Martin Truex Jr. won at Sonoma Raceway for the fourth time in his career Sunday, moving past Chase Elliott for the lead after a late-stage restart and edging out Kyle Busch for his second Cup Series victory of the season. NASCAR.
Truex, 42, confidently drove his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to another victory on the hilly course in the base of Northern California’s wine country, where he has also won in 2013, 2018 and 2019. Only Jeff Gordon has more wins ( five) at Sonoma than Truex, who earned his 33rd career Cup win and his second in the last six races after winning at Dover.
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Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Toyota Bass Pro Shops, celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota / Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 11, 2023 in Sonoma, California. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Elliott finished fifth in his return from a one-race suspension for deliberately trashing Hamlin at Charlotte. Elliott, who has missed seven races this season, twice held the lead on the final stage before Truex passed him on fresh tyres. Truex has seven top-10 finishes in his past nine races.
«Congratulations to my team,» said Truex, who finished 26th at Sonoma last year. «To be that bad last year, and to come back and do it with basically the same car, it’s unbelievable… My team is doing everything right.»
Joey Logano was third behind Busch, with Chris Buescher in fourth.
Truex and Busch, who trailed 2.979 seconds in his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, posted the 11th 1-2 finish of their long Cup careers.
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Martin Truex Jr. (19) drives during a NASCAR Cup Series car race at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 11, 2023, in Sonoma, California. (AP Photo/Darren Yamashita)
«It’s not too bad,» said Busch, who won the Cup race last week outside of St. Louis. «I wish we had a little more. I was just trying to keep it honest at the end.»
Truex appeared to be cruising to victory before polesitter Denny Hamlin spun after making contact with the wall with 19 laps to go. Hamlin’s car slid sideways across the start-finish line.
Elliott led coming out of the caution with 15 laps remaining, but Truex got up on fresh tires and reclaimed the lead for good.
«That’s why you go through years like last year,» Truex said. «You never give up and keep going.»
Tyler Reddick started second in his bid to win for the fourth time in the past six Cup Series road course races, but the Northern California-born driver steadily slipped in the standings. He returned to second place on the final stage before his pit stop, but blew a tire with 14 laps remaining.
Defending champion Daniel Suárez also struggled to advance after starting in ninth and eventually finishing 22nd.
Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Toyota Bass Pro Shops, crosses the finish line to win the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 11, 2023 in Sonoma, California. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Hamlin led the first 32 laps from the pole before Truex passed him on the second stage. The race was caution-free until lap 49, when Busch took the lead by failing to pit before Truex took it back on fresh tires with 42 laps to go.
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UNTIL NEXT TIME
After a week-long break, the Cup Series begins its 10-race run toward the playoffs on June 25 at Nashville Superspeedway.