Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Fact Sheet
Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, June 22-24 FACT SHEET What: The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series will make its 19th consecutive appearance at Infineon Raceway for the Toyota/Save Mart 350. This is one of just two road-course events on the 36-race NASCAR schedule. When/Circuit: June 22-24. Infineon Raceway is a 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course for all NASCAR-sanctioned events. Race Length: The Toyota/Save Mart 350 is measured in kilometers. The race distance is 218.9 miles or 110 laps around the 1.99-mile road course. Entries: Forty-eight drivers attempted to qualify for last year's event at Infineon Raceway. The starting field in 2007 will feature 43 cars. Purse: $4,890,527 in posted awards. Schedule (All times Pacific): Friday: NEXTEL Cup Practice, Noon - 2 p.m.; Ravenswood Winery NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Qualifying, 4:05 p.m. Saturday: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Practice, 9 a.m.-9:50 a.m.; NASCAR Grand National West Series Qualifying, 10:05 a.m.; Slingbox NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Happy Hour, 12:20 p.m.- 1:20 p.m.; Blue Lizard Suncream 200 NASCAR Grand National West Series, 2 p.m. Sunday: Toyota/Save Mart 350, 2 p.m. For a complete schedule, visit www.infineonraceway.com <http://www.infineonraceway.com/> . Television (All times Pacific): Friday: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Practice, Noon (SPEED); Ravenswood Winery NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Qualifying, 4:05 p.m. (SPEED) Saturday: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Practice, 10 a.m. (SPEED); Slingbox NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Happy Hour, noon (SPEED). Sunday: Toyota/Save Mart 350, 1:30 p.m. pre-race, 2 p.m. approximate green flag (TNT) Local Radio Coverage (all provided by PRN): KSRO-AM 1350: Friday, June 22: Ravenswood NEXTEL Cup Pole Day Qualifying; Sunday, June 24: Toyota/Save Mart 350 and Post-Race show KNBR-AM 1050: Sunday, June 24: Toyota/Save Mart 350 and Post-Race show KHTK-AM 1140: Sunday, June 24: Toyota/Save Mart 350 and Post-Race show What To Expect: This will be the first test for the Car of Tomorrow on a road course. ... Jeff Gordon returns as the defending Infineon Raceway champion. Gordon is the undisputed king of Infineon Raceway, with five victories (1998-2000, '04, '06) and five pole positions (1998-99, '01, '04, '05) - the most of any driver. Gordon is also the all-time NASCAR winner on road courses with nine victories..... Two-time winners at Infineon Raceway include Rusty Wallace (1990, '96), Ernie Irvan (1992, '94), Ricky Rudd (1989, 2002) and Tony Stewart (2001, '05).... Rudd returns to NEXTEL Cup Series competition in 2007 after a one-year retirement.... Mark Martin holds the record for the most top-10 finishes at Infineon Raceway at 13. ... In 2006, eight of the top-15 finishers at Infineon Raceway started farther back than 16th. Terry Labonte and Elliott Sadler, who started 37th and 24th, respectively, both earned top-10 finishes.... There have been 39 lead changes combined over the last five years of NEXTEL Cup Series competition at Infineon Raceway.... 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion, Jimmie Johnson, claimed his second top-10 finish at Infineon Raceway in 2006. He started 16th and finished 10th. He also led for the first time on the road course, which he did twice for a total of two laps. Qualifying/Race Records: Qualifying: Jeff Gordon, June 24, 2005, 94.325 mph/1:15.950 Race: Ricky Rudd, June 23, 2002, 81.007 mph In Addition: The weekend will also feature the Blue Lizard Suncream 200 NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series race on Saturday, June 23 at 2 p.m. (Pacific) The race will span 64 laps and a handful of NEXTEL Cup Series regulars, including David Gilliland, are expected to compete. Baby Watch: Mark Martin will be the substitute driver in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet in the event that Vallejo native Jeff Gordon is forced to miss the Toyota/Save Mart 350 race because of the birth of his daughter. Ironically, Gordon announced his engagement to Ingrid Vandebosch in the Sonoma Valley after winning last year's race at Infineon Raceway. Vandebosch is due the week of the Sonoma race. If Gordon is able to race, Martin will remain in Sonoma and serve as a coach for Regan Smith, driver of the No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet for Ginn Racing. Martin races part-time for Ginn Racing on the NEXTEL Cup circuit this year. Tickets: Call 800-870-RACE, visit www.infineonraceway.com <http://www.searspoint.com/> or www.ticketmaster.com <http://www.tickets.com/> . PR Contacts: Infineon Raceway: John Cardinale, jcardinale@infineonraceway.com (707-933-3907), Diana Rose, drose@infineonraceway.com (707-933-3918). NASCAR: Kristal Shipp, kshipp@nascar.com, 310-843-2315, kshipp@nascar.com. Web-sites: www.nascarmedia.com <http://www.nascarmedia.com/> and media.infineonraceway.com <http://www.media.infineonraceway.com/> . ### Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Supercuts May 18-20 Wine Country Classic vintage car races June 2-3 Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Weekend June 22-24 Infineon Cougar Mountain Classic July 6-8 FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals July 27-29 CAL-STEAM/KOHLER Div. 7 NHRA drag races, presented by Korbel Aug. 3-5 Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma Weekend Aug. 24-26