2022 NASCAR Cup Series Race Sixteen Sonoma

The Smiths, Bruton and Marcus, have apparently bought Sonoma also, so PRN is doing the radio broadcast. Clint Bowyer seems to have the week off, so the booth include guest Tony ‘Smoke’ Stewart, and, sadly, Larry McReynolds. FoxSports needs a better bench. The cars head to the green flag under heavy cloud cover with the wiper on the 36 cars. Kyle Larson (5) and Chase Elliot (9) are on the front row. The stages are 25-30-55 laps.

Caution on lap 9 of 110 for a smoking Darrell ‘Bubba’ Wallace (23) who has lost an engine.

Wendy Venturini is doing that weird voice again. She sounds like a woman trying to talk like a man. I’m glad she stopped that weird growl thing she had started doing every time she spoke. I’ve been listening to, and enjoying, Wendy Venturini for years. I hope she works it out and gets to where she’d like to be as a broadcaster. She’s very knowledgeable. Her voice has always been a minor issue

Larson wins stage one by almost 12 seconds (11.84).

They’re driving around the course – nothing interesting happening.

Chase Elliott’s (9) green flag pit stop went badly. He started to leave and had to back up. Eventually the left rear tire issue was resolved. Elliott received a penalty for pitting outside the box due to his leaving a little of his bumper outside the box.

Logano wins stage two.

Chris Buescher’s (17) team is protesting a penalty for equipment outside the box. According to PRN NASCAR called an ‘equipment outside the box’ on them for the gasman handing off the can to no one. His crew chief argued the point with video. Heather Debow (PRN) says the team looks as though the decision may have been overturned. PRN now reports, shortly after the restart, the penalty has been overturned.

I see blue sky peeking through the clouds.

Kyle Larson (5) brought out the caution on lap 83 of 110 by losing a right front wheel.

Suárez takes the white flag.

Daniel Suárez (99) wins!

Boring race. Great win! I so glad to see Daniel Suárez finally get a well-deserved win.

Congrats to Chris Buescher (17) on his second place finish.

Congratulations to Michael McDowell (34) on his third place finish.

Congratulations to Chase Elliott (9) on his recovery from early adversity to finish eighth.

Daniel broke open a piñata after hugging his team.

He says he’s heading to Mexico with his family this week. FS1 mentioned his longtime girlfriend Julie Piquet from a ‘great racing family’. She is Nelson Piquet Jr’s sister.

I’m bummed. I watched the IndyCar race instead of recording the final RaceDay of the 2022 season and my dvr didn’t get the job done. I didn’t realize it was the final FoxSports race. Bummer! I don’t expect to have to put up with NBC until July. I very much wish NASCAR would vastly reduce the number of NBC broadcasted races. As bad as FoxSports has been this season, they’re always better than NBC. This season was close though.

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Next Race: Nashville

GO 48 & 9!!!!