Ross Chastain Races for Cup Chase Spot

Ross Chastain is set to compete at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, seeking to improve his position in the Cup Chase standings.

Chastain currently sits outside the top 16, but a strong performance at Sonoma could propel him into a more secure position.

Erik Jones has surged from 21st to 14th in points over the last four races, demonstrating the potential for significant movement in the standings.

Chastain and Michael McDowell put down impressive laps in Saturday's qualifying session, with McDowell set to start fourth and Chastain fifth.

The pair of Chevrolet drivers will need to balance the risk of going for a win with the potential reward of securing valuable stage points.

"We'll see tomorrow when we see how much pace we have and how much fall-off we have," McDowell said.

"That question is for Brandon McSwain and the greater group at Trackhouse and Chevy to decide what's best for the 1 car," Chastain said.

Chastain emphasized the importance of making lap time and keeping the car intact, stating "I make lap time and let them figure out the rest."

The road-course ringers will be a key factor to watch on Sunday, with several top drivers having performed well at Sonoma in the Next Gen era.

Active drivers with the best average finish at Sonoma since 2022 include several top contenders, making for a competitive field.

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 will take place on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET, with coverage available on TNT Sports, truTV, HBO Max, PRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

The race purse is $11,233,037, and the distance will be 110 laps, covering 218.9 miles.