Eldon Daughenbaugh finally returned to Victory Lane Sunday at Sonoma Raceway, capturing his first win of the 2026 season and the sixth of his Victory Lane Racing NASCAR Cup Series career. The Cherry Sun Drop Dodge driver had quietly pieced together one of the most consistent seasons in the garage, but had been unable to convert that speed into a victory until now. Daughenbaugh scored 281 race points to defeat Mathew Steinfels and Steve Ruth, while the victory vaulted him nine positions in the championship standings from 21st to 12th.
The opening round of the James & June Coffee In-Season Tournament immediately lived up to expectations, producing several major upsets as the 32-driver field was trimmed in half. Championship leader Jamie Dyke was stunned in the biggest upset of the opening round after finishing 33rd, allowing No. 32 seed Britten Steinfels to advance. Third-seeded Scott Schmitt also suffered an early exit after a disastrous 46th-place finish, falling to No. 30 seed Tyler Kruep.
At the top of the regular season standings, Greg Miller quietly took advantage of the chaos. His 11th-place finish, combined with poor runs from Jamie Dyke and Scott Schmitt, was enough to move him into the championship lead. Stephen DiCaprio continued one of the strongest seasons in the garage with another top-five finish and now trails Miller by just four points heading to Chicagoland.
Top Five Finisher Recap
1. Eldon Daughenbaugh — Daughenbaugh finally cashed in on months of consistent speed, earning his first victory of the season and sixth of his career. The win launches him from 21st to 12th in the standings and back into both the playoff and championship conversation.
2. Mathew Steinfels — Another excellent afternoon for Steinfels. His runner-up finish gives him four top-five finishes and seven top-10s this season while moving him to third in the standings.
3. Steve Ruth — Ruth continued his quietly impressive summer with his third top-five finish of the year. He climbs to sixth in points and has become one of the hottest drivers entering the final stretch of the regular season.
4. Malachi Hammerle — Hammerle backed up another consistent performance with a fourth-place finish, climbing to fifth in points while collecting his third top-five of the season.
5. Stephen DiCaprio — Yet another top-five gives DiCaprio a series-leading six top-five finishes. He now sits just four points behind Greg Miller in one of the closest battles of the year.
Biggest Mover
• Eldon Daughenbaugh: +9 (21st → 12th)
Biggest Fall
• Scott Schmitt: -5 (3rd → 8th)
• Andrew Thornton: -5 (13th → 18th)
• Jamie Dyke: -3 (1st → 4th)
Championship Picture
For the first time in weeks, Greg Miller sits alone atop the regular season standings.
Miller leaves Sonoma with a four-point advantage over Stephen DiCaprio, while Mathew Steinfels has climbed to third, only 16 points off the lead. Three-time winner Jamie Dyke falls to fourth after a difficult afternoon, with Malachi Hammerle completing a tightly packed top five only 23 points behind.
With only eight races remaining before the Chase for the Championship begins, every point has become increasingly valuable.
Bubble Watch
16. Jay Smogolski (+0)
17. Dan Clarke (-7)
18. Andrew Thornton (-19)
19. Al Allison (-22)
20. Gary Dadey (-23)
21. Ron Blackman (-23)
Dan Clarke continues to make up ground after another solid finish and now sits just seven points below the playoff cut line. Meanwhile, Andrew Thornton suffered one of the toughest days of any contender, dropping from 13th to 18th after finishing 48th.
James & June Coffee In-Season Tournament Round of 32 Results
• (32) Britten Steinfels def. (1) Jamie Dyke
• (2) Greg Miller def. (31) Bryan Birmingham
• (16) Dawn Keller def. (17) Al Allison
• (18) Ron Blackman def. (15) Jay Smogolski
• (8 Steve Ruth def. (25) Kevin Sullivan
• (26) James Fenton def. (7) Steve Stone
• (9) Kamy Miller def. (24) Joseph Cardwell
• (23) Nick Hagen def. (10) Rob Kuczmarski
• (21) Eldon Daughenbaugh def. (12) Cody Zeeb
• (11) Kirk Hunter def. (22) Will Riney
• (5) Mathew Steinfels def. (28) Jack Thesier
• (6) Malachi Hammerle def. (27) Julie Taylor
• (20) Dan Clarke def. (13) Andrew Thornton
• (14) Corey Hardison def. (19) Gary Dadey
• (4) Stephen DiCaprio def. (29) Stephen Miller
• (30) Tyler Kruep def. (3) Scott Schmitt
Bracket Challenge
The tournament wasted no time delivering March Madness-style drama.
Top-seeded Jamie Dyke was eliminated by Britten Steinfels after a shocking 33rd-place finish. On the opposite side of the bracket, No. 30 seed Tyler Kruep authored the second-biggest upset of the opening round, knocking out No. 3 seed Scott Schmitt.
Other notable winners included race winner Eldon Daughenbaugh, who advanced over Cody Zeeb as a No. 21 seed, sixth-seeded Malachi Hammerle, second-seeded Greg Miller, fourth-seeded Stephen DiCaprio, and James Fenton, who upset seventh-seeded Steve Stone.
Sixteen drivers remain, with Chicagoland Speedway set to determine who advances to the Elite Eight.
About James & June Coffee The Victory Lane Racing In-Season Tournament is proudly presented by James & June Coffee, a family-owned, small-batch coffee company built around one simple idea: fresh coffee, roasted with care and shared with family.
Named after the owners' two children, James & June Coffee offers premium fresh-roasted coffee, flavored blends, single-origin selections, cold brew, teas, and more, all roasted to order and shipped directly to customers.
Whether you're getting ready for race day or simply starting your morning, James & June Coffee has something for every coffee lover.
Visit www.jamesandjunecoffee.com to shop the full lineup and learn more.
Looking Ahead
The James & June Coffee In-Season Tournament continues next weekend at Chicagoland Speedway as the field is cut from 16 drivers to just eight. At the same time, Greg Miller will try to defend his newly earned regular season points lead over Stephen DiCaprio as the race toward the Chase enters its final eight races.
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