With the green hills of California’s wine country as the backdrop, NASCAR’s Xfinity Series rolls into Sonoma Raceway for a weekend that could shape the playoff picture. Saturday’s Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 is one of the most technical road course events on the schedule, and qualifying will be more important than ever. With 39 cars entered and only 38 starting spots, the pressure is on for drivers in both Group A and Group B to lay down a fast lap on Friday evening.
Key Highlights
39 Xfinity Series cars are entered for Sonoma, meaning one will not qualify
Friday qualifying split into two 20-minute groups, one round only
Shane van Gisbergen returns as defending Sonoma race winner
Top contenders include Austin Hill, Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, and Jesse Love
Race airs Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET on The CW, with qualifying Friday at 5:10 p.m. ET
Qualifying Order: Group A
The drivers in Group A will be first on track Friday afternoon and have 20 minutes to make their best attempt. Sage Karam opens the session, while several heavy hitters like Riley Herbst, Matt DiBenedetto, and Ryan Sieg will look to put their road course skills to work.
| Order | Car No. | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 53 | Sage Karam |
| 2 | 5 | Kris Wright |
| 3 | 35 | Austin J. Hill |
| 4 | 17 | Corey Day |
| 5 | 91 | Josh Bilicki |
| 6 | 18 | William Sawalich |
| 7 | 42 | Anthony Alfredo |
| 8 | 39 | Ryan Sieg |
| 9 | 45 | Brad Perez |
| 10 | 14 | Connor Mosack |
| 11 | 51 | Jeremy Clements |
| 12 | 54 | Taylor Gray |
| 13 | 99 | Matt DiBenedetto |
| 14 | 19 | Riley Herbst |
| 15 | 71 | Ryan Ellis |
| 16 | 4 | Parker Retzlaff |
| 17 | 27 | Jeb Burton |
| 18 | 28 | Kyle Sieg |
| 19 | 31 | Blaine Perkins |
| 20 | 70 | Will Rodgers |
Corey Day returns in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 17, looking to back up strong road course runs earlier this year. William Sawalich and Anthony Alfredo will be watched closely, especially with one car going home after the session. Herbst in the No. 19 car will be a favorite to advance to a front-row spot.
Qualifying Order: Group B
Group B is led by Kaulig Racing’s Daniel Dye and includes some of the weekend’s biggest names—Shane van Gisbergen, Justin Allgaier, and Austin Hill (who also appears in Group A, possibly due to car entry confusion). With only one round, drivers must push hard while avoiding mistakes that could end their weekend early.
| Order | Car No. | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Daniel Dye |
| 2 | 32 | Austin Green |
| 3 | 20 | Brandon Jones |
| 4 | 7 | Justin Allgaier |
| 5 | 07 | Alex Labbe |
| 6 | 16 | Christian Eckes |
| 7 | 26 | Dean Thompson |
| 8 | 11 | Josh Williams |
| 9 | 44 | Brennan Poole |
| 10 | 25 | Harrison Burton |
| 11 | 1 | Carson Kvapil |
| 12 | 9 | Shane van Gisbergen |
| 13 | 8 | Sammy Smith |
| 14 | 41 | Sam Mayer |
| 15 | 48 | Nick Sanchez |
| 16 | 2 | Jesse Love |
| 17 | 00 | Sheldon Creed |
| 18 | 21 | Austin Hill |
| 19 | 88 | Connor Zilisch |
All eyes will be on SVG, who won this race in 2024 and enters as one of the sport’s premier road course racers. His teammate Jesse Love also shows promise on twisty tracks and will be one to watch. Sam Mayer, Sheldon Creed, and Connor Zilisch round out a group full of aggressive talent.
News in Brief: NASCAR Xfinity Qualifying Groups Set for Sonoma
Sonoma Raceway will host the 19th race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season this Saturday with the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250. Qualifying will be a one-round format split into two groups of 20 drivers each, with one car ultimately failing to make the field. Shane van Gisbergen returns as the defending winner and headlines a deep Group B lineup that also includes Sheldon Creed and Justin Allgaier. In Group A, Riley Herbst and Matt DiBenedetto aim to secure key starting positions. The qualifying session begins Friday at 5:10 p.m. ET on The CW App, with the race airing live on The CW Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET.
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