Top Performers and Underachievers at the NASCAR weekend in Sonoma

The past weekend saw some winners and losers emerging from the races at Sonoma Raceway.

Starting with the winners, Kyle Larson had a remarkable weekend as he scored his third win of the season on Sunday at Sonoma, along with taking the points lead. Michael McDowell also had a standout performance with a runner-up finish, marking his first top-five result since winning at the Indianapolis road course last year. AJ Allmendinger finished in sixth place in the Cup race, tying his best result in the series this year. Chris Buescher finished third at Sonoma, making it the 13th consecutive time he’s placed 11th or better at a road course. Shane van Gisbergen won the Xfinity race at Sonoma for his second consecutive victory in the series.

The losers from the weekend’s racing included Denny Hamlin, whose engine blew on the second lap, resulting in a last-place finish at Sonoma for the second year in a row. As a result, he dropped from first to third in the points standings. Martin Truex Jr. was running second on the last lap when he ran out of fuel and finished 27th. Kyle Busch also faced a setback as he was racing for fifth place on the last lap when he was hit and spun, dropping seven spots to finish 12th. With 10 races left in the regular season, Busch remains outside a playoff spot. Additionally, two-time Cup champions Kyle Busch and Joey Logano also find themselves outside a playoff spot with 10 races remaining in the regular season.