibbs | 54 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 7 | Chris Buescher | 17 | RFK Racing |
| 8 | Martin Truex Jr. | 19 | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 9 | Daniel Suarez | 99 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 10 | Chase Elliott | 9 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 11 | Austin Dillon | 3 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 12 | Kyle Busch | 8 | Richard Childress Racing |
| 13 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 47 | JTG Daugherty Racing |
| 14 | Alex Bowman | 48 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 15 | Ross Chastain | 1 | Trackhouse Racing |
| 16 | Kyle Larson | 5 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 17 | Joey Logano | 22 | Team Penske |
| 18 | Bubba Wallace | 23 | 23XI Racing |
| 19 | Corey LaJoie | 7 | Spire Motorsports |
| 20 | Aric Almirola | 10 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 21 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 22 | Ryan Preece | 41 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 23 | Justin Haley | 31 | Kaulig Racing |
| 24 | Chase Briscoe | 14 | Stewart-Haas Racing |
| 25 | Brad Keselowski | 6 | RFK Racing |
| 26 | William Byron | 24 | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 27 | Ty Dillon | 77 | Spire Motorsports |
| 28 | Erik Jones | 43 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 29 | Josh Bilicki | 78 | Live Fast Motorsports |
| 30 | Zane Smith | 38 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 31 | Ryan Blaney | 12 | Team Penske |
| 32 | Todd Gilliland | 51 | Front Row Motorsports |
| 33 | Andy Lally | 15 | Rick Ware Racing |
| 34 | Austin Cindric | 2 | Team Penske |
| 35 | Grant Enfinger | 42 | Legacy Motor Club |
| 36 | Harrison Burton | 21 | Wood Brothers Racing |
