The 2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on June 22, 2014, at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. Contested over 110 laps on the road course, it was the 16th race of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and the first of two road course competitions on the schedule. Carl Edwards won the race, his second win of the season and first on a road course in Sprint Cup competition. Jeff Gordon finished second, while Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, and Paul Menard rounded out the top five. The top rookies of the race were Austin Dillon (17th), Cole Whitt (27th), and Kyle Larson (28th).
Report
Entry list The entry list for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 was released on Monday, June 15, 2014, at 1:03 p.m. Eastern time. Forty-three drivers were entered for the race.
Driver Team Manufacturer 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 2 Brad Keselowski (PC2) Team Penske Ford 3 Austin Dillon (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 7 Michael Annett (R) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 14 Tony Stewart (PC3) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 20 Matt Kenseth (PC5) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 23 Alex Bowman (R) BK Racing Toyota 24 Jeff Gordon (PC6) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 26 Cole Whitt (R) BK Racing Toyota 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 32 Boris Said Go FAS Racing Ford 33 Alex Kennedy Circle Sport Chevrolet 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 36 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 40 Landon Cassill (i) Circle Sport Chevrolet 41 Kurt Busch (PC4) Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 42 Kyle Larson (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 44 J. J. Yeley (i) Xxxtreme Motorsports Chevrolet 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 48 Jimmie Johnson (PC1) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 51 Justin Allgaier (R) HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 66 Tomy Drissi Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet 83 Ryan Truex (R) BK Racing Toyota 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Chevrolet 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing FordOfficial entry list Key Meaning (R) Rookie (i) Ineligible for points (PC#) Past champions provisional
Practice
First practice Kurt Busch was the fastest in the first practice session with a time of 75.039 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 75.039 95.470 2 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 75.078 95.421 3 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 75.347 95.080Official first practice results
Final practice Clint Bowyer was the fastest in the final practice session with a time of 74.634 and a speed of .
Pos Driver Team Manufacturer Time 1 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 74.634 95.988 2 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 74.981 95.544 3 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 75.043 95.465Official final practice results
Qualifying
Jamie McMurray won the pole with a new track record time of 74.354 and a speed of . "This race is about having good strategy and having a little bit of luck," McMurray said. "It's about not getting run into in Turn 4 or Turn 7 on a restart. I've run enough races here that I've had every issue you could have with running out of gas ... to getting wrecked in Turn 7 on a restart because someone from 15th dive-bombed me into the corner with no chance of making it." "Well that wasn't what we expected," Bowyer said. "We were fast all day (Friday), just didn't have enough grip and missed Turn 4. We will just have to pass a few more cars (Sunday)."
Qualifying results Pos Driver Team Manufacturer 1 1 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 74.657 74.354 2 47 A. J. Allmendinger JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet 74.539 74.557 3 42 Kyle Larson (R) Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 74.802 74.670 4 99 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Ford 74.917 74.736 5 41 Kurt Busch Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 74.554 74.856 6 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 74.813 74.894 7 31 Ryan Newman Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 74.652 74.925 8 55 Brian Vickers Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 74.751 74.958 9 27 Paul Menard Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 74.851 74.994 10 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford 74.472 75.081 11 10 Danica Patrick Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 74.711 75.083 12 13 Casey Mears Germain Racing Chevrolet 74.791 75.152 13 2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske Ford 74.924 — 14 20 Matt Kenseth Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 74.933 — 15 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 74.975 — 16 11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75.032 — 17 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75.046 — 18 78 Martin Truex Jr. Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet 75.054 — 19 16 Greg Biffle Roush Fenway Racing Ford 75.069 — 20 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota 75.112 — 21 14 Tony Stewart Stewart–Haas Racing Chevrolet 75.167 — 22 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75.176 — 23 9 Marcos Ambrose Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 75.215 — 24 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing Ford 75.303 — 25 15 Clint Bowyer Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 75.376 — 26 3 Austin Dillon (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 75.388 — 27 38 David Gilliland Front Row Motorsports Ford 75.417 — 28 95 Michael McDowell Leavine Family Racing Ford 75.433 — 29 43 Aric Almirola Richard Petty Motorsports Ford 75.492 — 30 5 Kasey Kahne Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 75.518 — 31 34 David Ragan Front Row Motorsports Ford 75.575 — 32 26 Cole Whitt (R) BK Racing Toyota 75.622 — 33 98 Josh Wise Phil Parsons Racing Chevrolet 75.755 — 34 83 Ryan Truex (R) BK Racing Toyota 75.760 — 35 51 Justin Allgaier (R) HScott Motorsports Chevrolet 75.817 — 36 33 Alex Kennedy Circle Sport Chevrolet 76.094 — 37 40 Landon Cassill Circle Sport Chevrolet 76.203 — 38 23 Alex Bowman (R) BK Racing Toyota 76.321 — 39 44 J. J. Yeley Xxxtreme Motorsports Chevrolet 76.423 — 40 36 Reed Sorenson Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 76.622 — 41 32 Boris Said Go FAS Racing Ford 76.721 — 42 7 Michael Annett (R) Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 77.632 — 43 66 Tomy Drissi Identity Ventures Racing Toyota 78.626 —Qualifying Results
Race
First half
Start
The race was scheduled to start at 3:15 p.m. Eastern time, but started seven minutes later, with Jamie McMurray leading the field to the green. A. J. Allmendinger put pressure on him for the first few laps but was unable to take the lead. Defending race winner Martin Truex Jr. made an unscheduled stop on lap seven for a vibration, while Allmendinger wrested the lead from McMurray on lap nine. Kyle Busch nicked Brad Keselowski in turn 11, which forced Keselowski down the order by 8 spots. While describing his car as "bad", Keselowski reckoned he "deserved to get spun out". Kevin Harvick took the lead from Allmendinger on lap 22, before the first caution of the race came out on lap 31 after Landon Cassill blew an engine. During pit stops under the caution, Allmendinger retook the lead. Allmendinger led the field to the green on the restart on lap 35. Casey Mears got boxed in at turn 7a and sustained heavy damage that forced him to make an unscheduled pit stop the next lap, while Kasey Kahne also sustained damage.
Second half McMurray retook the lead from Allmendinger on lap 54, before he pulled off to pit and handed the lead to Jeff Gordon. Harvick was able to take the lead from Gordon, when Gordon pitted on lap 58. The second caution of the race occurred on lap 61, as Ryan Truex stalled in the esses. Most of the cars on the lead lap stayed out, with Harvick leading the field to the restart on lap 65. Jimmie Johnson took the lead from Harvick exiting turn 4, before the third caution of the race came out on lap 71 for debris. Joey Logano stayed out during the cycle of pit stops under caution to take the lead. The race restarted on lap 75 with Clint Bowyer taking the lead from Logano, going into turn 7a. The fourth caution flew for a hard wreck in the esses. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car hopped over a curb and collided with Matt Kenseth and sent him head on into the tire barriers. He was able to extricate himself from his wrecked car.
Closing stage The race restarted on lap 80 with Bowyer leading the field but he surrendered the lead to Marcos Ambrose in turn 1. Johnson also passed Bowyer for second, going into turn 11. Bowyer was then turned around by McMurray and was then hit by Harvick. Harvick's stranded car forced the race to go under caution for the fifth time. The race restarted with 25 laps to go with Ambrose leading the way, but he lost the lead to Carl Edwards. Earnhardt Jr. pinned Allmendinger into the wall coming to the line, causing substantial damage to Allmendinger's car. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was hit by Brian Vickers to bring out the sixth caution, with 20 laps to go.
Finish The race was restarted 16 laps to go, and Edwards held off a last lap charge by Gordon to win for the first time on a road course, in NASCAR. He later described his race as "real tough", and his victory as "very special". Gordon stated that he had been "overdriving" his car, and he wished he "had just stayed smooth and stuck with it", while chasing Edwards towards the end. The victory would be the one and only road course victory Edwards would win in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Race results