Truex’s trick helps produce Sonoma win

Martin Truex Jr.’s team worked some trickery Sunday, and it helped lead to a win in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.

With 37 laps left in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event, crew chief Cole Pearn had the No. 78 crew move into position for a Truex pit stop. At that juncture, defending champion Kevin Harvick was in first place with Truex right behind in second.

Harvick took the bait and went in for a fuel and tires.

Truex, meanwhile, waited another seven laps to pit. With fresher tires, he passed Harvick for good with 19 laps to go.

The victory for Truex, who also was the Sonoma champ in 2013, was his third of the season.

Harvick finished second, with Clint Bowyer, Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch rounding out the top five, in order.

AJ Allmendinger won the first stage of the race, and Denny Hamlin took the second stage.

Truex moved from sixth to fifth in the season point standings. Kyle Busch, who has four wins, remains on top, followed in second by Harvick, who has five victories. Sixth-place Bowyer, with two victories, is the only other driver with multiple wins.

–Field Level Media