The 2013 Toyota/Save Mart 350 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on June 23, 2013, at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, United States. Contested over 110 laps on the 1.99-mile (3.2 km) road course, it was the sixteenth race of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series championship, and the first of two road course competitions on the schedule. Martin Truex Jr. of Michael Waltrip Racing won the race, breaking a 218-race winless streak stretching back to June 2007, while Jeff Gordon finished second. Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top five. The top rookie of the race was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. who finished 27th.
Report
Background
Sonoma Raceway is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International. The standard road course at Sonoma Raceway is a 12-turn course that is long; the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6, shortening the course to . The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout. In 2001, it was replaced with a 70-degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of . Clint Bowyer was the defending race winner after winning the race in 2012.
Seven teams chose to temporarily replace their regular drivers with road course ringers. Humphrey Smith Racing chose Alex Kennedy to drive the No. 19 Toyota, while Circle Sport chose Ron Fellows to drive their No. 33 Chevrolet. Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) selected Victor Gonzalez Jr. to drive the No. 36 Chevrolet, making Gonzalez Jr. the first Caribbean driver to race in the Sprint Cup Series. TBR also chose Justin Marks to drive the No. 7. Brian Keselowski chose Drive for Diversity graduate Paulie Harraka to drive the No. 52 Ford, while NEMCO-Jay Robinson Racing selected Tomy Drissi to drive their No. 87 car, replacing Joe Nemechek. Boris Said competed during the race in the No. 32 FAS Lane Racing Ford. Jacques Villeneuve, the 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner and 1997 Formula One World Champion, was selected by Phoenix Racing to drive the No. 51 as well. Jason Bowles was tabbed by Michael Waltrip Racing to pilot the No. 55 in place of Brian Vickers in practice and qualifying due to Vickers participating in the Johnsonville Sausage 200 at Road America.
Before the race, Jimmie Johnson was leading the Drivers' Championship with 538 points, while Carl Edwards stood in second with 507 points. Bowyer followed in the third with 489, thirteen points ahead of Kevin Harvick and thirty-three ahead of Matt Kenseth in fourth and fifth. Kyle Busch, with 452, was in sixth; five ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was scored seventh. Eighth-placed Greg Biffle was thirteen points ahead of Brad Keselowski and twenty-six ahead of Tony Stewart in ninth and tenth. Paul Menard was eleventh with 415, while Kasey Kahne completed the first twelve positions with 407 points. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 107 points, fifteen points ahead of Toyota. Ford was third after recording only 79 points before the race.
For the first time, Amtrak ran a special train from Sacramento to the race on trackage that had never seen a passenger train. The train was run using Capitol Corridor equipment. 500 fans total rode the train.
Entry list (R) - Denotes rookie driver.
(i) - Denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points. DriverTeamManufacturer1Jamie McMurrayEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet2Brad KeselowskiPenske RacingFord5Kasey KahneHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet7Justin MarksTommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet9Marcos AmbroseRichard Petty MotorsportsFord10Danica Patrick (R)Stewart–Haas RacingChevrolet11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota13Casey MearsGermain RacingFord14Tony StewartStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet15Clint BowyerMichael Waltrip RacingToyota16Greg BiffleRoush Fenway RacingFord17Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (R)Roush Fenway RacingFord18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs RacingToyota19Alex KennedyHumphrey Smith RacingToyota20Matt KensethJoe Gibbs RacingToyota22Joey LoganoPenske RacingFord24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet27Paul MenardRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30David StremmeSwan RacingToyota31Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Boris SaidFAS Lane RacingFord33Ron FellowsCircle SportChevrolet34David RaganFront Row MotorsportsFord35Josh Wise (i)Front Row MotorsportsFord36Victor Gonzalez Jr.Tommy Baldwin RacingChevrolet37J. J. YeleyMax Q MotorsportsChevrolet38David GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord39Ryan NewmanStewart–Haas RacingChevrolet42Juan Pablo MontoyaEarnhardt Ganassi RacingChevrolet43Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty MotorsportsFord47Bobby LabonteJTG Daugherty RacingToyota48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet51Jacques VilleneuvePhoenix RacingChevrolet52Paulie Harraka (i)Brian Keselowski MotorsportsFord55Brian Vickers (i)Michael Waltrip RacingToyota56Martin Truex Jr.Michael Waltrip RacingToyota78Kurt BuschFurniture Row RacingChevrolet83David ReutimannBK RacingToyota87Tomy DrissiNEMCO-Jay Robinson RacingToyota88Dale Earnhardt Jr.Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet93Travis KvapilBK RacingToyota99Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice and qualifying
Two practice sessions were held on June 21 in preparation for the race. The first session was 105 minutes, while second session was 90 minutes long.
During the first practice session, Marcos Ambrose, for the Richard Petty Motorsports team, was quickest ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya in second and Casey Mears in third. Kurt Busch was scored fourth, and Jamie McMurray managed fifth. Biffle, Keselowski, Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr., and Joey Logano rounded out the top ten quickest drivers in the session. Bowyer had the quickest ten consecutive lap average with an average speed of . In the final practice session for the race, Bowyer was quickest with a time of 75.765 seconds. McMurray followed in second, ahead of Kyle Busch and Edwards in third and fourth. Montoya, who was second quickest in second practice, could only manage fifth.
Starting with this race, NASCAR changed qualifying procedures for Sprint Cup races held on the road courses. Rather than having one car attempt to qualify at a time, groups of either five or six cars were released in five-second intervals and had a five-minute time limit to complete their runs. McMurray clinched his ninth career pole position, with a lap time of 75.422 seconds and a speed of . He was joined on the front row of the grid by Ambrose. Edwards qualified third, Biffle took fourth, and Bowyer started fifth. Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Logano, Kyle Busch, and Jeff Gordon completed the first ten positions on the grid.
Qualifying order Source:
Group 1 Driver Team Manufacturer 30 David Stremme Swan Racing Company Toyota 36 Victor Gonzalez Jr. Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevy 7 Justin Marks Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevy 52 Paulie Harraka Brian Keselowski Motorsports Ford 37 J. J. Yeley Max Q Motorsports Chevy 87 Tomy Drissi NEMCO-Jay Robinson Racing Toyota
Group 2 Driver Team Manufacturer 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 32 Boris Said FAS Lane Racing Ford 83 David Reutimann BK Racing Toyota 35 Josh Wise Front Row Motorsports Ford 19 Alex Kennedy Humphrey Smith Motorsports Toyota
Group 3 Driver Team Manufacturer 33 Ron Fellows Circle Sport Chevy 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevy 55 Jason Bowles (for Brian Vickers) Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 51 Jacques Villeneuve Phoenix Racing Chevy 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevy Group 4 Driver Team Manufacturer 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevy 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevy 93 Travis Kvapil BK Racing Toyota 47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford
Group 5 Driver Team Manufacturer 39 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevy 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevy Group 6 Driver Team Manufacturer 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevy 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevy 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevy 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevy Group 7 Driver Team Manufacturer 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Ford 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 56 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 22 Joey Logano Penske Racing Ford Group 8 Driver Team Manufacturer 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevy 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Ford 78 Kurt Busch Furniture Row Racing Chevy 1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevy
Results
Qualifying Grid Driver Team Manufacturer 1 1 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 75.422 94.986 2 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 75.471 94.924 3 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 75.586 94.779 4 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 75.592 94.772 5 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 75.620 94.737 6 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75.711 94.623 7 78 Kurt Busch Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 75.750 94.574 8 22 Joey Logano Penske Racing Ford 75.788 94.527 9 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75.933 94.346 10 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75.943 94.334 11 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 76.010 94.251 12 29 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 76.039 94.215 13 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 76.039 94.215 14 56 Martin Truex Jr. Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 76.200 94.016 15 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 76.401 93.768 16 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Ford 76.464 93.691 17 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 76.465 93.690 18 2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Ford 76.470 93.684 19 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 76.471 93.683 20 47 Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota 76.483 93.668 21 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Ford 76.555 93.580 22 51 Jacques Villeneuve Phoenix Racing Chevrolet 76.576 93.554 23 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 76.592 93.535 24 32 Boris Said FAS Lane Racing Ford 76.642 93.474 25 33 Ron Fellows Circle Sport Chevrolet 76.650 93.464 26 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 76.686 93.420 27 31 Jeff Burton Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 76.784 93.301 28 30 David Stremme Swan Racing Toyota 76.819 93.258 29 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 76.829 93.246 30 39 Ryan Newman Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 76.878 93.187 31 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 76.922 93.133 32 43 Aric AlmirolaRichard Petty Motorsports Ford 77.001 93.038 33 93 Travis Kvapil BK Racing Toyota 77.169 92.835 34 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 77.224 92.769 35 35 Josh Wise Front Row Motorsports Ford 77.240 92.750 36 7 Justin Marks Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 77.360 92.606 37 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 77.445 92.504 38 83 David Reutimann BK Racing Toyota 77.590 92.331 39 19 Alex Kennedy Humphrey Smith Racing Toyota 78.271 91.528 40 52 Paulie Harraka Brian Keselowski Motorsports Ford 78.367 91.416 41 87 Tomy Drissi NEMCO-Jay Robinson Racing Toyota 79.051 90.625 42 36 Victor Gonzalez Jr. Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 43 37 J. J. YeleyTommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 80.143 89.390Source:
Race results