Kevin Harvick’s strategy results in win at Sonoma Raceway

After grabbing the lead with 22 laps remaining, Harvick — doing his best to preserve his fuel and tires — was able hold off teammate Clint Bowyer to take the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway.

In securing his first NASCAR Cup victory of the season, Harvick, driving the No. 4 Ford for the Stewart-Haas Racing team, also completed a sweep of weekend racing at Sonoma.

Forgoing a pit stop late in the 110-lap race around the 1.99-mile, 11-turn road course, Harvick was counting on having enough fuel and enough solid traction in his tires to last to the end.

Crew chief Rodney Childers “kept telling me over the last 10 laps to save gas and save tires,” Harvick said.

Harvick, who led for a couple of laps mid-race before drifting back in the pack, caught a huge break when Martin Truex Jr., driving in the No. 78 Toyota for Furniture Row Racing, had to quit the race two-thirds of the way through with engine trouble.

Harvick built his lead up to a little more than eight seconds over Hamlin, driving the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Bowyer, in the No. 14 Ford, who were in a nose-to-tail chase in second.

The tandem shaved a few tenths of a second off Harvick’s advantage with four laps remaining, but Harvick was able to rebuild his lead to a little more than nine seconds entering the final lap.

Had there been any reason the race had fallen under the caution flag in the late stages, the field would have regrouped and Harvick, with his dicey fuel and tire situation, would have been in dire straits when the green flag was dropped.