Martin Truex Jr. and team NO. 78 played a gamble late in Sunday’s Toyota Savemart 350 that would pay off in end and Truex would go onto win,
Sunday marked Truex Jr.’s second career win at Sonoma Raceway and his third win of the 2018 season. Driver NO. 78 also won here at Sonoma in 2013.
Kevin Harvick, who won here in 2018 finished in second. Clint Bowyer in third, Chase Elliott in fourth and Kyle Busch rounding out the top five.
The winning move for the NO. 78 team came when the pit crew positioned for their driver Martin Truex Jr. to come in and pit for a final stop on lap 73 of the 110 lap race. This would lead Kevin Harvick and the NO. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford to come to pit road. Harvick was leading over Martin Truex Jr. at the time.
Driver NO. 4 brought his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in for tires and fuel, while Truex Jr. stayed out for the next seven laps. When Truex Jr. would pit he would have much fresher tires than Harvick.
The 110 lap race had only one caution that came when race favorite AJ Allmendinger exited the race on lap 33 when he missed a shift and blew up his engine. NO. 47 led five laps that came at laps 23-27. Allmendinger would also win the first stage.
In the 110 lap race at Sonoma Raceway, the race would feature seven different race leaders.
Stage 1 Winner: AJ Allmendinger
Stage 2 Winner: Denny Hamlin
Stage 3 Winner/Race Winner: Martin Truex Jr.
Next Race: Overton’s 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday, July 1 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on NBCSN.
About Me: Hi, my name is Matthew I'm 17 from Charlotte, NC. Racing has been something that has interested me my whole life. As a kid my dad would always take me to each of the Charlotte races and the adrenaline you get watching NASCAR's best drivers go around is one like no other. My goal as a writer is to give you the best information possible.
Twitter: mjackson1224
- NCS: Denny Hamlin wins Bristol Spring race over Truex Jr. - March 17, 2024
- NCS: Kyle Larson outlasts Tyler Reddick to win at Las Vegas - March 3, 2024
- NCS: Daniel Suarez wins Atlanta Cup Series race in photo finish - February 25, 2024