MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
Toyota/Save Mart 350
Sonoma Raceway – Sonoma, Calif.
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Race Winner: Kevin Harvick
Age: 41
Team: No. 4 – Mobile 1 Ford
Owner: Stewart-Haas Racing
Crew Chief: Rodney Childers
IN THE WORDS OF THE WINNER – “It’s been a lot of work. A lot of guys have put in a lot of hours and it paid off. I feel like we have a lot of room to grow. For us, it’s been ok. We’ve been competitive. We just haven’t got to Victory Lane. We’ve had a couple opportunities to get there, but just came up a little short. This is worth the wait, to come to Sonoma for so many years and to win yesterday, coming back to the K&N Series (won on Saturday at Sonoma) and then come back here today, just proud of everybody."
-- Kevin Harvick
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· Kevin Harvick won the 29th annual Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) Toyota/Save Mart 350 Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. It is Harvick’s 36th win in 590 career MENCS races and his first this year. He became the 11th different winner this year and the 10th driver to punch his ticket into the 2017 MENCS playoffs, which commences in Chicago on September 17 and culminates with the Ford EcoBoost 400 Championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19.
· It is Harvick’s first win in the last 21 races. Prior to today his last win came on October 16 of last year at Kansas. It is his 10th top-10 finish in 16 races this year and his sixth in the top-5.
· It is Harvick’s first win in 17 career starts at Sonoma Raceway.
· Today’s race set new series records at Sonoma for lead changes (13) and leaders (10). The previous records were 12 (3 times, most recent in 2016) and nine (4 times, most recent in 2014), respectively.
· Clint Bowyer (second) posted his sixth top-10 finish in 16 races this year, three of which have been in the top-5. It tied for his best finish of the year as he was also second at Bristol on April 24. It was his ninth top-10 finish in 12 career MENCS races at Sonoma.
· Brad Keselowski (third) posted his 11th top-10 finish and ninth top-5 showing in 16 MENCS races this year.
· Daniel Suarez (16th) was the highest finishing rookie.
· For 2017, NASCAR has introduced a new stage format in all three national series where each race is segmented into three stages. In addition to the points awarded at the end of a race (Final Stage), points are also awarded to the top-10 finishers of the first two stages (Stage 1 & Stage 2).
· Martin Truex Jr. won Stage 1 of Sunday’s race, while Jimmie Johnson captured Stage 2.
· Kyle Larson (659) leads the 2017 point standings by 13 points over Martin Truex Jr. (646). They are followed by Kevin Harvick (548) and Kyle Busch (542).
· Ten drivers currently have qualified for the 16-driver field of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The list consists of Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon, Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick, each of whom has won at least one race this season. The Playoffs culminate with the Ford EcoBoost 400 championship finale on November 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
· Kevin Harvick has taken the checkered flag once in 16 MENCS starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That occurred in the 2014 Ford EcoBoost 400, as he earned the only Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship of his career.
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
· Rookie William Byron won the 7th annual American Ethanol E15 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Iowa Speedway on Saturday night. It is Byron’s first victory in 14 career XFINITY Series races.
· He became the third driver to lock up a spot in the 12-driver field of the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series playoffs, which culminate with the Ford EcoBoost 300 championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18.
· It is Byron’s eighth top-10 finish and fourth top-5 showing in 14 XFINITY races this year. It is his first win in any series since he captured the Ford EcoBoost 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2016.
· Byron became the youngest XFINITY Series winner at Iowa Speedway at the age of 19 years, 6 months and 26 days. The previous record was set in Erik Jones’ win last season at 20 years, 2 months and 0 days.
· Ryan Sieg (second) posted his first top-10 finish in 14 XFINITY races this year. His second-place showing marked his best in 117 career XFINITY races, surpassing a pair of third-place finishes.
· Tyler Reddick (third) accounted for his second top-10 finish in seven XFINITY races this year. It was his best finish in seven career XFINITY races.
· Ross Chastain (fourth) of Alva, Fla., posted his best showing in 87 career XFINITY Series races, surpassing a ninth-place finish at Daytona on February 21, 2015.
· Christopher Bell won Stage 1 of Saturday’s race, while Brendan Gaughan captured Stage 2.
· With one win apiece this year, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Reed and William Byron have clinched spots in the 12-driver playoff field in the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series Playoffs. The Playoffs culminate with the Ford EcoBoost 300 XFINITY Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, November 18.
· Elliott Sadler (502) leads the XFINITY Series points standings by 25 points over Justin Allgaier (477). They are followed by rookie William Byron (445).
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
· John Hunter Nemechek won the 9th annual M&M’s 200 Presented by Casey’s General Store NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Friday night at Iowa Speedway. It marked his fifth victory in 62 career Truck Series starts, his second win in nine starts this year and his second victory in-a-row.
· Nemechek joins Christopher Bell (2 wins) as the only multiple winners in the Camping World Truck Series this year.
· It was Nemechek’s fourth top-5 showing in nine races this year.
· Johnny Sauter (second) posted his eighth top-10 finish and seventh top-5 showing in nine races this year. Sauter also secured Stage 2 of the race.
· Brandon Jones (third) posted his second top-10 finish in three Truck Series races this year, while it marked his best showing of the year.
· Grant Enfinger (fourth) was the highest finishing rookie.
· Christopher Bell won Stage 1 of Friday’s race.
· Christopher Bell (2 wins), rookie Kaz Grala (1 win), Johnny Sauter (1 win) and John Hunter Nemechek (2 wins) all have qualified for the 8-driver field in the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs. The Playoffs culminate with the Ford EcoBoost 200 Camping World Truck Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday, November 17.
· Johnny Sauter (433) leads the points standings by 42 points over Christopher Bell (391). Rookie Chase Briscoe has compiled 357.
