sonoma 11

With tight racing conditions creating some hard racing and fuel strategies often mixing up the field, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA becomes one of the season’s most intense battles.

Hamlin started in the fourth position and quickly ascended to the front of the field to take the lead from his teammate Joey Logano on lap 6. Hamlin would lead for seven laps before giving way to the No. 22 car of Kurt Busch. Hamlin would re-take the lead again following the first round of pit stops. The two would trade spots following a restart on lap 37 again and it appeared that the two would likely battle for the lead for much of the day. However, contact to rear of Hamlin by the No. 43 car on lap 42 would force the No. 11 Camry into the side of the 56 car. Hamlin would lose several positions on the track, but the long term impact wouldn’t be revealed until several laps later. Hamlin would report on the radio that it felt as if something had broke underneath the left rear of the car and a pit stop under caution on lap 61 would confirm his fear with a broken track bar mount that would require repairs in the garage. Hamlin would return to the track on lap 70, but his day was ruined 10 laps off the pace of the leaders. He would go on to finish 37th.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to where the season started with the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway next Saturday night, July 2. Live Coverage on TNT will start at 6:30 PM ET (race starts at 7:30 PM ET). The race will also be carried on Sirius Radio NASCAR channel 90.