Chase Briscoe is set to take on AJ Allmendinger at Sonoma on Sunday. He needs to finish ahead of Allmendinger to advance in the NASCAR In-Season Challenge.
What's at Stake?
The In-Season Challenge is a knockout-style tournament that will chop the field in half after 110 circuits around the Napa Valley road course. Briscoe has a challenging matchup, but he's been gaining momentum in recent races.
Briscoe's Recent Performance
Briscoe has leaped seven positions in the driver standings over the last handful of races. He placed runner-up to Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma last season, and his team, led by James Small, has had success at the track in the past.
The Road Ahead
Briscoe's crew chief, James Small, is focused on maximizing their race and points. Small stated that if they do what they've done in previous years, it should be okay. Briscoe has a tough matchup, but he's confident in his team's ability to perform.
Sonoma Success
James Small has had Sonoma success galore, dating back to his days as the lead engineer for Martin Truex Jr. with Furniture Row Racing. In six starts with Truex, Small piled three victories and was in position to place big in 2024 until running out of fuel in the closing laps.
Briscoe's team is looking to build on their recent momentum and advance in the In-Season Challenge. With a strong performance at Sonoma, they can take a big step forward.
The Toyota/Save Mart 350 is set to take place on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Briscoe will be looking to finish ahead of Allmendinger and advance to the next round of the In-Season Challenge.
Andrew Dickeson, crew chief for Ty Dillon's No. 10 car, said they're focused on their own race and not worrying too much about the In-Season Challenge. But for Briscoe, a strong finish is crucial to advancing in the tournament.
The stage is set for an exciting race at Sonoma, with Briscoe and Allmendinger facing off in the first round of the In-Season Challenge. Who will come out on top and advance to the next round?