Daniel Suarez sits in 16th place in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, but he arrived in Sonoma, Calif., this week with budding confidence.
Not only is he the defending champion of the Toyota/Save Mart 350 -- his only Cup Series win to date -- Suarez is coming off a top-10 in Illinois last weekend. Sonoma Raceway is one of six road courses on this year's schedule, and Suarez believes they suit his style well.
"Every time we head to a road course, whether it's Sonoma or somewhere else, I am excited," he said. "I feel at home, and I am excited to go back to a place where we had great memories last time, and hopefully we can repeat it.
"Sunday's race at St. Louis was great for us. It was a good, solid run from start to finish. We just need to build on it."
TOYOTA/SAVE MART 350
The Place: Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.
The Date: June 11, 3:30 p.m. ET
The Distance: 350 miles (400 laps)
Defending Champion: Daniel Suarez
Cup Series Leader: Ryan Blaney
TV: FS1
Radio: SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
BEST BETS
Kyle Larson (+500)
Larson won in Sonoma two years ago and is second in the Cup Series with six top-5s this year. So, it stands to reason that he leads the sportsbook with the most total bets (10.4 percent) and money (13.6 percent) backing him to win. Despite being the pre-race favorite, he's also BetMGM's second biggest liability this week.
William Byron (+900)
With three wins and a series-leading seven top-5s this year, Byron is a threat to win every time he gets behind the wheel. He has been backed by a modest 3.2 percent of the tickets, but has drawn 7.1 percent of the outright winner money wagered.
Chase Elliott (+550)
Elliott returns from his one-race suspension at a good venue. He has two top-5s and four top-10s in six starts at Sonoma, including a runner-up in 2021, and needs a strong running as Elliott is currently 27th in the series standings. Elliott has drawn the second most total bets (10.0 percent) and money (11.1 percent), making him the third biggest liability.
Daniel Suarez (+1500)
The defending champion beat Chris Buescher to the line by 3.849 seconds last year. He finished 10th in the first stage last weekend, fifth in the second stage and seventh at the end.
Martin Truex Jr. (+2000)
Truex has climbed to fourth in the standings on the strength of seven top-10s and is quietly third in the series with 383 total laps led. He is BetMGM's biggest liability on the grid this week, having drawn 7.1 percent of all the outright winner money.
LONGSHOT PICK
Michael McDowell (+4000)
McDowell finished third in Sonoma last year and arrived this week coming off a ninth in Illinois despite an early spin. He opened at +3500, but McDowell's odds have lengthened considerably despite being backed by 3.1 percent of the money.
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