The one-race west coast string starts and ends at the Sonoma Raceway in Sears Point California. Zakk Miller and Alan Nesfeder occupy the front row, with each arguably enjoying the best seasons of their Extravaganza careers to date. Look for each of them to stay towards the front and possibly steal the victory away.

Race Results

Points Standings

Race Recap

An accident across the start-finish line by Scott Deutsch and Alex Crapser brought out the first caution. Points leader Tony Pizzaro narrowly escaped, with Deutsch out after one corner and Crapser enduring right-front damage for the rest of the race. Both the #04 and #12 would miraculously earn a top-10 by the finish.

Pole-sitter Zakk Miller endured a vibration heading towards the caution flag, handing the lead to Nesfeder. Tim McDonnell, Ken Pettit, Ziggy Moonglow, Markell Murphy, Matthew Dominique, John Battista and Matt Raboin all meander and swap spots behind the leader. Moonglow goes from 5th to 2nd by lap 20.

Several dives into turn-7 came out with Nesfeder still up front. On lap 24, the #02 finally made the pass exiting the esses, leading for the first time all season without inheriting it through pit stops or qualifying. Markell Murphy would pass the #22 and #78 in an effort to catch Moonglow.

Disaster struck on lap 35. Moonglow had just made his pit stop, enduring cold tires off of turn 10 and making contact with Zakk Miller. Moonglow's car slid passenger-side first into the pit wall, demolishing the tire barrier and destroying his racecar. Ziggy was helicoptered to the nearest hospital, going from hero to devestation in just one lap of action. There is no word yet on his official condition.

The restart saw Markell Murphy fail to defend his lead. Matt Raboin jumped to the outside lane entering turn 1 and flew by off the exit of 2. He would remain there through lap 45, when Tim McDonnell made the pass for second place in the same part of the course.

The #22 Caterpillar Volkswagen made his bid for the top-spot on lap 47 on the left side of the esses. McDonnell would complete the pass by the end of the lap, remaining up front through lap 73. He earned the bonus points for most laps led with 26 on the day.

A turn-1 accident between Chauncey Redmond Jr. and Johnny Reed Foley brought out the second caution flag just before the cycle of green flag stops ended. This sent McDonnell back to 5th on the restart, with Rick Jackson leading the field to the green in hopes of winning his first ever road course race.

Leader Rick Jackson was forced to pit after a loose lug-nut, removing him from the lead and back to 30th place. Matthew Dominique occupied the top-spot with Jimmie Stevens, Zakk Miller, Scott Jackson and teammate Matt Raboin ready to pounce from behind. An immaculate dive-bomb into turn-11 stuck for the #38, giving Scott the lead in hopes of another road course victory with 28-to-go. He would pull away from the field.

An incredible battle for the fourth position was won by Zach Michael, watching Jackson, Raboin and McDonnell from well afar. Raboin was able to pass all of them and made his way to the bumper of the ATEUP #38 with 10 laps remaining. Several dive attempts entering turns 1 and 7 came to no avail, with Jackson still up front with three laps to go. Miraculously, he would run out of gas, handing the lead to Raboin with ease as Jackson stopped-and-go'd to hold on to second place. Raboin would cross the finish line with a 20-second lead over the field, the greatest interval from first to second in this Millenium.

It was a huge victory for Matt Raboin, who had remained winless after a four-victory 2022 campaign. He had pulled off a respectable four-straight top-20 finishes entering the day, going from 28th to 15th in points after Texas just ten races ago. This could be the year all three Quantum Racing teams make the chase. Congrats to Mat ... Read more »