NASCAR rides the wave of the start of summer into California for its annual visit to Sonoma Raceway.
Sonoma serves as the second road course date for the NASCAR Cup Series for 2024, while the it is the third for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and its second consecutive.
With new paving on the course, drivers will face a lot of unknowns heading into a weekend that always draws the crowd out in droves. Here are some stars who will be appearing in the California sunshine.
Grand Marshal: Actor and comedian James Murray will deliver the most famous words in motorsports ahead of the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Murray stars on the TV series Impractical Jokers.
National Anthem: Guitarist and singer-songwriter Malina Moye will perform the national anthem for the Cup race. Moye’s album Dirty was named in the top five on Guitar World Magazine’s Greatest Guitar Albums of 2023.
For the Xfinity race, rising country star Kristen Brown will perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Brown performed on The Voice and is a California native.
Pre-Race Concert: DJ Umami is set to perform the pre-race concert ahead of the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Umami is the DJ at games for the San Francisco Giants and served in the same role for the Golden State Warriors for nearly a decade.
Air Show: Fans will be treated to an electric air show performed by the Patriots Jet Team moments before the Cup race. The team from Byron, Calif., features six L-39 Albatross jets.
Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.
A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.