Getty Kyle Larson (front) & AJ Allmendinger (middle) compete at Watkins Glen International.
The Xfinity Series takes on Sonoma Raceway for the first time on Saturday, June 10, as part of a doubleheader with the Cup Series. This race sets up another chapter in the Larson vs. Allmendinger story.
The two Cup Series regulars are some of the best road course racers in the national series — along with Chase Elliott — and they have delivered some standout battles in the past. Now, they will likely do so once again as they both pull double duty.
Larson will make his second start of the season in the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. His first took place at Darlington Raceway as he won ahead of John Hunter Nemechek. Now he will take on a track where he has one Cup Series win.
Allmendinger will also make his second start of the Xfinity Series season as he takes over the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro. His first start was at Circuit of the Americas as he won after leading 28 of the 46 laps.
Allmendinger has the most road course wins across the three national series (12), but Sonoma is a track that has eluded him in 11 previous Cup Series starts. He will try to snap this winless streak while likely battling Larson throughout the day.
2 Previous Battles Spawned a Memorable Quote
GettyKyle Larson (front) races at Watkins Glen International.
The NASCAR doubleheader at Sonoma Raceway only continues the fascinating battle for road course dominance between Allmendinger and Larson. The previous chapter took place at Watkins Glen International, and it led to a memorable interview.
Both Larson and Allmendinger pulled double duty during the race weekend in 2022, and they finished in the exact same positions in both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series races.
Neither Larson nor Allmendinger was the story early in the Xfinity Series race. This distinction belonged to Ty Gibbs in the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Toyota and William Byron in the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
They were the favorites to win as they battled for the lead throughout the race, but the situation changed when Gibbs got loose in the Bus Stop and sent them both spinning.
Larson, who started at the rear of the field, jumped into the lead with Allmendinger right behind him. He led the final five laps and took the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to Victory Lane while Allmendinger finished second.
One day later, the two drivers went head-to-head once again. Larson and Elliott restarted on the front row with five laps remaining in the Cup Series race, and they raced toward Turn 1 trying to gain the slightest advantage.
Larson got into the corner too aggressively, which moved Elliott out of the way. The driver of the No. 5 took the lead while Allmendinger jumped into second place. The Kaulig Racing driver then spent the remaining laps trying to take the lead. He ultimately had to settle for second as Larson swept the weekend.
“That’s why I think he’s the most bad*** driver on the planet,” Allmendinger said after the race. “Because he doesn’t really make any mistakes. We see what he can do in any race car. Second sucks two days in a row, but to race with Kyle Larson for the win in any race is pretty special.”
“I’ve always had a lot of respect for AJ,” Larson said in response. “I think it’s a little bit less of that now because he does a really good job in the Xfinity Series, but I feel like he’s one of — if not the most — underrated guys in the NASCAR — any series in NASCAR — of my career that I’ve had in stock cars.
“You can just tell when drivers are really good. For AJ to put himself in position every single time on a road course, whether it be any series that he’s in, is amazing. As well as good of a job as he does in the Xfinity Series on ovals. I feel he really carries that car a lot of times. You can compare him to his teammates, and he’s always outrunning them. I feel like that’s kind of a way to judge how good a driver is.”
There Will Be Other Contenders in This Battle
GettyCole Custer celebrates a win at Portland International Raceway.
Allmendinger and Larson will be the main drivers under the spotlight entering the race weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Though there will be some Xfinity Series regulars that will be in the conversation as names to watch.
Cole Custer will obviously be on the list after he captured his first road course win at Portland International Raceway. He had to start from the rear of the field after unapproved adjustments, but he secured bonus points in Stage 1 before winning Stage 2.
Custer had speed in the No. 00 Ford Mustang, and it’s expected that this will be the case once again at Sonoma Raceway. Custer also has experience at the California track from his time in the Cup Series.
Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, and Parker Kligerman will all be involved in this conversation for various reasons. Kligerman has a road course win in the Truck Series, and he showed speed in the No. 48 Chevrolet during the trip to PIR. If not for a late mistake entering Turn 1, he could have been the driver celebrating in Victory Lane instead of Custer.
Creed and Allgaier, a three-time road course winner, clearly had the best cars at PIR. They combined to lead 70 of the 77 laps, and they were on the front row on the final restart. However, Kligerman sent them both off Turn 1 when he took the field three wide and missed his braking point.
Creed, in particular, has been a factor at multiple road courses in 2023. He won Stage 2 and led 16 laps at COTA, but he finished ninth overall after contact from Allmendinger sent him spinning with 14 laps remaining.
One under-the-radar name that could put himself in contention late is Sam Mayer. The Wisconsin has been strong at road courses during his Xfinity Series tenure which began midway through the 2021 season.
Mayer has made 11 starts at various road courses, and he has secured top-10 finishes in seven of them. He was also in a position to do so at both Road America and Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021 before crashes sent him to the garage.
The PIR race, in particular, was a unique event for Mayer. He started 36th after being unable to qualify, but he showed speed while navigating his way through traffic. He finished 11th in Stage 1 and seventh in Stage 2 before ultimately crossing the finish line in third place.
There will be multiple other drivers that will be capable of putting themselves in contention for the win, such as Josh Berry and Sammy Smith. Though achieving this goal will require delivering a near-perfect performance against Larson and Allmendinger.