Sports Eye View : Green-White-Checkers

Stop #16: Sonoma

By Ryan Frisco

NASCAR gets a bad rap sometimes because the only 'skill' involved is the ability to turn left. Those people are seriously misinformed, haven't taken the time enough to actually watch a race intensely or are just jealous they don't have the greatest job in the world driving 200mph every weekend. But, for those who have this opinion, try tuning in this week as NASCAR takes on the first of two ROAD COURSE races in the Napa Valley of California.

Photo Cred www.stockcarracing.com

These tracks are a different breed. 11 turns make up this windy track, as drivers turn left AND right with some S bends and180 degree hairpin turns. This track isn't necessarily about having the fastest car, it's more about finesse and timing. It's nearly impossible to pass at Sonoma. Naturally, on a track this difficult and tight, there are going to be a ton of tempers flaring and drivers pushing each other around. You can get away with that here, as speeds are much lower and you don't run the risk of causing a serious crash.

There is also an added element to these races; Ringers. Every year, we see drivers enter these races that aren't part of the normal circuit. They are professional road course racers, and many times they give the full timers a run for their money. I've seen Ron Fellows and Boris Said both legitimately contend for victory and have solid Top 5 finishes. It definitely makes it interesting for these drivers to be out there, although I have seen them falter as of late as the regular NASCAR drivers have stepped up their game at the road courses.

Photo Cred www.speedwaymedia.com

So who should we be looking out for? Top two always here are Juan Pablo Montoya and Marcos Ambrose. Both drivers have two career victories, and both of them are on road course tracks only. They will be in contention. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are two other big ones. Martin Truex, Jr. and Clint Bowyer, the two Michael Waltrip Racing cars, have been solid as well, as Clint won here last year. Also, keep an eye on the Busch Brothers, as both run very well at these tracks.

Dark Horse Alert: Danica Patrick. Danica ran full time Nationwide last year, and dominated at Montreal until an untimely shoe was thrown in her path. I expect her to have a better than average run this week.