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  • Larson scores a dominant win at Sonoma

    Larson scores a dominant win at Sonoma

    On a bright, sunny Sunday afternoon in Sonoma, California, the hometown hero shined brightly at Sonoma Raceway after Kyle Larson held off teammate Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and the field through several late race restarts to win the Toyota/Save Mart 350 for his second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season and first on a road course.

    The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Cup event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Cup race. With that, Kyle Larson, winner of last weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, started on pole position and was joined on the front row with teammate Chase Elliott.

    Prior to the event, rookie Anthony Alfredo started at the rear of the field due to a pre-race inspection violation, a move that resulted with his crew chief Seth Barbour being ejected for the event and Derrick Finley serving as Alfredo’s interim crew chief. Scott Heckert also started at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments.

    When the green flag waved and the race started, Larson took off with the lead through the first two turns and entering Turn 3A ahead of teammates Elliott and William Byron while the field scattered behind while competing for positions.

    Through the 12-turn circuit, Larson led the first lap followed by teammates Elliott and Byron while Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were in the top five. By then, Larson was out front by more than a second.

    The following lap, Larson extended his advantage to more than two seconds while Byron, Hamlin and Kyle Busch remained in the top 10. 

    By the third lap, Christopher Bell coasted to pit road after reporting fuel pump issues to his No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry, an issue that cost him a lap from the leaders despite having the ECU in his car restored.

    Through the first five laps of the event, Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was leading by more than four seconds over Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, with Byron’s No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE trailing in third place by nearly five seconds. Teammates Hamlin and Kyle Busch continued to run in the top five followed by Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Tyler Reddick. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr., who started 19th, was in 11th followed by Joey Logano, Chris Buescher, Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace.

    Two laps later, Hamlin overtook Byron for third place while Bowman overtook Austin Dillon for sixth place. By then, Larson continued to lead by more than four seconds while Truex was scored in the top 10.

    Near the Lap 10 competition caution, names like Kyle Busch, Bowman, Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell, Erik Jones, Ryan Newman, Chris Buescher, Bubba Wallace and rookie Chase Briscoe pitted for tires under green.

    Just as the field was approaching the start/finish line for the 10th lap, Larson pitted approaching Turn 11 along with teammate Elliott, Truex, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch and others. Following the sequence of events, Hamlin assumed the lead followed by Brad Keselowski as the competition caution flew on Lap 10.

    Under caution, Hamlin pitted along with Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney, Cole Custer, Logano and others, giving the front row back to Hendrick Motorsports’ Larson and Elliott. 

    When the race restarted on Lap 13, Larson retained the lead over teammate Elliott through the first three turns and entering the fourth turn while behind, Kyle Busch challenged Byron for third place through Turns 5 and 6, as Truex was running in the top five.

    By Lap 15, Larson was leading by more than a second over teammate Elliott while Kyle Busch was in third place, trailing by less than four seconds. Byron remained in fourth place, though he had Truex challenging him for the spot. 

    Not long after, however, Byron dropped from fourth to eighth after being overtaken by Truex, Bowman, Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick, starting from Turn 4 through Turn 8. Behind, Hamlin received nose damage to the front of his No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry while running in the mid-pack.

    In the closing laps of the first stage, names like Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Newman pitted under green. During the stops, Wallace was penalized due to speeding on pit road. Soon after, Michael McDowell pitted along with Byron, Buescher and Daniel Suarez.

    Back on the course, Larson continued to lead by more than three seconds over teammate Elliott. With a comfortable advantage and gap over his teammate, Larson was able to navigate his way through the 12-turn road course one final time to win the first stage on Lap 20, thus claiming his 10th stage victory of this season. Elliott followed behind in second place followed by Kyle Busch, teammate Truex, Bowman, Austin Dillon, Reddick, Kurt Busch, Matt DiBenedetto and Erik Jones. 

    Under the stage break, a majority of names like Larson, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Truex, Bowman and others pitted while the rest led by new leader Kurt Busch remained on the track. In total, 14 competitors remained on the track with Larson back in 15th.

    The second stage started on Lap 24 with Kurt Busch and Matt DiBenedetto on the front row. At the start, Busch cleared DiBenedetto and retained the lead through the first two turns, with Keselowski, Blaney and Hamlin in the top five. Meanwhile, Christopher Bell rallied from his early issues to run in sixth place ahead of Cole Custer and Byron. 

    When the field returned to the start/finish line to complete Lap 25, Kurt Busch continued to lead followed by DiBenedetto, Keselowski, Blaney and Hamlin while Bell, Byron, Custer, Buescher and Chastain were in the top 10. Elliott, meanwhile, was in 11th followed by Larson while Truex was in 14th and Kyle Busch was in 16th.

    As the laps progressed, teammates Elliott and Larson continued to battle intensely over one another as they were stuck behind Bell, with the latter prevailing over both through Turn 6A. Meanwhile, Reddick made an unscheduled pit stop following contact with Bowman.

    On Lap 28, Byron emerged as the new leader after he overtook Kurt Busch in Turn 11. With Busch back in second, DiBenedetto was in fourth in between Team Penske’s Keselowski and Blaney.

    By Lap 30, Byron was out in front by more than three seconds over teammate Kyle Larson, who managed to carve his way near the front, while Kurt Busch was back in third. Behind, Keselowski was in fourth followed by Truex, Elliott, Kyle Busch, Blaney, Hamlin and Chris Buescher while DiBenedetto was back in 11th

    A lap later, the caution flew when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made hard right-side contact against the wall entering Turn 1 and went off course in the dirt as a result of a flat right-front tire.

    Under caution, some of the competitors in the field led by Byron pitted while the rest led by Larson remained on the track.

    With six laps remaining in the second stage, the race restarted under green as Larson and Truex started on the front row. At the start, Larson retained the lead through the first two turns over Truex and the field fanning out to two lanes.

    In the closing laps of the second stage, Larson continued to lead followed by Truex, Logano, Bowman and Chastain. Meanwhile, Corey LaJoie and Erik Jones, both of whom made on-track contact that resulted with Jones nearly going off the course, were in sixth and 23rd. 

    Soon after, Chase Briscoe, Wallace, Suarez, Jones and Reddick pitted. In addition, Truex pitted along with Chastain. During the pit stops, Wallace made a full cycle around the track with a left tire before returning to pit road for a second stop, though he lost a lap to the leaders.

    Back on the course, Larson continued to lead with a healthy margin over Joey Logano. Continuing to flex his muscles, Larson was able to come back around and claim the second stage on Lap 40, thus claim his 11th stage victory of the season. Logano trailed behind by more than six seconds followed by Bowman, Kurt Busch and Elliott. Teammate Byron, Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Hamlin and Bell were scored in the top 10.

    Under the stage break, some like Larson, Logano, Bowman, Preece, Aric Almirola pitted while the rest led by Kurt Busch, Elliott, Byron, Kyle Busch and Keselowski remained on the track.

    With 46 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start, Kurt Busch took off with the lead through the first two turns followed by Elliott, Byron, Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Bell and a steaming pack of cars.

    At the halfway mark on Lap 45, Elliott moved into the lead for the first time after overtaking Kurt Busch through Turns 11 and 12. Truex, who restarted 15th, was in 13th in between Buescher and Chastain while Larson, who restarted 21st, was in 16th in between Alfredo and Suarez.

    With 40 laps remaining, Elliott continued to lead by nearly four seconds over Kyle Busch, who moved his No. 18 Sport Clips Toyota Camry in front of brother Kurt’s No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. Truex and Larson worked their way up to fourth and fifth while Keselowski, Byron, Chastain, Bell and Blaney were in the top 10.

    During the next few laps, Truex and Larson navigated their way around Kurt Busch to move into third and fourth. Afterwards, Larson overtook Truex’s No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry for third place as he had Kyle Busch next on his sights. Meanwhile, Elliott continued to lead by more than four seconds.

    Nearing the final 35 laps of the event, the Busch brothers along with Blaney, Byron and others pitted under green. By then, Elliott was leading by three seconds over teammate Larson.

    Back on the track, the battle for the lead intensified between teammates Elliott and Larson, with the former fending off the latter through every turns and corner while Truex trailed by two seconds.

    With 33 laps remaining, Larson prevailed over his intense battle with Elliott after overtaking him in Turn 7 to reassume the lead, with Truex narrowing the gap to more than a second. Meanwhile, Jones was in fourth followed by Logano, Bowman, Reddick, Briscoe, Hamlin and Almirola.

     A few laps later, Truex overtook Elliott for the runner-up spot. By then, names like Hamlin, Chastain pitted under green.

    With 29 laps remaining, Elliott surrendered his track position to pit under green along with Erik Jones while Larson continued to run on the circuit with a two-second advantage over Truex. Not long after, Truex pitted. By then, Bowman, who went off the course through Turns 5 and 6, also pitted along with Aric Almirola and Briscoe.

    Soon after, Larson pitted and surrendered the lead to Logano. By the time Larson exited pit road, Truex was able to cycle in front of Larson on fresh tires. 

    Not long after, Larson was able to navigate his way around Truex through Turn 7 and move within striking distance of reassuming the lead with the finish in sight. By then, Logano pitted under green. 

    With 21 laps remaining, Larson returned to the lead after he overtook Kyle Busch. Truex, meanwhile, was still in third while Elliott was battling Keselowski for fifth. Soon after, Truex moved into the runner-up spot over Kyle Busch as he was trailing Larson by more than two seconds. 

    Then, the caution flew due to Quin Houff coming to a stop in Turn 6. By then, Keselowski pitted, though he was later penalized due to equipment coming over his pit stall too soon.

    Under caution, a majority of the leaders returned to pit road and Larson exited pit road in front of Truex, Elliott and others. Back on course, Logano remained on course along with Reddick, LaJoie and Alfredo, where they were followed by Larson, Truex and Elliott. 

    With 16 laps remaining, the race restarted. At the start, Logano maintained the lead through the first two turns and heading into Turn 3A while Larson quickly moved up to fourth place followed by teammate Elliott. 

    Through Turn 7 and the Esses, Larson moved up into third place followed by Elliott while Truex was stuck in seventh. 

    By the time the field returned to the start/finish line under the final 15 laps, Larson was up into second place behind Logano while Elliott and Truex were in fourth and sixth. Then, approaching Turn 8, Larson, racing on fresh tires, reassumed the lead over Logano.

    Then, the caution returned when Chastain and LaJoie made contact in Turn 11, sending both cars spinning and in front of incoming traffic. In the ensuing chaos, Kevin Harvick, Byron, Bell, Bowman and Erik Jones sustained damage.

    Under caution, nearly the entire field remained on the track while Harvick pitted to have the damage on his car addressed. 

    With 11 laps remaining, the race restarted with Larson and Logano comprising the front row. At the start, Larson and Logano battled dead even through the first two turns before Larson cleared Logano’s No. 22 AutoTrader Ford Mustang entering Turn 3A. 

    Through the Esses and Turns 10, 11 and 12 with 10 laps remaining, Larson continued to lead while teammate Elliott overtook Logano for the runner-up spot. Truex moved up into fourth place followed by Kyle Busch and Chastain.

    With eight laps remaining, Larson was leading by nearly three seconds over teammate Elliott with Truex, Logano and Kyle Busch running in the top five. 

    Three laps later, the caution flew when Ryan Preece spun in the Esses. While Preece was trying to recover, he was hit and turned by an oncoming Cody Ware in a heavy dust cloud, with Ware coming to a rest near the tire barriers as both competitors sustained damage to their respective machines.

    Under caution, nearly the entire field led by Larson, Elliott and Truex remained on the track while few like Keselowski and Reddick pitted.

    With three laps remaining, the race restarted with teammates Larson and Elliott comprising the front row. At the start, Larson managed to clear teammate Elliott to remain as the leader through the first two turns and heading into the third turn. Elliott retained the runner-up spot followed by Truex and the field.

    The caution, however, returned quickly when Alfredo, who was primed for a top-10 result, and Bell spun following contact with Bowman in Turn 4. The incident was enough to send the race into overtime.

    In overtime, Larson and Elliott engaged in a side-by-side battle for the lead through the first turn before the former emerged on top in Turn 2. Through the first four turns and the following three turns, Larson continued to lead despite being pressured by Elliott as Truex settled himself in third place. 

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Larson was leading by nearly six-tenths of a second over teammate Elliott with Truex trailing by one-and-a-half seconds. 

    Elliott gained ground briefly on Larson entering Turn 8 before Larson was able to retain his steady advantage through the Esses and Turn 10. After calmly navigating his way through Turns 11 and 12, Larson was able to come back around and take the checkered flag to win by six-tenths of a second over Elliott.

    In addition to claiming his second consecutive victory of this season and first on a road course, Larson recorded his ninth NASCAR Cup Series career victory, third of the season and the 270th win for Hendrick Motorsports. He also became the 20th different competitor to win a Cup race at Sonoma Raceway and the first competitor to sweep the day at Sonoma after he claimed the first two stages en route to his dominating victory.

    “It was not easy,” Larson said on FS1. “Any road course isn’t easy. Just trying to keep it on track is tough, especially when you got two of the best behind you on that last restart. I felt like I did a good job the one [restart] before and stretch it out a little bit and then, [I] didn’t want to give it another try at it, but [Elliott] kept the pressure on. Martin was strong, too, but what a car. This is unbelievable. I thought I would be okay today, but I just didn’t know how I would race. Our car was really good there and I can’t say enough about it. Northern California, this will always be home to me, even if I live out on the East Coast now…Look forward to just keeping this streak going.”

    Elliott, who led 13 laps, claimed the runner-up spot for a second consecutive week, fourth overall this season, while Truex, winner of the previous two Sonoma races, rallied from a three-race stretch of finishing outside the top 15 to finish in third place.

    “I wish I knew [where Larson was better],” Elliott said. “I would’ve tried to give him a little better run, but congrats to Kyle, [crew chief] and Cliff [Daniels], everybody on the No. 5 team. They’ve been doing an amazing job. Really proud of our NAPA group, though. I felt like we were a lot better there at the end than we were at the beginning, and definitely, the best I’ve ever been here, I feel like, at Sonoma, in particular. Pleased with that. I wished we could’ve gotten another spot, but we’ll try again.”

    “[We were beaten] Just a little bit everywhere, I felt like,” Truex added. “Right handers, I couldn’t quite lean on the left rear like I needed to and didn’t quite have the drive off. More so than that, I didn’t have the short-run speed. I think the really long runs was our only chance there. All those cautions at the end, they killed any chance we had. Proud of the guys on the Bass Pro Toyota. Just not quite good enough. The Hendrick cars are really strong right now, they’re really fast, making a lot of grip, making our job tough, but like I said, we needed long runs at the end, not all those cautions.”

    Logano finished fourth while Kyle Busch, a two-time winner at Sonoma, completed the top five on the track. 

    Kurt Busch, a former winner at Sonoma, claimed his first top-10 result since Homestead-Miami Speedway in February by finishing sixth while teammate Chastain, Hamlin, Bowman and Blaney finished in the top 10.

    Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, Austin Dillon, Bubba Wallace and Brad Keselowski finished in the top 15 while Chase Briscoe was the highest-finishing rookie competitor in 17th. Harvick came home in 21st, Bell fell back to 24th and Ben Rhodes finished 30th in his Cup debut. Michael McDowell and Ryan Newman finished 28th and 33rd after both were turned and spun in Turn 11 on the final lap.

    There were 13 lead changes for seven different leaders. The race featured eight cautions for 18 laps. In total, 33 of the 37 starters finished on the lead lap.

    Hamlin continues to lead the regular-season standings by 47 points over Larson with Elliott trailing by 73 points.

    Results.

    1. Kyle Larson, 57 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

    2. Chase Elliott, 13 laps led

    3. Martin Truex Jr.

    4. Joey Logano, five laps led

    5. Kyle Busch, two laps led

    6. Kurt Busch, eight laps led

    7. Ross Chastain

    8. Denny Hamlin, two laps led

    9. Alex Bowman

    10. Ryan Blaney

    11. Erik Jones

    12. Daniel Suarez

    13. Austin Dillon

    14. Bubba Wallace

    15. Brad Keselowski

    16. Chris Buescher

    17. Chase Briscoe

    18. Corey LaJoie

    19. Tyler Reddick

    20. Cole Custer

    21. Ryan Preece

    22. Kevin Harvick

    23. Matt DiBenedetto

    24. Christopher Bell

    25. James Davison

    26. Scott Heckert

    27. Aric Almirola

    28. Michael McDowell

    29. Josh Bilicki

    30. Ben Rhodes

    31. Anthony Alfredo

    32. Garrett Smithley

    33. Ryan Newman

    34. Cody Ware – OUT, Accident

    35. William Byron – OUT, Accident, five laps led

    36. Quin Houff – OUT, Rear gear

    37. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – OUT, Engine

    Next on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the series’ annual All-Star Open and Race events at Texas Motor Speedway, both scheduled to occur on Sunday, June 13. The NASCAR All-Star Open will air at 6 p.m. ET on FS1 while the All-Star Race will commence at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • The story behind Matt DiBenedetto’s best career NASCAR finish

    The story behind Matt DiBenedetto’s best career NASCAR finish

    SONOMA, Calif. ⁠— In Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, some drivers had solid runs. William Byron finished 19th but scored his first career stage win and left the race with the fifth most points accumulated. Erik Jones started from the rear and clawed his way up to finish eighth. And Daniel Hemric, who finished second in Saturday’s K&N Pro West race, crossed the line 15th at Sonoma in his rookie year with the Cup Series.

    But the highlight of the day belonged to Matt DiBenedetto who earned his first career NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series top five finish at Sonoma Raceway when he crossed the line fourth.

    Post-Race interview with Matt DiBenedetto and Justin Schuoler at Sonoma Raceway following the 2019 Toyota/Save Mart 350. Audio by Justin Schuoler for Speedway Media.

    “I cannot explain how thankful I am,” an emotional DiBenedetto started out after celebrating with his team and receiving multiple congratulations from other competitors. “I can’t tell you how desperate I was to get a run like this for my team and how many people took a chance on me to drive this thing. It took so many people to say yes, including my JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) teammates, all the drivers, everybody at Toyota and TRD (Toyota Racing Development), the sponsors like Procore and Dumont JETS, team owner, ‘Wheels’ (nickname for crew chief Michael Wheeler).

    “I’m telling you, it took every one of those people to say yes.”

    The final laps were anything but easy for DiBenedetto. Not only does passing get tougher as you climb through the field, but who he passed included veterans and champions of the sport such as Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman. His fourth place result gave the Leavine Family Racing team their third career top five and tied their best finish in team history.

    “Yeah, we had good forward drive, were on a good strategy and had good tires,” he continued when asked about a potential final restart to challenge the win after running a couple of lap times similar to leaders Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch. The K&N race had three overtime attempts on the previous day. “I mean, I’m happy with our finish. We were driving through the field, and that was so fun, picking them off one at a time, guys that I have so much respect for too, guys like Kevin (Harvick), (Ryan) Newman, and racing Denny (Hamlin) at the end. (I have) so much respect for them, and to be racing around them, and to be passing all those guys.

    “I’ve learned a lot from them, so it’s real special.”

    Being from Green Valley which is a two hour drive northeast of the track, DiBenedetto had friends and family at Sunday’s race witnessing his best career accomplishment in the top touring stock car racing series.

    Matt DiBenedetto wheeled his No. 95 Procore Toyota for Levine Family Racing during one of Friday's practice sessions at the technical road course. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
    Matt DiBenedetto wheeled his No. 95 Procore Toyota for Leavine Family Racing during one of Friday’s practice sessions at the technical road course. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.

    “Yeah, my family’s here. I hate that my wife couldn’t make it since she had some conflicting things in her schedule, so that stinks, but she’ll be home so her, my friends and our neighbors will be waiting on me to get home to have a good night and hang out and have some fun.

    “Yes we did (record the race on the DVR). I’m going back to watch that dang thing!”

    DiBenedetto turned to a recent road course ringer for some advice on turning some quicker lap times. He was quick to give credit to A.J. Allmendinger, always a front runner at road courses with one career victory at Watkins Glen International. Allmendinger’s resume shines when it comes to road courses. He has a Rolex 24 at Daytona victory in the Daytona Prototype class of the NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, two NASCAR Xfinity Series victories in 2013, five victories in the Champ Car World Series, and a podium finish in the 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona in the Weathertech SportsCar Championship.

    “My buddy, A.J. Allmendinger,” DiBenedetto exclaimed. “Told him I’d give him a shout-out if I did good. He helped me so much, hours on the phone. I don’t want to give away all his secrets (laugh), but it was just how to execute through the weekend and what I need to feel in the race car to race good. I’ve always felt confident in my ability to drive the car around the track and wheel it, but that’s only a small fraction of the game when you’re racing against guys that are so good and so experienced, so he helped me to make sure I executed throughout the weekend and get my car right.”

    Jumping Off the Diving Board and Hoping There’s Water in the Pool

    Last year, DiBenedetto made an announcement that caught many off guard. Most drivers would be satisfied with any full-time ride, but after getting shout-outs from many competitors, even Dale Earnhardt Jr. saying that he was one of the most talented drivers in the garage, he took a leap of faith in hopes of securing a more competitive ride. His former team, GoFas Racing, offered their full support after a great relationship with their driver of three years. Young up and coming drivers hold sponsorships that help secure top-tier rides with successful teams, but DiBenedetto has had to prove himself from the ground up by aggressively learning, holding nothing back and displaying a gritty performance on the track.

    “I’ve worked so hard my whole life the old school way, been through the trenches, that’s for sure. I’ve been so lucky to get these opportunities, and it makes you appreciate it and makes you dig so much deeper knowing that you’re fighting for your life and your career. We’ve deserved some runs like this for a while, just haven’t had the luck and this shows the strength of our team. I’m happy for our guys finally.”

    CrossFit Pays Off for DiBenedetto During Caution-Free Race

    NASCAR drivers are known more as endurance athletes, such as Jimmie Johnson entering the Boston Marathon earlier this year. So for DiBenedetto, his focus is with CrossFit workout sessions, primarily with CrossFit Catawba Valley in Hickory, North Carolina.

    “I almost forgot, I gotta thank my CrossFit family, CrossFit Catawba Valley. It was frickin’ hot today. Training came in handy. It was terrible in the car. Couldn’t drink for that whole second stage. There was no time; it was green (for the whole run). It’s what makes it tough physically and mentally, so I’m glad those guys have pushed me so hard. That really helped today.

    “The Carousel was cool. It made this track feel so much different, a lot more treacherous, and it reminded me a little bit like Mid-Ohio (Sports Car Course). It was really fun to set them up for Turn 7.”

    With all that training, preparation, unique talent and ability of his dirt racing background, he has had a lot of focus on short tracks, technical courses and races where he has the chance to show off his adroitness.

    “I’ve had this one circled,” he proclaimed. “Places like Bristol, Phoenix, here. I’ll be honest, this year has been tough because the rules are so different where it makes it a little tougher for the driver to make a difference at some of these bigger race tracks. It’s a lot of car speed and track position, so it’s been tough and mentally challenging. So these places where you can just get on the wheel and show the strength of your team and how we can execute, those are the ones we circled off. I was so glad, I knew we could get a good run here.”

    A Tribute to Darrell Waltrip’s Rookie & Early Racing Years

    Darrell Waltrip and Matt DiBenedetto share a hug during pre-race ceremonies for Waltrip's final broadcast. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
    Darrell Waltrip and Matt DiBenedetto share a hug during pre-race ceremonies for Waltrip’s final broadcast. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.

    Three drivers in Sunday’s race elected to run a unique throwback paint scheme in honor of Darrell Waltrip’s final broadcast with FOX Sports. As the driver of the No. 95, he found the paint scheme that Waltrip raced as a driver/owner back with Terminal Transport as his sponsor for three years between 1972 and 1974. So his Leavine Family Racing team, along with full support from his primary sponsor Procore and their Toyota manufacturer, brought the classic orange and white car to Sonoma Raceway.

    To hold his best career finish in a Waltrip throwback car added much more to the great memory of DiBenedetto’s strong day.

    “This one’s for him,” he shared with a tear in his eye. “I wanted so bad to get a good run for him. He’s always been so supportive, just telling me to smile. He’s such a great person and friend. I’m lucky to have gotten to know him. To get my best career finish in his throwback car is a memory I’ll never forget.

    “He’s done so much for me and my career, things that people may not know about for me personally with helping me out last year.”

    That thing was stepping up to sponsor DiBenedetto for one race. Last year while racing for GoFas Racing in the No. 32 car, their team was prepared to race in Phoenix with a bare car. While the team wasn’t faced with any financial issues, DiBenedetto took the initiative to head on Twitter and post a video to inform fans about the sponsorship opportunity on a tight deadline. So drivers like Denny Hamlin who was the first to reach out, helped sponsor his ride. Darrell Waltrip was a big contributor to giving him a funded ride in the 2018 Spring race.

    Remembering Where He Started and Where He’s Headed

    The late JD Gibbs was recently inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame. He was also the one who made the phone call to BK Racing that placed DiBenedetto in the No. 83 car for most of the 2015 season, and the rest has worked in his favor.

    “God, I miss him so bad,” DiBenedetto shared when asked about Gibbs. “He was one of the greatest people I know. I learned so much from him as a person more than anything. I literally would not be standing here without him today. He had so much to do with this. I wouldn’t have gotten a Cup ride without him, I wouldn’t be here today, and the relationship with all those guys. Gosh, I can’t explain how much I miss that guy.”

    DiBenedetto has a humble and grassroots background when it comes to his NASCAR career, but rumors hold uncertainties about his future with Christopher Bell performing strongly in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Toyota Racing.

    “I’ve learned to become mentally tough,” he said when responding to those rumors. “My whole career, I mean every single year of my life and career—at a point where we pulled it up as a family and sold all our stuff and quit, and then I had to do it year by year my whole life to this point—I’ve always had to perform.

    “I don’t let it get to me, and I always say that to my wife (Taylor) because she worries all the time for me. I tell her, ‘If I perform, the rest will take care of itself’”

    Whatever the rumors may be, DiBenedetto plans to take the time to let this finish sink in before heading to Chicagoland Speedway.

    One reporter asked, “Are you gonna blow that air horn when you cross the line playing the race back on your DVR?”

    DiBenedetto’s response was as light-hearted as he could be: “Yeah, I probably should!”

  • Martin Truex Jr. Holds Off Kyle Busch to Win Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

    Martin Truex Jr. Holds Off Kyle Busch to Win Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

    SONOMA, Calif. ⁠— In a technical caution-free race, Martin Truex Jr holds off Kyle Busch in the closing laps to win the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series.

    “What a season we’ve turned this into,” Truex said in Victory Lane after tying Kyle Busch with the most victories in the current season. “This group, they’re unbelievable. Hopefully we can keep this going.”

    Truex claimed his third career victory at the California road course, second in a row and the first with the returning Carrousel. The race was caution-free besides the stage ending yellow flags.

    “With the Carousel, the big left-hand corner, it really changed things up,” he explained not knowing exactly how the weekend was going to go for the No. 19 Toyota team. “Took a while to figure that out in practice. But luckily, we were able to just make the right tweaks. I had confidence that when the track got hot and slick on the long runs, we had what we needed.

    “Just a matter if we had enough speed to get there, and we did today.”

    Truex didn’t place in the top 10 in Stage 1 with the varying pit strategies. Many teams elected to come to pit road before the two-to-go mark, signifying the close of pit road. Roughly the top 15 positions could pit without going a lap down, and when some leaders came down pit road, that gave more openings deeper in the pack to come down pit road. He placed seventh in Stage 2.

    Kyle Busch closes the gap on teammate and leader Truex after front end damage from contact with Ryan Blaney. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
    Kyle Busch closes the gap on teammate and leader Truex after front end damage from contact with Ryan Blaney. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.

    With 20 laps to go, Kyle Busch had a different strategy in mind by manipulating the cycle to have fresher tires on the final run. At times, he ran a full second faster than his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, but fell 1.861 seconds short of the win.

    “Yeah, any time I had to lean on the left rear, I just didn’t have the drive that I needed,” Busch said. “Actually tried to hold on to it, trying to save it. I knew that was going to be our problem — that had been our problem all day long. You get closer, you’re like, ‘OK, I can get him, I better go, pounce on him fast, so then he doesn’t have the time to pick up the pace.’

    “But it didn’t work. He was obviously saving a lot. I knew he was going to be saving a lot, have enough to be able to most likely hold us off. I was right. I still tried everything I could to get there and ran real hard. Sucks to finish second to a teammate, but it’s good for the company. Overall Martin is really, really good here. I’m just pumped that I actually ran good here.”

    Ryan Blaney was the top finishing Ford in third, and Matt DiBenedetto fights for his best career finish of fourth. Stage 2 winner, Denny Hamlin, rounds out the top five. Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Erik Jones, Aric Almirola and pole sitter Kyle Larson finish in the top 10. Larson now holds three consecutive poles as the home track native, and claimed his best career finish.

    Other notables across the field include Daniel Hemric, Austin Dillon and Ryan Preece who all ran toward the front of the NASCAR K&N Pro West Series race. They finished 15th, 24th and 29th respectively. William Byron led all of Stage 1, including winning the first stage, but finished in the 19th position. Saturday night’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series winner Ross Chastaine made the overnight flight to start today’s race and finished 33rd. Chase Elliott was battling for a top five position, but a loss of oil pressure eliminated him after 60 laps, finishing 37th. Cody Ware pulled into the garage during the final stage, where he was treated in the infield care center for carbon monoxide poisoning. He was released after treatments.

    The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series will compete next at Chicagoland Speedway on June 30.

    FinSt#DriverSponsor / OwnerCarLapsStatus
    1819Martin Truex, Jr.Bass Pro Shops (Joe Gibbs)Toyota90running
    2718Kyle BuschM&M’s Hazelnut (Joe Gibbs)Toyota90running
    3912Ryan BlaneyPPG (Roger Penske)Ford90running
    41995Matt DiBenedettoProcore Thanks DW Throwback (Leavine Family Racing)Toyota90running
    5611Denny HamlinFedEx Ground   (Joe Gibbs)Toyota90running
    6234Kevin HarvickMobil 1 (Stewart Haas Racing)Ford90running
    7216Ryan NewmanWyndham Rewards (Jack Roush)Ford90running
    83220Erik JonesCraftsman (Joe Gibbs)Toyota90running
    91510Aric AlmirolaSmithfield (Stewart Haas Racing)Ford90running
    10142Kyle LarsonCredit One Bank (Chip Ganassi)Chevrolet90running
    111414Clint BowyerRush Truck Centers (Stewart Haas Racing)Ford90running
    121148Jimmie JohnsonAlly (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet90running
    13161Kurt BuschMonster Energy (Chip Ganassi)Chevrolet90running
    141288Alex BowmanAxalta (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet90running
    15258Daniel HemricPoppy Bank (Richard Childress)Chevrolet90running
    161037Chris BuescherHellmann’s (JTG-Daugherty Racing)Chevrolet90running
    17541Daniel SuarezRuckus (Stewart Haas Racing)Ford90running
    18222Brad KeselowskiAmerica’s Tire (Roger Penske)Ford90running
    19224William ByronHertz (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet90running
    201838David Ragan#ThanksDW (Bob Jenkins)Ford90running
    211717Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.Roush Performance / Thanks DW (Jack Roush)Ford90running
    222421Paul MenardMenards / Richmond (Wood Brothers)Ford90running
    23322Joey LoganoShell / Pennzoil (Roger Penske)Ford90running
    24263Austin DillonDow Coatings (Richard Childress)Chevrolet90running
    251334Michael McDowellLove’s Travel Stops (Bob Jenkins)Ford89running
    263043Bubba WallaceWorld Wide Technology (Richard Petty Motorsports)Chevrolet89running
    273113Ty DillonGEICO Military (Germain Racing)Chevrolet89running
    282836Matt TifftAcquire Investments (Bob Jenkins)Ford89running
    292047Ryan PreeceKroger (JTG-Daugherty Racing)Chevrolet89running
    302996Parker KligermanTRD 40th Anniversary (Gaunt Brothers)Toyota89running
    313500Landon CassillShare (StarCom Racing)Chevrolet89running
    322732Corey LaJoieGMN (Archie St. Hilaire)Ford89running
    333715Ross ChastainLow-T Centers (Jay Robinson)Chevrolet89running
    343377Justin HaleyFormula One Imports (Spire Motorsports)Chevrolet88running
    353827Reed SorensonVIPRacingExperience.com (Jay Robinson)Chevrolet88running
    363452Cody WareSBC Contractors (Rick Ware)Chevrolet64fatigue
    3749Chase ElliottNAPA Auto Parts (Rick Hendrick)Chevrolet60engine
    383651J.J. YeleyJacob Companies (Rick Ware)Ford53fuel pump


  • NASCAR drivers honor Darrell Waltrip with Throwback paint schemes

    NASCAR drivers honor Darrell Waltrip with Throwback paint schemes

    SONOMA, Calif. – This weekend’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 returns the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series to Sonoma Raceway, the furthest west they visit in their annual schedule. It will be the first of three road courses on the 2019 schedule which includes the reinstatement of the carousel last raced in the late ’90s. The K&N Pro West Series will also join the Cup drivers with their race on Saturday.

    Darrell Waltrip will also broadcast his final race this weekend.

    Over the past several weeks, NASCAR, drivers, teams, tracks and sponsors have all pitched in their appreciation of Waltrip’s Hall of Fame legacy since he announced his retirement from the booth at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    “This sport has rewarded me time and time and time again,” Waltrip shared in the media center a couple of months ago at Bristol. “Not just with trophies and the success on the track but with friends, people I’ll never forget. They say you get what you give. Well, I gave a lot, but I got a whole lot more in return.”

    And that whole lot more giving in return didn’t stop. A few drivers took the initiative to dedicate a throwback paint scheme.

    David Ragan practices on Friday in his #ThanksDW Mustang at Sonoma Raceway. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
    David Ragan practices on Friday in his #ThanksDW Mustang at Sonoma Raceway. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.

    David Ragan, driver of the No. 38, decided to have his car wrapped with the official hashtag, #ThanksDW. His hood was a headshot of Darrell Waltrip from the booth, and the back had Darrell’s infamous term “Boogity.”

    “I think Darrell is one of those guys like Richard Petty, Junior Johnson back in the early days,” Ragan shared reflecting on Waltrip’s legacy in the sport. “He had a really successful driving career, and then he went on to make a real impact on the broadcast side. He’s really dedicated his whole life to NASCAR racing.”

    Many drivers spend time outside of NASCAR to catch up with other lifetime hobbies and step out of the spotlight to settle down and enjoy life. Carl Edwards comes to mind as one of the more recent drivers that even car owner Joe Gibbs shared on the Dale Jr. Download that he is still baffled to this day as to why Edwards stepped away from NASCAR.

    However, Waltrip stuck with the NASCAR scene.

    “A lot of guys you see retire, so you don’t really get to hear from them again. So for him to own race teams to being in the broadcast booth and have a big impact driving cars behind the wheel. He’s definitely one of the biggest influencers we’ve had over the past 40 years.”

    For those who knew Waltrip or listened to his broadcasting over the years, he was an honest announcer who called the races as they were.

    “When I was a rookie coming into the scene, Darrell was a little bit of a critic for me,” said Ragan as he looked back on his early memories of Waltrip. “I wasn’t running as good as I should have right out of the bat, and I think Darrell’s very honest without that much of a filter. That’s what makes Darrell a cool guy.

    “Just don’t mess up your Boogity, Boogity, Boogity.”

    Matt DiBenedetto lays down some practice laps around the original carousel at Sonoma Raceway. Photo courtesy of Rachel Schuoler for Speedway Media.
    Matt DiBenedetto lays down some practice laps around the original carousel at Sonoma Raceway. Photo courtesy of Rachel Schuoler for Speedway Media.

    The next driver was Matt DiBenedetto, who drives the No. 95 Procore Toyota for Levine Family Racing. Their affiliation with Joe Gibbs Racing has given DiBenedetto a new spike in confidence. Despite the recent turn of poor luck on their side, he led the most laps of his career in the Daytona 500 before crashing out of the race. He also had a string of mishaps out of his control in the month of March and was on pace to challenge for the win at Bristol before an unscheduled pit stop put him in an uphill battle where he finished 12th. Despite the unforeseen circumstances, his average finishing position has improved by three spots.

    But this weekend at Sonoma, his team created a paint scheme in honor of Waltrip’s early racing career. Darrell raced in the No. 95 Mercury and Chevrolet from 1972 to 1974 with 19 top 10 finishes, including runner-up finishes at Darlington and Texas World Speedway (not to be confused by Texas Motor Speedway).

    “It was all of us at the team,” Dibenedetto shared in the media center at Sonoma when asked who originally came up with the idea for the paint scheme. “It’s exciting for us because DW has meant a lot to me. He helped me out last year, sponsored my race car at Phoenix. He’s always been a really good person.”

    At Phoenix last year, Matt DiBenedetto was racing for GoFas Racing in the No. 32 Ford. The team headed to Phoenix with no sponsorship, after an early season sponsor fallout situation. He originally posted on Twitter sharing the team was not in financial danger and would still make the race, but made the announcement to allow for the potential opportunity of a new sponsor to step in. Not only did he get a big sponsor to take the race with Zynga Poker, but many drivers and NASCAR community members stepped up to help sponsor Matt’s car, including Darrell Waltrip.

    “So we all talked about Sonoma and talked to our sponsor Procore,” Matt continued, “And they were on board with us running a paint scheme thrown back to when DW drove the 95 car in the early days of his career.”

    Darrell Waltrip drives around Sonoma Raceway in his original Daytona winning "Tide Ride." Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
    Darrell Waltrip drives around Sonoma Raceway in his original Daytona winning “Tide Ride.” Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. also decided to run a No. 17 throwback of Darrell Waltrip, keeping it authentic with chrome numbers around the car. The two-time NASCAR Most Popular Driver ran this number for Rick Hendrick at NASCAR’s top level from 1987 into part of the 1998 season, making this his most driven number.

    While Darrell drove his “Tide Ride” as the No. 17 and winning the 1989 Daytona 500 in that car, the white, gray and red striped car with the chrome numbers on the sides was introduced in 1991 when he began to drive as a driver/owner with Western Auto as his new primary sponsor.

    “With as much as he’s done in the sport on and off the track, Darrell will definitely be missed,” Stenhouse said. “I have enjoyed all the sit-downs and seeing his passion that he has for the sport. I’ve gotten to pay homage to him with two Darlington throwback schemes so it will be extra special to drive his iconic paint scheme for his last appearance in the booth.”

    Denny Hamlin also took the opportunity before practice on Friday to introduce his throwback paint scheme for the new Darlington tradition. The reveal showed Darrell’s No. 11 which he drove from 1981 to 1986 when he drove for Junior Johnson.

    “In 2016 when I won the Daytona 500, FedEx gave me the opportunity to choose my own paint scheme for the July Daytona race,” Denny shared during the reveal at Sonoma Raceway. “I had two that I really liked, so we had the shop vote on it. We thought this would be a great idea to honor someone who’s been a big influence for myself and everyone in NASCAR.”

    Hamlin also shared memories growing up in the grandstands and watching the competitors on the track.

    “I knew he was tough,” Hamlin chuckled when asked about the name of Darrell Waltrip. “I grew up a huge Bill Elliott, but Waltrip was one of the toughest competitors.”

    Waltrip and Hamlin then pulled back the cover to officially reveal the paint scheme to be raced later this year in the iconic Southern 500.

    “Well, first of all, I’m flattered,” Waltrip shared when he saw the new paint scheme for the first time. “This is one of my favorite paint schemes that I raced. What made this special to me was that this was my car and my team. We started in 1991. We had some pretty good days with this car. Of course, I guess my favorite number is probably the No. 17, but I’ll always love car No. 11.”

    “This is the winningest number in NASCAR.”

    The crowd shared their input as well.

    “You like this?” Waltrip asked the audience while pointing to the car.

    The crowd cheered.

    “That thing is gonna look great on the race track. Thank you for the tribute.”

  • Stewart’s Emotional Sonoma Victory One Of NASCAR’s Defining Wins

    Stewart’s Emotional Sonoma Victory One Of NASCAR’s Defining Wins

    Once Tony Stewart broke his leg in a Sprint Car crash in 2013, it was easy to write him off in the long scheme of things. He had only won once that season with five top-fives and eight top-10s.  In 2014 he was winless with three top-fives and seven top-10s. Then 2015 wasn’t any better, with a measly three top-10s. There was no reason to expect anything remotely different out of that No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team in 2016, which is Stewart’s retirement year.

    So to see Stewart bring the fight to Denny Hamlin on the last corner of the last lap of Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway and emerge victorious in his battered No. 14 Chevy was not only a pleasant surprise, but capped off one of the most emotional roads to recovery this sport has ever seen.

    Stewart has always been strong on the road courses, leading all active drivers with eight wins at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, so his win there isn’t exactly a surprise, especially on the heels of a strong seventh-place run at Michigan. But look at his last three finishes there beginning in 2013: 28th, 19th, and 12th. It was definitely his worst streak at Sonoma since his first start in 1999, where he finished 15th after starting second.

    But take some of the other things into consideration. In 2013 he struggled mightily, worse than he ever had, behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car. He did win at Dover in June, but that was due to good pit strategy. He wasn’t consistent, he wasn’t near the front, and he wasn’t doing so well. That carried on into 2014 and 2015, and what was once a question of when Stewart would win again became a question of if he would win again. Top-10s alone were cause for celebration among the Stewart supporters.

    Then came Michigan two weeks ago, and Stewart put on a performance that was so strong and unexpected that many were wondering if he had turned the corner with his No. 14 and rookie Crew Chief Mike Bugarewicz. Then comes a 10th-place qualifying effort at Sonoma, followed by a determined performance by Stewart, where he led 22 laps and had no qualms door-slamming Hamlin out of the way on the way to victory.

    Is this a championship statement? Not likely. Even though SHR has now won three times in 2016, they’re still being overshadowed by the Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing. On top of that, even though it’s a given that Stewart will claim that 30th-place in points and claim his Chase spot come Richmond, it’s still too early to say if he’ll even contend for the championship. It would be nice, granted, but one win does not a championship run make.

    The next race is Daytona, where Stewart has multiple wins in the July event. Daytona is also a crapshoot when it comes to winners and losers. Stewart is a strong superspeedway racer and could very well nail a top-five or a top-10 easily. He’s got a lot of good tracks coming up and he will be the one to watch in the next two months before the Chase starts.

    Regardless of Chase status, it’s evident that the questions of whether or not Stewart has lost his edge can now stop. Drivers like Stewart, people like Stewart, never really lose that edge, that will to win. It may have been subdued over the last three years, but it never left Stewart completely. In the final corner of the final lap at Sonoma, it was made clear that that the will to win was stronger than ever. Stewart wanted to win at all costs and with the amount of crew members and peers including SHR drivers Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch as well as runner-up Hamlin coming up to congratulate him on his way to Victory Lane, it was obvious no one could blame him.

  • McMurray Wins Coors Light Pole Award for Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

    McMurray Wins Coors Light Pole Award for Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

    Jamie McMurray won his second consecutive pole at Sonoma Raceway after a final run in the closing minutes of Knockout Qualifying with a track record qualifying speed of 96.350 mph. This is his third pole at Sonoma and his tenth series career pole.

    McMurray is the eleventh different pole winner this season and his qualifying speed set the eleventh track record this year.

    He spoke about the challenges of the new qualifying procedure, saying, “This Knockout Qualifying is just an emotional roller coaster, from not making it into the top twelve and then having to go out and bump your way in, to then being on the pole. There’s a lot of highs and lows that go into it.”

    McMurray hopes to translate this pole into a better finish than his previous two poles that resulted in disappointing finishes of 37th and 25th.

    “This race is about having good strategy and having a little bit of luck,” he explained. “It’s about not getting run into in Turn 4 or Turn 7 on a restart.  I’ve run enough races here that I’ve had every issue you could have.”

    He concluded by stating, “You have to put it all together. You have to have good strategy, you have to have a good car and you have to make good decisions as a driver.”

    AJ Allmendinger will start on the outside pole in second place. “

    I felt like I put in two good laps out there. You can nitpick and say I lost a little bit here and there but Jamie put in a hell of a lap, congrats to him,” Allmendinger said.

    McMurray’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, rookie Kyle Larson, qualified third. Larson was happy with his starting position but realizes that the race will provide an opportunity to improve and gain valuable experience.

    “I’ve still got a lot more to learn, especially when I get a few laps on the tires,’’ Larson said. “I struggle with that. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot throughout the race. I’ve just got to try to stay out of trouble.’’

    Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch round out the top five for Sunday’s starting lineup. Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Brian Vickers, Paul Menard and Joey Logano complete the top ten starting positions. Danica Patrick and Casey Mears will start in eleventh and twelfth, respectively.

    The teams were unsure what to expect with the new qualifying format at Sonoma but the two sessions ran smoothly with no on-track incidents. Surprisingly, no Hendrick Motorsports Cars advanced to the final round of top twelve drivers.

    Other notables who did not advance to the last session include Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle and Brad Keselowski.

    Television pre-race coverage for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race will begin at 2 p.m. ET on TNT.  The green flag start is scheduled for approximately 3:19 ET.

    Complete Starting Lineup for Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

    1 1 Jamie McMurray 96.350 74.354
    2 47 AJ Allmendinger 96.088 74.557
    3 42 Kyle Larson # 95.942 74.670
    4 99 Carl Edwards 95.857 74.736
    5 41 Kurt Busch 95.704 74.856
    6 4 Kevin Harvick 95.655 74.894
    7 31 Ryan Newman 95.616 74.925
    8 55 Brian Vickers 95.574 74.958
    9 27 Paul Menard 95.528 74.994
    10 22 Joey Logano 95.417 75.081
    11 10 Danica Patrick 95.414 75.083
    12 13 Casey Mears 95.327 75.152
    13 2 Brad Keselowski 95.617 74.924
    14 20 Matt Kenseth 95.605 74.933
    15 24 Jeff Gordon 95.552 74.975
    16 11 Denny Hamlin 95.479 75.032
    17 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 95.461 75.046
    18 78 Martin Truex Jr. 95.451 75.054
    19 16 Greg Biffle 95.432 75.069
    20 18 Kyle Busch 95.378 75.112
    21 14 Tony Stewart 95.308 75.167
    22 48 Jimmie Johnson 95.296 75.176
    23 9 Marcos Ambrose 95.247 75.215
    24 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 95.136 75.303
    25 15 Clint Bowyer 95.044 75.376
    26 3 Austin Dillon # 95.028 75.388
    27 38 David Gilliland 94.992 75.417
    28 95 Michael McDowell 94.972 75.433
    29 43 Aric Almirola 94.897 75.492
    30 5 Kasey Kahne 94.865 75.518
    31 34 David Ragan 94.793 75.575
    32 26 Cole Whitt # 94.734 75.622
    33 98 Josh Wise 94.568 75.755
    34 83 Ryan Truex # 94.562 75.760
    35 51 Justin Allgaier # 94.491 75.817
    36 33 Alex Kennedy 94.147 76.094
    37 40 Timmy Hill – DC1 94.012 76.203
    38 23 Alex Bowman # 93.867 76.321
    39 44 David Mayhew – DC2 93.741 76.423
    40 36 Reed Sorenson 93.498 76.622
    41 32 Boris Said 93.377 76.721
    42 7 Michael Annett # 92.282 77.632
    43 66 Tomy Drissi 91.115 78.626

     

     

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Sonoma Toyota Save Mart 350

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Sonoma Toyota Save Mart 350

    Under unexpected cloudy skies and even some rain drops, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the 25th annual Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

    Surprising:  Martin Truex Jr. was in surprisingly esteemed company with his 218-race winless streak, the second longest in the Cup Series to Bill Elliott’s 226-race winless streak.

    But Truex managed to avoid that number one winless record spot by grabbing the brass ring on the road course, attaining his second career victory, his first at Sonoma, and his first of the season.

    And according to the driver of the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing, the win marks the beginning of the new winning Truex.

    “I can’t even put it into words,” Truex said in Victory Lane. “I have so many people to thank who have stuck with me.”

    “The team is just phenomenal,” Truex continued. “It feels damn good to get one finally.”

    “Today was just our day and our time,” Truex said. “Our car was flawless.”

    “We’re going to get a bunch of them now, I can tell you that much.”

    Not Surprising:  The remainder of the MWR Race team also had a good day at the race track, with Clint Bowyer, defending Sonoma winner, finishing fifth in his No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota and Brian Vickers, fresh off his sixth place Nationwide finish at Road America, finishing 13th in the No. 55 RKMotorsCharlotte.com Toyota.

    “We had a fast car all weekend long,” Bowyer said. “We got close but we pitted and nobody came with us.”

    “A long time coming for Martin and happy to see him in Victory Lane.”

    MWR driver Vickers may not have had quite the finish he wanted but he got something even more important, a ringing endorsement from his team owner Michael Waltrip after the race.

    “We want Brian Vickers to be a part of this organization in the future,” Waltrip said after the race. “He’s our guy.”

    “We’re trying to put the pieces together.”

    Surprising:  Jeff Gordon, who had an eventful day of having to overcome a pitting too early penalty, also achieved a surprising record of his own.

    This was the Gordon’s 302nd career top-five finish, breaking the tie he had for third with Hall of Fame driver David Pearson.

    “This is one of those crazy types of races where pit strategy goes all over the place and you never know what might happen,” the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet said.  “The way things have been going on the track for me haven’t been great and they way things have been going with the calls haven’t been going his (crew chief Alan Gustafson’s) way either.”

    “But wow, we finally had a race car that was fantastic,” Gordon continued. “We had a lot of fun out there.”

    This was Gordon’s 17th top-10 finish in 21 races at Sonoma.

    Not Surprising:  Carl Edwards started where he finished, third and third, in his No. 99 Aflac Ford. This was his fourth top-10 finish in nine races at Sonoma and he was officially the highest finishing Ford in the race.

    “I would have liked to have made a couple spots up,” Edwards said. “It feels weird to race that hard all day and finish in the same spot you started.”

    “That’s the true story,” Edwards continued. “It was a pretty dynamic race.”

    “Eventually we will win one of these races.”

    Even with his third place start and finish, Edwards remains in the second place in the point standings, 25 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

    Surprising:  Kurt Busch was, by his own admission, surprisingly fast both on and off the track. He endured not one but two pit road speeding penalties , and in spite of that managed to claw his way back to the fourth finishing position in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing/Sealy Chevrolet.

    “Yeah, we were fast, even on pit road, twice,” Busch said. “I messed up, flat out.”

    “I didn’t hit my tachometer right and I was speeding both times,” Busch continued. “I just put myself in a position that was poor trying to get too much on pit road.”

    “But man this Furniture Row Chevy was fast.”

    Not Surprising:   Juan Pablo Montoya had a fast race car but that was not quite enough to finish the Sonoma race. The driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet needed some additional gas in his vehicle, running out on the last lap and dropping from the front of the field to a 34th place finish.

    “It’s just heartbreak,” Montoya said. “Our Target Chevy was really good today.”

    “You’ve got to defend them in the way they do the fuel calculations,” Montoya continued. “It should have been a little smarter.”

    “We’ve got tools to prevent things like that from happening.”

    Surprising:  Kyle Busch, who finished 35th in his No. 18 M&Ms Toyota after contact with both Montoya and Edwards sent him spinning, took to Twitter to battle those who were criticizing him.

    His first tweet of “Awww. My heart melts for @jpmontoya who ran out of gas. Only thing I got for Carl is “aww crap,” sent the tweet war off and running with some of his followers.

    After a few barbs back and forth, however, Busch showed his more jovial side, ending the Twitter visit with “Brought to u in part by mms. LOL” in response to this tweet @queers4gears: Does @KyleBusch’s twitter feed come with popcorn? #Entertainment.

    Not Surprising:  Most likely the two most disappointed drivers at Sonoma were those that started on the front row. Jamie McMurray had a great pole run only to finish 25th due to a flat tire and damage, while Marcos Ambrose, who had tested at Sonoma and qualified on the outside pole, salvaged a seventh place finish.

    “It’s OK,” the driver of the No. 9 Stanley Ford said. “We got a top-10 out of it.”

    “The weather cooled down and lot and we just didn’t anticipate that when we set the car up,” Ambrose continued. “Of course I wanted to win but that’s the way it goes.”

    Surprising:  There were two surprising engine issues right at the start in the race. Bobby Labonte, in the No. 47 Kingsford Toyota, did not even make a lap before his engine expired.

    Joining him was Jacques Villeneuve, who made it to Lap 19 before having his No. 51 Tag Heuer Avant-Garde Eyewear Chevrolet pushed into the garage with gear and engine woes.

    Not Surprising:  While Danica Patrick supposed that she was comfortable at Sonoma in that she at least knew where the ladies’ restrooms were, she finished a very uncomfortable 29th in her No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet.

    “It was a long day – a long weekend,” Patrick said. “We just couldn’t get the car to the point where I was comfortable with it.”

    “Having the cut tire and going into the tire barrier was just sort of salt in the wound,” Patrick continued. “Hopefully we have a better weekend next week at Kentucky.”

    Surprising:  Rookie Paulie Harraka, attempting his first Cup start in his No. 52 Hasa Pool Products Ford, had a surprisingly difficult start to the race, wrecking as the cars went out on track for the pace laps.

    “I don’t know what to say except that stuff happens,” Harraka said. “Somebody two cars ahead of me decided to stop in the go lane and why he did that I have absolutely no idea, but these cars don’t stop very well on the wet asphalt.”

    “Sometimes crazy stuff happens.”

    Not Surprising:  While Dale Earnhardt Jr. may not have scored a top-ten finish, he was still smiling after Sonoma with a 12th place finish at a road course which admittedly is not his forte.

    “It was a pretty good day,” the driver of the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet said. “This is definitely my worst race track, my least favorite track.”

    “We will take a top-15 here any week.”