2011 Toyota/Save Mart 350
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report
| Type = NAS
| Race Name = Toyota/Save Mart 350
| Details ref = {{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/racing/schedule/_/year/2011 |title=Sprint Cup Series Schedule |location=ESPN |access-date=21 June 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120034554/http://espn.go.com/racing/schedule/_/year/2011 |archive-date=20 January 2012 }}{{cite web|title=The Toyota/Save Mart 350|url=http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nas/38146/229/the-toyotasave-mart-350|work=21 June 2011|publisher=Rotoworld.com|access-date=24 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623043714/http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nas/38146/229/the-toyotasave-mart-350|archive-date=23 June 2011|url-status=dead}}
| Fulldate = {{Start date|2011|06|26}}
| Year = 2011
| Race_No = 16
| Season_No = 36
| Image = 2011_Toyota-Save_Mart_350_program_cover.jpeg
| Caption = The 2011 Toyota/Save Mart 350 program cover, featuring Marcos Ambrose at the front. Artwork by David Grandin.
| Official name = Toyota/Save Mart 350
| Location = Infineon Raceway Sonoma, California
| Course_mi = 1.99
| Course_km = 3.2
| Distance_laps = 110
| Distance_mi = 220
| Distance_km = 350
| Weather = Sunny with a high around 81; wind out of the SW at 13 mph.
| Avg = {{convert|75.432|mi/h}}
| Pole_Driver = Joey Logano
| Pole_Team = Joe Gibbs Racing
| Pole_Time = 1:16.82
| Most_Driver = Kurt Busch
| Most_Team = Penske Racing
| Most_laps = 75
| Car = 22
| First_Driver = Kurt Busch
| First_Team = Penske Racing
| Network = Turner Network Television
| Announcers = Adam Alexander, Wally Dallenbach Jr. and Kyle Petty
}}
The 2011 Toyota/Save Mart 350 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on June 26, 2011, at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Contested over 110 laps, it was the sixteenth race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season and the first of two road course competitions on the schedule. The race was won by Kurt Busch for the Penske Racing team. Jeff Gordon finished second, and Carl Edwards clinched third.
There were five cautions and 13 lead changes among 9 different drivers throughout the course of the race, Kurt Busch's first win of the season. The result moved Kurt Busch to the fourth position in the Drivers' Championship. He remained 34 points behind first place driver Edwards and three ahead of Kyle Busch in seventh. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 108 points, 15 points ahead Ford and 24 ahead of Toyota. Dodge was fourth on 67 points with 20 races remaining in the season.
Report
=Background=
Prior to the race, Carl Edwards led the Drivers' Championship with 532 points, and Kevin Harvick stood in second with 512 points. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was third in the Drivers' Championship with 505 points in a Chevrolet, Kyle Busch was fourth with 503 points, and Jimmie Johnson was in fifth also with 503 points.{{cite web|title=Driver's Championship Classification|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/15/data/standings_official.html|location=NASCAR.com|access-date=21 June 2011}} In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet was leading with 102 points, 13 points ahead of Ford. Toyota, with 81 points, was 23 ahead of Dodge in the battle for third.{{cite web|title=Manufactures' Championship Classification|url=http://www.jayski.com/stats/2011/manu2011.htm|location=Jaski.com|access-date=21 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616013427/http://www.jayski.com/stats/2011/manu2011.htm|archive-date=16 June 2011|url-status=dead}}
File:Infineon (Sears Point) with emphasis on NASCAR track.svg used by NASCAR for this race.]]
Infineon Raceway is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International. The standard road course at Infineon Raceway is a 12-turn course that is {{convert|2.52|mi|km}} long;{{cite web|title=Sears Point|url=http://www.gt-racing.co.uk/circuits/northamerica/searspoint.html|publisher=www.gt-racing.co.uk|access-date=21 June 2011}} the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6, shortening the course to {{convert|1.95|mi|km}}. The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout.{{cite web|title=Passing is tough in Chute|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1998/06/28/oth_232051.shtml|publisher=The Augusta Chronicle|access-date=21 June 2011|date=28 June 1998| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110607182441/http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1998/06/28/oth_232051.shtml| archive-date= 7 June 2011 | url-status= live}} In 2001, it was replaced with a 70-degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of {{convert|1.99|mi|km}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.racingwest.com/news/story.php3/2094/index.htm |title=Sears Point Breaks Ground On Modified Chute |publisher=Racingwest.com |access-date=21 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929002246/http://www.racingwest.com/news/story.php3/2094/index.htm |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |url-status=dead }}
| class="wikitable"
|+Entry list !# !Driver !Team !Make !Sponsor |
| 00 |
| 1 |
| 2 |
| 4 |
| 5 |
| 6
|Ford |UPS "We Love Logistics" |
| 7 |
| 9
|Ford |
| 11 |
| 13 |
| 14 |
| 16
|Ford |3M |
| 17
|Ford |
| 18 |
| 20 |
| 22 |
| 24 |
| 27 |
| 29 |
| 31 |
| 32
|Ford |
| 33 |
| 34
|Ford |
| 36 |
| 37
|Ford |
| 38
|Ford |
| 39 |
| 42 |
| 43
|Ford |
| 46 |
| 47 |
| 48 |
| 51 |
| 56 |
| 60 |
| 66 |
| 71
|Ford |
| 77 |
| 81 |
| 83 |
| 87 |
| 88 |
| 99
|Ford |
=Practice and qualifying=
File:Joey Logano (4722352284).jpg became the youngest pole sitter in a Cup Series road course race.]]
Three practice sessions were held before the Sunday race—one on Friday, and two on Saturday. The first session lasted 90 minutes. The Saturday afternoon session lasted 45 minutes, and the evening session lasted 75 minutes.{{cite web |url=http://www.jayski.com/news/races/2011/story?id=6457457#prac |title=Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site - Race Info Page |website=www.jayski.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623022843/http://jayski.com/news/races/2011/story?id=6457457 |archive-date=2011-06-23}} In the first practice session, Kurt Busch was the quickest, leading Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr., who were in second, third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.{{cite web|title=Practice 1 Results|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/16/data/practice1_speeds.html|access-date=24 June 2011|location=NASCAR}} During qualifying, forty-four cars were entered, but only forty-three were able to race because of NASCAR's qualifying procedure.{{cite web|title=Qualifying Order|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/16/data/qual_order.html|access-date=24 June 2011|location=NASCAR}} Joey Logano clinched his second career pole position, with a time of 1:16.82.{{cite web|title=Qualifying Results (Race Lineup)|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/16/data/lineup.html|location=NASCAR|access-date=25 June 2011}} He was joined on the front row of the grid by Jamie McMurray. Paul Menard qualified third, Hamlin took fourth, and Ryan Newman started fifth. The driver that failed to qualify was Tony Ave.
In the second practice session, McMurray was the fastest with a fastest lap time of 1:17.62, less than two-tenths of a second quicker than second-placed Kurt Busch.{{cite web|title=Second Practice Session Results|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/16/data/practice2_speeds.html|location=NASCAR|access-date=25 June 2011}} Clint Bowyer took third place, ahead of fourth-placed Kyle Busch and A. J. Allmendinger. The Saturday evening session was held around the same time of day the race would start.{{cite web|title=Third Practice Session Results|url=http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2011/16/data/practice3_speeds.html|location=NASCAR|access-date=25 June 2011}} Brad Keselowski was the quickest, posting a time of 1:18.10, narrowly faster than both McMurray in second and Kurt Busch in third. Juan Pablo Montoya and Bowyer, rounded out the top five positions.
Results
=Qualifying=
=Race results=
File:Kurt Busch Richmond 2010.jpg won the race.]]
Standings after the race
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Drivers' Championship standings
| class="sortable wikitable " style="font-size: 95%;" |
| Pos
! Driver ! Points |
|---|
| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| 573 |
| 2
| style="text-align:center;"| 548 |
| 3
| style="text-align:center;"| 540 |
| 4
| style="text-align:center;"| 539 |
| 5
| style="text-align:center;"| 536 |
{{col-2}}
;Manufacturers' Championship standings
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| Pos
! Manufacturer ! Points |
|---|
| 1
| style="text-align:right;"| 108 |
| 2
| Ford | style="text-align:right;"| 93 |
| 3
| Toyota | style="text-align:right;"| 84 |
| 4
| Dodge | style="text-align:right;"| 67 |
- Note: Only the top five positions are included for the driver standings.
{{col-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{NASCAR next race
| Season = 2011
| Series = Sprint Cup Series
| Previous_race = 2011 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400
| Next_race = 2011 Coke Zero 400
}}
{{2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup |state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:2011 Toyota Save Mart 350}}