William Byron, others embrace challenge of road racing at Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. — William Byron recently got instruction on the finer points of road racing from two coaches. He also used a simulator, did countless hours of study and drove Saturday in the K&N Pro Series race to prepare for his first NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

“I feel like I've made some good progress on the road courses this year,” Byron said after finishing third in the K&N race.

The 20-year-old rookie still realizes nothing substitutes for experience on the winding turns and changing elevation of this unique track. Even then, it's awfully difficult for any oval-centric driver to sustain any career success in a race that hasn't had a repeat winner since 2000.

Byron is a quick study, though: He qualified in eighth in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on Saturday, putting himself in position to be a player Sunday in a race nearly anybody can win.

“(On Friday) I really started getting my rhythm of what I needed to do better,” Byron said. “I kind of put that all together (Saturday) to try to get where we need to be. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it. It was cool.”

Kyle Larson claimed the pole for the race on his home track, turning a lap at 94.597 mph in his Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. Larson edged Martin Truex Jr., who will start on the front row after turning a lap at 94.484 mph.

Sonoma is a highly enjoyable stop on the Cup circuit for most of the drivers, but it's even more fun for their families and sponsors, who flock to Northern California for a pleasant weekend. The area's gracious vibe contrasts sharply with the difficult racing for drivers on a circuit with only three non-oval courses on its schedule.

“These are the types of events where, honestly, nobody cares about the race except us,” Kevin Harvick said. “Everybody has a hell of a time when they come to Sonoma, because they can bring their wife, bring their friends, and the sponsors all come and we have big events. It could be the best race you've ever seen at Sonoma or the worst race, but everybody is going to have a great time.”

Current Cup points leader Kyle Busch won here in 2008 and again in '15 on the way to his series championship. He already has won four times this season, and he qualified in ninth. His brother, Kurt, is an accomplished road racer who won here in 2011 and has led 197 laps at Sonoma — the most among the current field — in 17 career starts.

Sonoma hasn't had a repeat winner since Jeff Gordon — a native of nearby Vallejo — won three straight from 1998-2000. The Cup race has had nine different winners in the last nine years alone, with Harvick claiming it last year.

“I think you will see a repeat winner this time,” said a grinning Harvick, who will start sixth.