In a surprising turn of events, a NextGen road course did not turn into a complete snoozer. After a complete repave, expectations were mixed about how this Sonoma weekend was going to play out. Track records were smashed by both the Cup and Xfinity Series drivers, as the newly paved track allowed greater speeds. What it also offered was more chaos than a non-Indy GP road course. Drivers slid off the track, impatience set in at times, and pit strategy became the focal point. A road course weekend where the Cup Series was as enjoyable as the Xfinity Series is rare in modern NASCAR. With the higher entertainment value, did that produce more headlines for Overreaction Monday from Sonoma?
Repave All Tracks
Usually, the news of a NASCAR track being repave brings about groans and dread. In previous seasons, a repaved track offers little benefit in the immediate future. It takes a few races to get the newly paved surface to get any good racing out of it. Even recently, this trend continued. Atlanta Motor Speedway not only got repaved, but it also was reconfigured. Prior to this spring’s race, the racing at the track was quasi-pack style racing. It was serviceable, but definitely struggled to justify moving away from how old Atlanta was. Then the spring Cup race was one of the most entertaining NextGen races.
This year, two tracks have debut newly repaved surfaces. North Wilkesboro and Sonoma each were completely repaved. Both repaves have been considered successes. Yes, the Cup Series All-Star festivities at North Wilkesboro were not barn burners, but the issue did not appear to be the track. Especially considering how good the Truck Series race was, the repave was applauded by many. There were three racing lanes, especially in the turns. Now, it looks like Sonoma will be receiving the same praise.
Sonoma Success
The road course was fast, pushing drivers to their limits. Despite the repave adding more grip, tire falloff played a factor. In the Cup Series race, Kyle Larson was able to knife his way through the Top-10 due to his fresher tires at the end of the race. Unlike other NextGen road course races, drivers could pass each other. While there were only 2 passes for the lead, there was plenty of action in the mid-pack (unlike Watkins Glen last fall). The repave worked. Sure, there might have been too much chaos early on. But, the drivers managed to go caution free (other than the stage break) from Lap 41 until the end.
With the two successful repaves, maybe more tracks should consider it with this car. Leave the intermediates along though; so this would primarily focus on short tracks and road courses. Iowa is offering a Frankenstein’s monster version of a repave, with only the bottom lanes of the turns completed. If the NextGen car will not be drastically improved, then the tracks should take it upon themselves.
Kyle Larson/Cliff Daniels is Jimmie Johnson/Chad Knaus
It would be a difficult argument to make that Kyle Larson and Cliff Daniels is not the best driver/crew chief combination in the Cup Series. Larson is discussed as one of the best drivers in motorsports. Meanwhile, Daniels is considered one of the best crew chiefs in racing. Since pairing up in 2021, the tandem have won 19 times with 2 Championship Four appearances and the 2021 championship. Obviously, racing for Hendrick Motorsports easily calls comparisons to Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus.
Perhaps the greatest driver/crew chief tandem in NASCAR history, the Johnson/Knaus connection led to 7 championships and 81 wins. In addition to the on-track success, Knaus and Johnson gamed The Chase so badly that NASCAR implemented the current playoff format. Simply put, the two were dominate together until their last couple of seasons. Larson and Daniels gives off similar vibes.
While Kyle Larson drove the car masterfully, Cliff Daniels won the race from the pit box. Despite the chaos in the early stages of the race, the 5 team did not stray from the 2-stop strategy. They flipped the stage despite being only 1 of 7 teams to do so. When everyone started pitting during the final stage, Daniels kept Larson on the track to maximize the tire advantage for when they did pit. Plus, the pit stop was quicker due to the amount of fuel needed. Much like Johnson/Knaus, the crew chief put his driver in the best situation.
Obviously, Larson/Daniels have a lot of winning to do to be firmly put in the same conversation as Johnson/Knaus. But the potential is there.
Shane van Gisbergen is Built for NASCAR
When an international driver is brought over to NASCAR, the intrigue usually outdoes the actual on-track performance. Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambrose are the notable exceptions, although an argument could be made that Montoya never lived up to the hype. Barring those two, the international drivers who step into NASCAR’s world find little success. There are a handful of factors that cause this, including the more aggressive driving style of NASCAR. Certain racing leagues frown upon rubbing fenders on a consistent basis. Meanwhile, rubbing is racing in NASCAR. That is something that Shane van Gisbergen seems to get well in his young NASCAR career.
Shane van Gisbergen is coming off back to back Xfinity Series wins. Both were on road courses, where Gisbergen thrives. Still, it has been impressive to see Gisbergen dice it up with the Xfinity/Cup regulars in his time. Most notably, Shane van Gisbergen is willing to rub fenders. Not only is he willing, he seems to relish in giving out justified bumpers.
Looking back at his Chicago debut, Shane van Gisbergen did not shy away from the elbows out style. He kept it respectful, but SVG did not let the other drivers bully him. To be fair, the Supercars series is not known for their avoidance of rough racing. Marcos Ambrose certainly did not mind throwing a bumper around. Still though, it usually is a gradual process to get to that point. Instead, Shane van Gisbergen openly accepted it as part of the game.
Keeping Receipts
At COTA, Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill constantly roughed each other up racing for the win. Ultimately, their actions led to Kyle Larson sneaking away with the victory. Gisbergen did not forget and he brought the receipts on Saturday. During the final restart, Gisbergen door slammed Hill entering Turn 2. This pushed Hill up the track, allowing SVG to take the lead and pull away. If that was not payback enough, SVG decided to do a full lap burnout as a celebration, all while circling Austin Hill. That level of showmanship and aggression plays well in NASCAR.
Based on the silly season rumors, it seems that Shane van Gisbergen will be fulltime in the Cup Series. His oval work needs improvement still, as he only has 2 Top-10s on non-road courses. However, he has still impressed in his limited NASCAR experience. While other Supercar drivers have come over and performed decently, no one has matched the success of SVG. Who knows if he will prosper into something other than a road course ace. However, his mentality behind the wheel certainly sees him fit into the NASCAR world perfectly.
So Long FOX
With Sonoma in the rearview, NASCAR fans say farewell to FOX Sports covering NASCAR for the 2024 season for Cup and Xfinity. Although they will return for the Cup Series in 2025, this weekend marked the last Xfinity Series broadcast for at least the next 7 years. Plus, 2025 will mark a limited scheduled for FOX in the Cup Series. Rather than broadcasting 20 Cup events, the network will scale back to 14. Additionally, FOX is cutting NASCAR RaceHub, NASCAR’s last daily TV show. Starting with Iowa, the Cup and Xfinity Series will be broadcasted by NBC.
For many fans, the departure of FOX for the 2024 season is a welcome one. FOX has created a bad reputation for itself, most notably due to their lackluster camera work. Lack of camera shots of crucial happenings on the track was a constant issue. While missing the live incidents is problematic, there were moments where a clear replay of what happened was missing. That is unforgivable. Now, this was not a new problem for FOX in 2024, but it definitely felt highlighted more so than previous seasons.
Success in the Booth
Despite the camera work problems, the new booth of Mike Joy, Clint Bowyer, and Kevin Harvick was well received. Harvick naturally slid into his role, which helped Joy use him to bounce off of more. Also, it tamed some of Bowyer’s loud personality. The natural chemistry between the three made for an enjoyable booth, especially with the quips that Harvick and Bowyer would throw at each other.
As for the Xfinity Series side, the rotating booth of drivers was again well-received. Adam Alexander is an underrated play-by-play announcer, so hopefully the CW or another network picks him up for 2025. Then there is the Truck Series coverage.
While some may rejoice in FOX’s departure, NBC will quickly fall under the same microscope. Arguably, their camera work is better, but the booth quality is a step down. Also, Dale Earnhardt Jr is out of the booth for this year. Another change will come after the Olympics break, with Leigh Diffy taking over the play-by-play duties from Rick Allen. Can the NBC booth match the quality of FOX? Will fans continue to long for the NBC camera work with the FOX booth announcers?
