By John Schutt –
NASCAR Monster Energy Series, Toyota /Save Mart 350, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif., Sunday, June 24.
Kyle Larson in his chevy was fastest in qualifying and started on pole on this famous wine-country road course. But, it was the Toyota of Martin Truex, Jr of Joe Gibbs Racing which pulled off victory No. 3 of the season. Following in second place was Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer in third, Chase Elliott in fourth, Kyle Busch in fifth, and Kurt Busch in sixth places.
AJ Allmendinger out-drove Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson to win stage one. Truex, Jr. and Harvick took late pit stops to find better positions in the start of stage two.
AJ Allmendinger looked as if he had the car to beat, until he missed a shift on lap 33 and over-revved the engine, which caused damage and he was out of the race. Denny Hamlin won stage two over the hard-charging Chevys’ of Elliott and Johnson.
Stage three was led early on by Harvick when many others went in the pits for tires. With 15 laps to go, Cole Pearn, Truex, Jr.’s crew chief, made the call not to go to the pit, because he had a 45-second lead and would lose the lead. The plan worked and Truex, Jr. won with a comfortable 10-second lead.
NASCAR Monster Energy Series, FireKeepers Casino 400, Michigan International Speedway, Irish Hills, Mich., Sunday, June 10.
Kurt Busch earned his first pole position in many weeks, at more than 210 miles an hour.
Bowyer won the rain-shortened race, which was shortened from 200 laps to 133. In second place was Harvick, Kurt Busch in third, Kyle Busch in fourth, Paul Menard in fifth, and Keselowski in sixth places.
Ryan Blaney won stage one and Harvick won stage two with a two-tire change near the end.
In the final stage, Bowyer went in for two tires and he took the lead. Shortly after Bowyer got in front, it started to rain again and he was declared the winner.
• The next Monster Energy race will be the Overton’s 400 at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet Friday through Sunday.
