Sometimes in racing, it’s not all about speed and we saw that play out in action in the Sonoma race. With the race featuring eight cautions, it was just shy of breaking the record for the most number of yellow flags in a cup series at Sonoma. The last it happened was in 1990! And what’s even crazier is that all the cautions happened within the first 60 laps. This led the team to tilt their focus more on strategy than speed. 

The paddock was divided essentially into two groups based on strategy. One group decided to pit early on, and another decided to pit later. Kyle Larson was in the latter category and he decided to pit later and then ended up winning the race. But before you credit him and his team for this awesome strategy, it’s crucial to know that he wasn’t the one paving the way with this strategy. Instead it was Tyler Reddick!

Tyler Reddick paved the way for Kyle Larson to take the win!

Tyler Reddick finished eight in Sonoma. Pretty sweet if you compare it to the bizarre craziness that went on track with multiple cautions. Reddick dominated the race, leading the pack for an impressive 35 laps and even winning stage one. He waited until stage two to make his first pit stop on lap 53. Then he made the last pit stop on lap 68 just 15 laps after his first, which helped him stay competitive for the rest of the race. 

And this strategy was mirrored by Kyle Larson, except with a little tweak. Larson delayed his first stop until late in stage two, pitting on lap 52. Then he made his final pit stop at lap 80 and emerged in eighth place. But with tires 13 laps fresher than those ahead, he caught up to them quickly and secured the winning spot. Despite Reddick’s impressive performance and strategic pit stops, he couldn’t match the pace Larson set in the final laps. This leads to the question of whether Tyler Reddick would have had a better outcome had he pitted at lap 80 like Larson. 

As far as Tyler Reddick, he basically conceded his defeat! He talked to NASCAR after the race and said, “I was just stupid. I was on cold tires and it was going to be hard to hold him [ Larson] off anyway. I kind of just fell for it.” 

According to him, even though they had the same strategy as Larson, they wouldn’t have won. He said that the speed wasn’t just there and went on to say, “I didn’t have a great restart, that also played a big factor. Even when we got some clear air after we put a second set of tires on, we didn’t seem as good.” Well, he didn’t get the win. He sure did end up in an okay spot because of his and his team’s quick thinking and strategy. But the same cannot be said about another driver—who most thought will win the race.

Martin Truex Jr limping with his car at the Sonoma raceway

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There were multiple drivers whose efforts were tossed away in Sonoma. One such driver is Martin Truex Jr. He had won four times prior at the same track and everyone thought he was going to tie the record with Jeff Gordon for the most number of wins in Sonoma. However, things couldn’t have been different! 

Going into the race, he knew it was not going to be easy as the track has had a recent repave, after almost two decades. Hence, his prowess to save tires and then overtake everyone with a late pit stop didn’t matter this time. But everyone still expected him to win and end his winless streak.

But,unfortuntely, Truex Jr fuel’s tank sputtered and he was forced to limp to the checkered flag. This is the second incident in two weeks that we have seen fuel being an issue. Truex inched his way across the finish line in 27th. It was a disastrous day for him and he just blew off his chance to make it to the playoff.

What did you think about the race? Let us know!