FOX Fantasy Picks: Toyota/Save Mart 350

All right FOX Fantasy Auto Racing players, let's get those rosters ready for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway!

The 11-turn road course in the heart of California's wine country can test the best equipment, and even bring out the worst of tempers. Over the past few years, the road courses have produced some of the most aggressive driving of the season.

Much like a short track, a great day on the road course could turn into a poor result as a result of one bump or off-track excursion.

Sonoma Raceway is a place that offers an opportunity for many drivers to record their best run of the season. The winding road course also leads to a variety of winners, with nine different drivers scoring wins in the last nine events.

Just like each week, these are simply suggestions, so pick your team wisely and best of luck. If you haven't done so yet, be sure to sign up for FOX Fantasy Auto Racing, create your team and start playing today!

The current king of NASCAR road course is as hot as ever and heads to Sunday's race in Sonoma.

Throughout his illustrious career, Gordon has only three finishes outside the top 11 at Sonoma -- 37th in 1994 and 2002, as well as 33rd in 2005. Gordon's last win in wine country came in 2006, but he finished second in 2011 and 2013.

Heading into Sunday's race, Gordon is looking to extend Hendrick Motorsports' winning streak to six races. If accomplished, that would tie the modern-era record set by Hendrick during the 2007 Chase.

Despite talk about retirement just weeks ago, Gordon has remained hot and even landed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Panasonic earlier this week.

When he climbs in the car on Sunday, Gordon should be the driver to beat. His average finish of 8.2 is impressive, while his performance as of late shows no signs of slowing.

The four-time series champion has nine overall road course wins between Sonoma and Watkins Glen, and that 10th win could very well come on Sunday.

One of the few road-course aces left in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Ambrose understands Sunday's race is one of his best opportunities to win his way into the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

While he has yet to win at Sonoma, Ambrose has always in contention. Aside from a DNF for a transmission issue in his first start, Ambrose's worst finish on the 11-turn road course is eighth in 2012.

In 2010, Ambrose had the car to beat, but wound up beating himself as he tried to save fuel. Cutting the engine off under caution to save gas, Ambrose stalled the car while leading and finished sixth after leading 35 laps.

A road-racing ace, Ambrose knows the days of the "road-course ringer" are over, but believes his preparation and experience will pay off in the end.

"The talent level in the Sprint Cup garage on a road course is no joke," he said. "These guys know what they're doing anyway. Certainly for me it's the toughest road racing I've ever been a part of. Cars are really gnarly and the talent from the drivers is exceptional. There's 20, 25 drivers that can win the race on the weekend. You saw the last couple years Kurt Busch and Clint Bowyer, real surprise packages to go out and win the race there.

"So really anyone can win these events.  You just see the depth of talent when guys like that can shine and win a race out there."

If anyone wants to win on Sunday, they will most likely have to go through Ambrose and his No. 9 team. Even if Ambrose does not score his first Sonoma win, expect his string of solid finishes to continue, leading to a good day for your fantasy roster.

When it comes to strong road-course drivers, who would have figured a dirt racer from the Midwest would be among the best?

Well, that's the case for Michael Waltrip Racing's Clint Bowyer.

The 2012 Sonoma winner, Bowyer has an impressive average finish of 9.1 and only one finish outside the top 16 (31st in 2010) in eight starts. MWR has also won the last two Sonoma races.

Bowyer has been flying a bit under the radar so far in 2014, but the No. 15 team has finished 11th or better in the last three races. Look for that upward trend to continue on Sunday as Bowyer once again contends for the win.

Once among the best road-course racers, Tony Stewart remains one of the toughest competitors at Sonoma. The two-time Sonoma winner has one win, two top-2 finishes and six top-10s in his last nine starts.

Last season, Stewart was running in the top 10 when he was spun in Turn 11 late in the race, leading to a 28th-place finish.

After an inconsistent start to the season, Stewart and his No. 14 team are turning things around with four straight finishes of 13th or better. Headed to Sonoma this weekend, that string of solid finishes should continue for Stewart, leading to a strong fantasy day for your roster.

Much like Marcos Ambrose, AJ Allmendinger realizes one of his best shots at making the Chase will come Sunday at Sonoma.  Although has no wins and no top-fives at Sonoma, Allmendinger is a road-course ace behind the wheel.

Driving for JTG-Daugherty Racing -- a team that has run well at Sonoma with Ambrose behind the wheel -- the chances of breaking through to a top-five finish are pretty strong.

The No. 47 team has been strong on occasion early in the 2014 season, with one top-five and three top-10s, but has struggled a bit over the past few weeks.

Headed to Allmendinger's home state and racing on a road course, the No. 47 team has a great chance to turn things around and record its best finish of the year, and possibly even break into Victory Lane.

As always, these are simply suggestions, so do your research, pick wisely, and best of luck. If you put more faith in the Las Vegas odds, check out this week's "Let it Ride" segment from NASCAR Race Hub.