NASCAR Cup Series

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 78 Furniture Row / Denver Mattress Toyota Camry, Furniture Row Racing - Starting Position: 3rd - How did your qualifying run go today? "It definitely hurt the tires to make an extra lap in the first round. I just didn’t get it all the first time — tried to save a little bit of tire. But if you don’t push it 100 percent here you lose a lot of time."

Kyle Larson drove his No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS to the top spot in qualifying for the Toyota/SaveMart 350 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Sonoma Raceway with a fast lap of 75.177 seconds, 95.295 mph. His Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) teammate, Jamie McMurray, was right behind and placed his No. 1 Cessna Chevrolet SS in the second spot to give CGR and Team Chevy a front row-qualifying sweep for Sunday’s race.

Despite a botched entry into the final turn, Kyle Larson won the pole for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 after posting the fastest time in the final round of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Sonoma Raceway.

DANICA PATRICK, No. 10 Code 3 Associates Ford Fusion (Qualified 6th) “We haven’t exactly been sixth all season so this is good. It is really nice to do well for Code 3 here. The cars have really improved in the last few years on road courses from when I first came to the team. The guys do a good job giving us something we can hit curbs with and be aggressive."

KYLE LARSON, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET SS – POLE WINNER - DID YOU THINK YOU THREW AWAY YOUR LAP IN A WHEEL HOP? “The whole lap actually felt pretty bad. I messed up into (Turn) 1 and into (Turn) 2 and was out a little bit too far. Yeah, I felt like I gave up enough there that I wouldn’t have a shot at the pole. I thought maybe I’d maintain and run about the same lap time as the previous run.

With the 2017 season nearing the halfway mark and Dale Earnhardt Jr. retiring at the end of it, the retirement gifts for NASCAR's favorite driver will come in greater frequency if past history is any indicator.

Kyle Larson topped the chart in final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Sonoma Raceway.

Martin Truex Jr. topped the chart in first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Sonoma Raceway.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 78 Furniture Row Toyota Camry, Furniture Row Racing - What's your approach to the season’s first road course race here at Sonoma this weekend? "I'm looking forward to the weekend. I really enjoy road course racing. I always have. So obviously it's been a good season, like you said, a lot of stage wins, and I think it's been going well for us. Just hoping to come in here and continue that and maybe get our first road course win as a group and my second as a driver. It would be awesome."

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS, met with members of the media at Sonoma Raceway and discussed making his final start at Sonoma as a full-time Cup Series driver, his potential future in the broadcast booth, his thoughts about competing at Daytona next weekend and many other topics.