#NASCAR Weekend Recap for Sonoma & Mid-Ohio

Winners: Kyle Larson (Cup); AJ Allmendinger (Xfinity); Ty Gibbs (ARCA East); Chase Briscoe (ARCA West)

Sonoma Raceway

NASCAR Cup

Kyle Larson Sweeps His Second-Straight Race

 

Score another sweep for Kyle Larson, who dominated an action-filled Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

 

Through a spate of late accidents and restarts, Larson held off Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott and three-time Sonoma winner Martin Truex Jr. to claim a second-straight race in which he also swept both the first and second stages.

 

The victory was Larson’s first at the 2.52-mile road course, his third of the season and the ninth of his career. It was the fourth straight 1-2 finish for Hendrick Motorsports and the first time since 2014 that HMS has posted four-straight wins.

 

The victory was the 270th for Hendrick, extending the record the organization broke last Sunday.

 

“It was not easy,” said Larson, who grew up in nearby Elk Grove, Calif. “Just keeping it on the track is tough, especially when you’ve got two of the best behind you on the last restart.”

 

“I felt like I did a good job on the (restart) before and was able to stretch it out a little bit,” Larson said. “I didn’t want to give it another try at it, but (Chase) kept the pressure on. Martin was strong, too."

 

Nothing beats that race-winning moment! ✊@KyleLarsonRacin | https://t.co/c8UD8QZ9FE pic.twitter.com/oS6IwBAAGe

— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) June 7, 2021

 

Arca West

Chase Briscoe Dominates For First West Series Win

Chase Briscoe entered Saturday’s General Tire 200 at Sonoma Raceway for the ARCA Menards Series West primarily because the NASCAR Cup Series regular needed practice for Sunday’s Toyota / Save Mart 350 on a track at which he had never raced.

 

The 26-year-old indeed logged plenty of repetitions on the 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course as he led every lap of the second West Series race of the 2021 season.

 

Driving the No. 14 Huffy-Parker Boats Ford, Briscoe, the 2016 ARCA Menards Series champion, picked up his first West win in his fourth series start. He also started three West Series races in 2013.

 

For Briscoe, though, the General Tire 200 was all about preparation for Sunday’s Cup Series race.

 

“It’s a really cool place,” said Briscoe of Sonoma Raceway. “I’ve never been out here. With no Cup practice or qualifying, it was kind of crucial to come run this race. I feel like I learned a lot just going out there and running 50 laps today and just learning the race track.”

 

𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧@ChaseBriscoe_14 gets his first ARCA Menards Series West victory in the @GeneralTire 200 at @RaceSonoma pic.twitter.com/M230Y8Me3V

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) June 5, 2021

 

Mid-Ohio

NASCAR Xfinity

AJ Allmendinger Rallies for Dramatic #Win

With a remarkable run from the back of the field in the final stage at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, AJ Allmendinger charged to an overtime victory in Saturday’s B&L Transport 170 and tied Marcos Ambrose for the most NASCAR Xfinity Series road course wins all-time.

 

The triumph at the home track of team owner Matt Kaulig was the fifth in the series on a road course for Allmendinger, the first two-time winner at the technical 2.258-mile, 13-turn circuit. Allmendinger went to Victory Lane in the inaugural event at the Lexington, Ohio, track in 2013.

 

After suffering a rear-of-the-field penalty for not taking the required 50 seconds on pit road under modified pit road rules, Allmendinger restarted 19th on Lap 56 of a scheduled 75 and quickly began working his way through the field.

 

“I’m not going to lie; I was a little upset,” Allmendinger said of the penalty. “But we win and lose as a team, so I was going to fight until the checkered flag flew. I knew we had the best car …"

 

“I was shocked that Cindric took the outside (on the restart) … I know these guys would do it to me, so I was barreling in there when I saw a gap, and I was going to come out on the other side clean.”

 

10th win with @KauligRacing, but it was my first W as a spotter. Got it done with @AJDinger! What an awesome day at @Mid_Ohio! 1-2 finish with @Justin_Haley_ as well! pic.twitter.com/Cs0O3Q2jTX

— Casey LaJoie (@Casey_LaJoie) June 6, 2021

 

Arca East

Ty Gibbs Extends Streak of Victories

 

One of Ty Gibbs’ streaks in the ARCA Menards Series ended Friday, when he failed to earn his sixth consecutive General Tire Pole Award and qualified second for the Dawn 150 at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course.

 

But the 18-year-old driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota extended the more important streak and won his fourth ARCA Menards Series race in a row, again in dominating fashion.

 

Gibbs has now won five of the seven races the series has contested in 2021. He took the lead at Mid-Ohio on Lap 7 and, with the exception of one lap, led the rest of the way on the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course.

 

Friday’s Dawn 150 at Mid-Ohio marked the 1,500th ARCA Menards Series race, a milestone the race winner appreciated.

 

“It means a lot to win ARCA’s 1,500th race; it’s a wonderful series,” said Gibbs. “Overall, it was a really good day. We had to fight. Had a good restart and just took off from there.”

 

THIS. pic.twitter.com/pq6SJuCJY9

— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) June 4, 2021

 

 

source: NASCAR / ARCA Media