It was both a feast and famine for Toyota at the Sonoma Raceway. Martin Truex Jr‘s stellar performance brought up the #19 driver’s 4th win on the road course. Moreover, his emphatic rally gave Toyota their second win at a road course this year, following Tyler Reddick’s COTA triumph.

Recently, the Voice of NASCAR on Fox, Mike Joy, joined host Mike Massaro in the “Cup Connection” podcast to discuss the recent happenings in NASCAR. During the conversation, Joy reflected on Ford’s dire situation with inadequate aero packages while pointing out Toyota’s outright domination at Sonoma.

The Fox commentator addressed Ford’s unstable situation. Moreover, he indirectly mentioned how wise Jimmie Johnson‘s team’s decision to switch bases from Chevrolet to the $227 billion automobile giant is. While the Toyotas put on a clinical performance at Sonoma, winning both the pole and the race, Mike Joy also pointed out the lone warrior in the Ford camp who fought relentlessly.

Mike Joy sides with the great one as Sonoma Raceway witnesses Toyota’s domination

For those who missed out on watching the race, it might be a relief knowing that several fans and experts considered it “boring.” One reason being the removal of stage cautions, which ticked off many fans. But the road course witnessed something spectacular when Toyota’s dominated the track during the first leg of the race.

The senior commentator elaborated on his point when the host asked him, “Is there realistically a gap between Ford and everybody else?” Joy stated how complex the question is and continued his response by mentioning the recent road race. “It’s hard Mike because it depends on how you measure things. Alright, let’s look at Sonoma, the most recent race. The Toyotas kicked b**t for the first third of the race and for much of that time there were 5 Toyota’s in the first 5 spots,” said Joy. 

Keeping this in mind, Jimmie Johnson’s decision to switch manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota makes sense.

Furthermore, he cited the evident weakness in the Ford camp much like the Team Penske driver Joey Logano had done earlier. Joy said, “I think the Ford teams will tell you that they are behind not so much on horsepower but in downforce and driveability and a lot of that downforce is in the underbody of the car and a lot of it is due to parts and piece that are locked in for this year.” 

READ MORE: Bubba Wallace and Ryan Blaney Join Hands to Savagely Roast Danica Patrick and Joey Logano in a Resurfaced Video—“I Thought We Were Friends!”

Joy concluded his take on the matter, wishing the Ford camp a better next season. Mike Joy’s concise summary also brought out Ford’s lone warrior who stood his ground amidst the overwhelming pressure of the Toyotas until a sloppy pit stop changed the outcome of his race.

Joy points out Front Row Motorsport’s driver’s valiant effort as he went toe-to-toe with the Toyotas

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Weeks after the defending champ and Ford driver Joey Logano disclosed the American manufacturer’s inadequacy with their aero package, senior commentator and longtime NASCAR analyst, Mike Joy resonated with similar thoughts when he also mentioned Ford’s inefficient front end and rear section being detrimental to the teams.

Though the race finished with MTJ’s Camry crossing the checkered flag first, Kyle Busch and his RCR Chevy came home second while Logano had to be content with a third. But the race itself did not have this much of a parity, and except for Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell‘s spectacular run, the Fords weren’t toward the front of the pack for most of the race.

Mentioning Michael McDowell, who put on a valiant effort amid a one-sided battle on track, Joy said, “The Chevrolets were good they were there, the Fords were kind of absent but for Michael McDowell who is a veteran road racer, came out of Open Wheel Road racing to NASCAR, has huge background there and he really carried that car.” 

WATCH THIS STORY: Dale Earnhardt Jr criticizes NASCAR’s rule change after “anticlimactic” Sonoma race 

Unfortunately, though, McDowell lost his momentum as a sloppy pit stop cost him invaluable track positions. With a lot more races coming on, will Ford steady their sails and return to their form? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.