By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer
There’s plenty of times in NASCAR that winning races comes down to strategy on pit road and great pit stops completed by hard-working crews.
For example, last year’s Toyota/SaveMart 350 from Sonoma Raceway proved that sometimes you have to fool the competition.
Martin Truex Jr., and crew chief Cole Pearn would do just that as the race 16th place of the reason winded down in what is vastly referred to as wine country.
Truex qualified second for the 110 lap event, finishing 11th and 17th in the first two stages but Pearn would ultimately make a brilliant call on top of the pit box on lap 73 of the final stage.
Pearn ordered the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota to pit road.
As a result of this call, Childers opted for his driver, Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 for Stewart-Hass Racing to surrender the race lead and come to the pits for service.
However, there would be a last minute change of plans that would change everything.
Pearn called off the pit stop at the last second giving his driver the race lead, while Harvick continued with his pit stop.
Truex would come down pit road on lap 81 and when Harvick came down again on lap 92 of 110, Truex was able to regain the lead.
He would continue to pray that a caution would not wave in the final laps of the event.
“All you’re doing is begging, hoping the caution doesn’t come out. Then you’d have to pit, and you don’t know what could happen. It messes the field up. Just hoping for no cautions and don’t make any mistakes and hope the engine stays together,” Truex said.
As a result of fresher tires he was able to blow by the competition. In fact Truex gave all the credit to his crew chief with having made such a bold call.
“It’s all Cole. That was amazing! I’m cool with whatever he wants to do. I tell him all the time, win, lose or draw, we do it together. I’ve got a lot of trust in him. I don’t even say anything; I just do what he wants me to do.”
The win at the time would mark the third time Truex had won in 2018 where he led 62 laps in route to his second-career victory at Sonoma.
Truex’s first win at the famed road course came back in 2013 when the veteran driver was racing the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing
Fantasy Note: Martin Truex Jr., will look to capture back-to-back wins come Sunday afternoon at Sonoma Raceway.
In 13 starts on the road course, Truex has 2 wins, 3 top-five’s, and 4 top-ten finishes with 154 laps lead.
While he’s in the No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing this season, let’s not forget he still has Cole Pearn on top of the pit box as the team goes for win number four on the season.