The setup was the same. The machine was the same. So were the NASCAR Cup Series driver and venue.
The results for Martin Truex Jr. at Sonoma Raceway, however, were radically different.
Truex led a Toyota/Save Mart 350-high 51 laps and earned his second checkered flag of the season, rebounding from last year’s 26th-place effort at the 1.99-mile, 12-turn road course. He beat runner-up Kyle Busch by 2.979 seconds.
“Man, it just feels incredible to have a day like that and a run like that and a team like I have,” Truex told Fox Sports after climbing out the winning No. 19 Toyota. “They’re doing everything right, and it’s a lot of fun to drive these cars. To be so bad here last year and to come back and do that with the same car basically, it’s really unbelievable.”
MTJ continues to add to his legacy. @MartinTruex_Jr | @JoeGibbsRacing pic.twitter.com/ycbGXnd78U
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 12, 2023
Martin Truex Jr.: ‘Hats Off To My Team’
Truex claimed the lead for good with 14 laps to go, passing Chase Elliott, who returned after a one-race suspension for reckless driving. Along Turn 7, Elliott went too wide, opening the way for Truex to earn his 33rd career win and fourth at Sonoma. He also moved to the lead of the Cup points standings, 13 points ahead of William Byron.
“Hats off to my team,” said Truex, who snapped a 54-race winless drought at Dover on May 1. “Just proud of them. We’re having a great year. I feel really good about our team.
“This is why you go through years like we had last year. You just keep fighting. You never give up on it (and) you always believe in each other. We haven’t changed anything on our team other than parts and pieces. It’s just through a lot of hard work of a lot of people.”
Truex initially claimed the lead on Lap 33 after passing Joe Gibbs Racing garage-mate and pole-sitter Denny Hamlin, who paced the field for the opening 64 miles and earned the Stage 1 win.
Fresher tires prevail for @MartinTruex_Jr!
He’s back out front at @RaceSonoma! #ToyotaSaveMart350 pic.twitter.com/agygbMFSGJ
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 11, 2023
Kyle Busch: ‘Good Fortune For Us’
On road courses, NASCAR does not implement stage breaks, allowing teams’ strategies to play out. On Lap 50, Zane Smith’s tire rolled out of his pit-row box, triggering a caution and a flip of the field.
“We got a lucky break with a yellow (flag) with only three laps on (our) tires, so we were able to cycle to the front,” said Busch, who cruised to the Stage 2 victory. “Once we got up there, we were able to maintain pace with some of the good cars.
“Good fortune for us.”
With the Cup Series entering its version of the bye week, Busch, who was coming off a win at Gateway last Sunday and has recorded four consecutive top-seven finishes.
“I don’t know if I want an off week, let’s go,” he said. “We’re rollin’ right now, but it will be a good break for everybody to kind of regroup and refocus and set in for the last 18 (races) in a row.”
Joey Logano placed third for his best career finish at Sonoma. It was one run where the defending points champion realized “we got lucky a few times. We hung in the top five, but I wasn’t good enough to win.”
Neither was Chris Buescher, who played fourth Sunday after a P2 in 2022. With seven consecutive top-10 finishes at road courses, Buescher remains winless since the fall race at Bristol last season. While the yellow flags benefited Busch, they were frustrating to Buescher.
“Yet again, I had something fun and fast to drive,” he said. “A couple of the cautions weren’t timely for us. Still a good day. Just got to figure out how to get that win. Top 10s are great, but we have to figure out how to win one of those things.”
Like Truex did Sunday.
Spinnin’ all our favorite tracks 🎧#NASCAR | #ToyotaSaveMart350 pic.twitter.com/9V6MbRaiEL
— Sonoma Raceway (@RaceSonoma) June 12, 2023
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