Five Mid-Pack Drivers Who Could Shine in the 2026 California Road Course Stretch

NASCAR is going Road Racing for the next two weeks, and both are in the golden west lands of California. San Diego will host NASCAR’s annual street course race this weekend, and the series returns to Sonoma Raceway the following week. Multiple drivers have shown consistency on the road who might not otherwise on ovals. While fans may argue that NASCAR is adding too many road courses, these five drivers below the top 12 in points disagree, as they are more likely to shine while turning right. 

HM - Shane Van Gisbergen

It isn’t a road course weekend without mentioning Shane Van Gisbergen. However, he’s not included in the full list because he is the opposite of a mid-pack driver on the road and is easily the dominating force. The 37-year-old uses what he learned in Australian Supercars, which is a series that exclusively races on road courses, to be the class of the field. He is a heavy favorite to go to victory lane in both races and find himself in the top 12 in points as we head into July. 

5 - Todd Gilliland

Todd Gilliland is starting to become a repeat name near the front on road courses. Front Row Motorsports has given the 26-year-old a car perfect to run top 10 over the course of the last three years; however, on-track incidents have cut those runs short. Fans may argue that Gilliland is one of the drivers most due for a win in 2026. The son of David Gilliland has a road course win in the Craftsman Truck Series at Circuit of the Americas that broke a long winless drought, so one of the California road races could be the perfect place for him to finally break through. 

4 - Connor Zilisch

These past four weeks have been races Connor Zilisch would like to forget, in which he finished 39th, 38th, 37th, and 23rd. He is looking to turn his luck around on the road for the next two weeks. Thankfully, he has the previously mentioned Van Gisbergen as a teammate. Trackhouse team owner Justin Marks and ‘SVG’ will both likely attempt to help the rookie find his stride over this stretch. NASCAR's young phenom has also captured several wins on road courses in the O’Reilly Auto Parts series, including his first career win at Watkins Glen.

3 - Brad Keselowski

From a rookie to one of NASCAR’s oldest veterans, Brad Keselowski entered race 17 outside the Chase by four points. The owner-driver for RFK Racing is one of the most decorated drivers in the Cup Series field, so it’s hard to believe that he has never won on a road course. The 2012 Cup Series Champion and the other RFK drivers have been one of the best teams in terms of strategy, a huge factor on these tracks. He is also matched up against ‘SVG’ in the In-Season Tournament, which begins at Sonoma. With all the tournaments, his points situation, and the fact that the 36-year-old has not won since 2024, ‘Bojack’ could be the biggest sleeper across the next two weeks. 

2 - Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell has been quietly one of the best road course racers in NASCAR since 2021. The driver of the 71 Camaro has two top-fives in 2026, which have been the two road course races run so far. He also notably has a win at the Indianapolis Road Course back in 2023. McDowell is 20th in points, 49 points behind Erik Jones for the final Chase spot. If the results on the road remain consistent, the 18-year veteran could find himself in the Chase after this stretch. 

1 - A.J. Allmendinger

If there is anyone who could compete with Van Gisbergen for a win on a road course, it’s A.J. Allmendinger. The 20-year veteran has been one of the favorites on the road for over a decade, with three wins in the Cup Series on these tracks. With San Diego in mind, Allmendinger is the only driver on the list to win the inaugural race on a new track, the 2021 Verizon 200 at the Indianapolis Roval. In 2026, his only two top 10s have come at the two road courses. The 16 Chevy will be one of the ones to watch to score an upset victory.

The 2026 California road course stretch is a big opportunity for these five drivers to score much-needed points toward the Chase. A strong run in these races could be the difference between making and missing the Chase this season. In the case of Zilisch and Gilliland, it could be where they snag their first career win in the Cup Series. Look out for these drivers to make headlines as the Cup Series speeds out of June.