I am definitely in the minority being someone who actually likes the road courses, or at least I was. Many long time NASCAR fans despise the road courses citing that the roads and right turns take away the spirit and very embodiment that makes NASCAR different from the other motor sports. I can understand that point of view, but intruding on one-eighteenth of the season schedule with some diversity shouldn’t make too many grumble, should it?

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Other than seeing a track layout completely different than what we normally see, my favorite reason for enjoying the road courses is to watch some of the Cup regulars struggle. I’m not a negative person and don’t take delight in others misery, but watching some of the best drivers in the world struggle at their craft is somewhat entertaining. Watching a road course specialist take over a car from a lowly financed team and finish better than the corporate mega-racing teams, now that is fun to watch!

What other races do we have on the circuit where David has a chance to slay Goliath? Every once in a while a few decades ago there used to be a place for the low budget cars where we would see an occasional win. Then, almost like what Wal-Mart has done to the Ma and Pa stores in America, The multi-car teams wiped out the little man and their chances to do well in races.

I’m attempting to get you all somehow excited for this race because many don’t like it. This race is all about the driver and less about the car, a ratio that is not comparable to on any other track. Most the time the driver just mashes the pedal and lets the corporate multi-tested horsepower do the work for them. Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, and Kasey Kahne are fine drivers, buts it’s less about them than it is having such a great research staff, crew and car.

Now, I’ve given you the possibilities and what I believe, or want to believe, but here are the facts. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart win just about every road course race. They have taken all their high financed equipment and parlayed that with their exceptional road racing skills to dominate everyone. We have seen a few drivers step up like Juan Pablo Montoya last year at Sonoma and Kevin Harvick the year before at Watkins Glen, and even Robby Gordon has won a couple during the Gordon/Stewart reign, but that’s about it of late.

So I guess I’ll detract some things I mentioned and clarify by saying there are more possibilities on a road course for someone else to contend. Whether its been fuel mileage or sequence of pitting, there are several instances of lower tiered drivers, or some of the hired assassins, being in contention for a win while beating several of the top name drivers in NASCAR. I love that part of it, simply for the reason of pure possibilities. Road course events in NASCAR are definitely a pleasant change.

Enough rambling, lets discuss the contenders.

It used to be Jeff Gordon would be the short favorite at 5/2 odds followed by Tony Stewart at 7/2 and then a bunch of other drivers with odds of 10/1 or higher. The short odds were obviously correct because they did win most the time. Juan Pablo Montoya came in with varied odds last season at several books ranging from 6/1 all the way to 14/1. The short price was correct because he won, but the longer odds likely were closer to what it should have been just because he won on pure fumes. Better to be lucky and cash than be right and lose.

This season there are several drivers that come in with a great shot at winning and are all around the 6/1 or 7/1 price. Scott Pruett from Ganassi racing is the only non-Cup regular who is considered a legitimate candidate to win at 7/1. He’ll have good equipment and he’ll also have an edge over most in driving skills, not to mention the track also his considered his home track.

Jeff Gordon leads the way as a 6/1 co-favorite with nine career road course Cup wins. Stewart is the other favorite with six career road course Cup wins, and having done so more recently than Gordon with a win at Watkins Glen last season. The two have mixed it several times on the roads and on one occasion, Stewart took his shot at punching the road course bully in the mouth. One road race early in Stewart’s career, he raced Gordon hard after only a couple laps and then punted him while battling for position on a straightaway. It was strong message sent and a changing of the guard. Gordon had won seven road races up that point and has only two more wins since then. Stewart has literally taken the road course crown and title belt away from Gordon.

Robby Gordon led the most last season in this race and finished 16th after all the late pit strategies. In 2003, Gordon swept the road course races while driving for Richard Childress. The difference over the last couple of years for Gordon and why he hasn’t been able to win since then has been equipment. He is one of the most talented drivers, and because of that, regardless of how terrible the team he owns and drives for is, he is a strong contender. In every race this season Gordon has been placed at odds of 200/1 or higher. For this race, he is 7/1. That is the ultimate compliment in respect for his skills and also a show of exactly how possible it is for someone in a jalopy to do well.

Juan Pablo Montoya qualified very poorly last season at Sonoma which put him at a huge disadvantage from the start. Once practice started, Montoya unleashed his fury and showed his skills by running the fastest lap the final two practice sessions. He still had to come from the back and the furthest anyone had ever come back from to win was 13th. In 15 of the previous 16 Sonoma races, the worst start position was 7th. Montoya was starting 32nd. Impossible! Obviously not for JP who went the last 40 green flag laps conserving fuel throughout and won a smart race.

TOP 5 Finish Prediction:

1) #20 Tony Stewart (6/1)
2) #24 Jeff Gordon (6/1)
3) #39 Scott Pruett (7/1)
4) #7 Robby Gordon (7/1)
5) #42 Juan Pablo Montoya (7/1)

You said what…..How Many?

An interesting note regarding this weeks race being held in Sonoma is that seven current Cup drivers hail from California. That is more than any other state, including great race driver producing states of North Carolina and Virginia, which is definitely a sign that NASCAR has come a long way.

Joey Logano worth the hype

I have heard a lot of drivers be called the next best thing, but never have I seen a driver come in and perform so quickly. He’s got three starts in the Nationwide series that has produced two poles and one victory. In gaining his first career win, he also becomes the Nationwide Series youngest driver ever to win a race. It’s a safe assumption that the combination of a Joe Gibbs car and Logano’s natural abilities will have him winning a few more races this season.

Dale Jr. on Fathers Day….Very Cool!

The Michigan race last week was one of the better races I’ve seen in a while just because of the tension filled drama late in the race. How Dale Jr. was able to last that many laps with the amount of fuel they had is a mystery.

Naturally, me wanting to put more fiction into the scene and read more into couldn’t help but think about other times I thought some paranormal activity was going on. Was it possible someone was looking after Dale Jr in some way during that Pepsi 400 at Daytona, the first race there after Dale Sr passed away there? Was it possible someone was looking after Junior getting out of his harness straps in the burning corvette during a sports car race he participated in?

I don’t know the answer. It’s fun to speculate, but a 76 race winless streak was a huge monkey on his back that has been lifted. Don’t know how it happened, but it did and it’s good for the sport.

Sonoma start positions by the winner

Year - Winner - Position

2007 Juan Pablo Montoya 32nd
2006 Jeff Gordon 11th
2005 Tony Stewart 7th
2004 Jeff Gordon 1st
2003 Robby Gordon 2nd
2002 Ricky Rudd 7th
2001 Tony Stewart 3rd
2000 Jeff Gordon 5th
1999 Jeff Gordon 1st
1998 Jeff Gordon 1st
1997 Mark Martin 1st
1996 Rusty Wallace 7th
1995 Dale Earnhardt 4th
1994 Ernie Irvan 1st
1993 Geoffrey Bodine 3rd
1992 Ernie Irvan 2nd
1991 Davey Allison 13th
1990 Rusty Wallace 11th
1989 Ricky Rudd 4th

Micah Roberts is a Race and Sports Director for Station Casinos in Las Vegas , Nevada who covers motor sports from both a bettor and bookmaker's perspective.