NASCAR at Sonoma race, results, highlights: Kyle Larson wins second straight at Toyota Save Mart 350

Kyle Larson on Sunday became the first NASCAR Cup Series driver to win consecutive races in 2021, and it couldn’t have come at a better track.

The Elk Grove, Calif., native won his first ever race at Sonoma Raceway, winning all three stages at the Toyota Save Mart 350. It was his second straight race winning every stage (winning all four stages at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend.

And, for the second straight week, Chase Elliott came in second place behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate. Elliott, winner of five of NASCAR’s live six road course races, gave Larson a good run in the overtime period (more on that later). But he couldn’t close the gap on the lap’s final race. Another interesting tidbit: That finish gave Team Hendrick its fourth straight race (!) with the top two drivers.

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As for the overtime period: A relatively clean race devolved into a debris- and dust-filled affair, with four cautions in the final 19 laps. The last occurred with three laps remaining (immediately after coming out of a caution) to send the race to overtime.

Martin Truex Jr., the two-time defending champion at Sonoma, finished third behind the Hendrick teammates.

Sporting News tracked updates and highlights at Sonoma Raceway for the Toyota Save Mart 350:

NASCAR at Sonoma live updates, highlights from Toyota Save Mart 350

This section will be updated closer to the waving of the green flag.

7:30 p.m.: Also: Hendrick Motorsports tied a NASCAR record from the 1950s with four straight races with the top two drivers. Good week of racing from that team.

7:28 p.m.: Larson wins! That’s his second straight victory and, counting race wins, his seventh straight stage win. And the Elk Grove, Calif., native won on his home track, too.

Your (unofficial) top 10:

1. Kyle Larson
2. Chase Elliott
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Joey Logano
5. Kyle Busch
6. Kurt Busch
7. Ross Chastain
8. Denny Hamlin
9. Alex Bowman
10. Ryan Blaney

7:27 p.m.: Larson pulling away in the last lap. We might see an identical top-two finish from last week.

7:26 p.m.: They make the white flag. Last lap.

7:25 p.m.: Elliott’s right on Larson’s tail, but the latter is taking tight turns to keep his pursuer from taking over the top spot.

7:24 p.m.: Here comes the green-and-white checkered flag.

7:19 p.m.: Top 10 heading into overtime:

1. Kyle Larosn
2. Chase Elliott
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Joey Logano
5. Kyle Busch
6. Ross Chastain
7. Kurt Busch
8. Daniel Suarez
9. Michael McDowell
10. Denny Hamlin

7:16 p.m.: Caution 8 (Lap 87). Bowman, Bell and Alfredo are involved in a brief pileup. Only Alfredo was left behind. I believe we’re heading to overtime.

7:14 p.m.: Only three laps left once we come out of caution. Your top 10:

1. Kyle Larosn
2. Chase Elliott
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Joey Logano
5. Kyle Busch
6. Ross Chastain
7. Kurt Busch
8. Daniel Suarez
9. Christopher Bell
10. Anthony Alfredo

7:09 p.m.: Caution 7 (Lap 85). Here’s our seventh caution; looks like DiBenedetto, Ryan Preece and Cody Ware were involved in a crash.

Preece got turned after contact with DiBenedetto; as he got back on track, Ware contacted him, Lots of dust and debris. Preece and Ware definitely got the worst of it: Ware’s day is done, but Preece at least is able to drive into pit row.

7:02 p.m.: Davison went off course, but no caution. Nine laps remain.

7 p.m.: Larson has nearly a two-second lead on Elliott with 10 laps remaining. That could very well be your top two by the time this is said and done.

6:56 p.m.: Only 12 laps left. Seems kinda silly to list the entire top 10 with how well Larson (the leader) has raced today.

6:53 p.m.: Byron was involved in the crash as well. His day is done.

6:50 p.m.: Wallace gets the free pass and is now back on the lead lap.

6:48 p.m.: Caution 6 (Lap 76). Looks like a few racers are involved in a crash on Turn 11; LaJoie cuts off Chastain, causing him to break — Harvick got the worst of it, hitting Chastain’s rear and suffering significant damage to his car.

6:47 p.m.: Larson, with a fresh set of tires, takes the lead back. He moved up five spots in just two laps.

6:44p.m.: Your top 10 on the restart (only 16 laps remain):

1. Joey Logano
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Tyler Reddick
4. Corey LaJoie
5. Anthony Alfredo
6. Kyle Larson
7. Martin Truex Jr.
8. Chase Elliott
9. Kyle Busch
10. Kurt Busch

6:41 p.m.: It looks like all but two cars entered to pit (and those at the back). Might be the last time.

6:35 p.m.: Caution 5 (Lap 71). It looks like Quin Hoff’s brakes locked up.

6:31 p.m.: Guess who’s leading again? Only 21 laps remain.

6:27 p.m.: Now Kyle Busch leads with 24 laps remaining.

6:23 p.m.: Another round of pits leaves Logano as your leader, for now. Kyle and Kurt Busch follow in second and third, respectively. Keselowski and Reddick make up the top five with 26 laps remaining.

6:21 p.m.: Elliott’s on pit road. Only 28 laps remain.

6:14 p.m.: Truex overtakes Elliott for second place behind Larson. The usual suspects making up the top three right now.

6:11 p.m.: And Larson takes the lead from Elliott with 33 laps remaining!

6:04 p.m.: You can never count Larson out, it seems (he’s actually up to second as of the time of this update).

5:56 p.m.: And there’s Elliott in the lead!

5:48 p.m.: Kurt Busch, Elliott, Byron, Kyle Busch and Keselowski make up your top five heading into the final stage. Only 45 laps remaining.

5:47 p.m.: More bad news for Wallace. He was down a lap when he pitted for his flat tire and, because he entered pit row when it was closed, is ineligible to get a free pass under the caution.

5:36 p.m.: Caution 4 (Lap 40). And there’s the second stage in the books. Larson wins his sixth straight stage, giving him a NASCAR-leading 11 on the season.

The full top 10:

1. Kyle Larson
2. Joey Logano
3. Alex Bowman
4. Kurt Busch
5. Chase Elliott
6. WIlliam Byron
7. Kyle Busch
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Denny Hamlin
10. Christopher Bell

5:34 p.m.: Bad luck for Bubba Wallace, who got a flat on his rear left tire after driving into the top 10. It looked as if he might have lost some rubber, but it appears the caution won’t come out on the final lap of the stage.

5:31 p.m.: Curious interaction from Elliott and Byron.

5:24 p.m.: Your top 10 drivers coming out of the caution with six laps remaining in the stage:

1. Kyle Larson
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Ross Chastain
4. Joey Logano
5. Alex Bowman
6. Erik Jones
7. Ryan Preece
8. Chase Briscoe
9. Corey LaJoie
10. Daniel Suarez

5:16 p.m.: Caution 3 (Lap 31). Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s off the course just after the starting line, into the grass. He seems to have sustained some damage and is driving on a flat front-right tire. He also hit the barrier, which might require some work.

5:13 p.m.: And now Byron is your leader halfway through Stage 2.

5:12 p.m.: Bowman and Reddick are out here playing bumper cars.

5:05 p.m.: Your top 10 coming out of caution:

1. Kurt Busch
2. Matt DiBendetto
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Ryan Blaney
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Christopher Bell
7. Cole Custer
8. William Byron
9. Aric Almirola
10. Ross Chastain

4:58 p.m.: Interesting. Kurt Busch and DiBenedetto didn’t pit under the caution; they’re now your top two racers coming out of the caution, respectively.

4:52 p.m.: Caution 2 (Lap 20). Surprise, Larson wins another stage. He’s first after 20 laps at Sonoma. The entire top 10:

1. Kyle Larson
2. Chase Elliott
3. Kyle Busch
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Alex Bowman
6. Austin Dillon
7. Tyler Reddick
8. Kurt Busch
9. Matt DiBenedetto
10. Erik Jones

4:39 p.m.: Larson and Elliott retake the top two spots, followed by Byron, Kyle Busch and Truex in the top five.

4:34 p.m.: This nifty move helped Hamlin take the lead heading into the competition caution:

4:31 p.m.: Caution 1 (Lap 10). And there’s the competition caution. Denny Hamlin has assumed the lead following several pits. He’s followed by Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney and Cole Custer in the top five. Larson falls to six, followed by Chase Elliott, James Davison, WIlliam Byron and Kyle Busch in the top 10.

4:24 p.m.: That’s a slightly sharper turn than drivers are typically used to:

4:19 p.m.: Kyle Larson is picking up right where he left off, leading each of the first five laps from Sonoma.

4:14 p.m.: And there they go!

4:08 p.m.: Anthony Alfredo (body panel infraction, crew chief ejected) and Scott Heckert (unapproved adjustments) have been moved to the back of the lineup.

4:06 p.m.: Nice energy from the 49ers head coach:

4:04 p.m.: Sunday’s 90-lap, 226.8-mile race will have three stages, concluding at 20, 40 and 90 laps. There’s also a 10-lap competition caution.

3:53 p.m.: NASCAR, wine and Guy Fieri, that’s what California does.

NASCAR start time today

The green flag for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., is scheduled to wave at 4:14 p.m. ET.

Drivers can expect to race in good weather. The National Weather Service forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s at the road course. Wind could become an issue with gusts up to 32 mph possible.

NASCAR starting lineup at Sonoma

Here is the complete NASCAR starting lineup for Sunday’s race at Sonoma Raceway, the Toyota Save Mart 350: