Luck and skill go a long way in a winning a NASCAR race, but on Sunday in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Speedway in California it had a lot to do with strategy.  And the strategy for Martin Truex, Jr. and his team was a bluff that gave him the lead, a huge advantage and his third win of the season.

In the final stage of the race and with Kevin Harvick in the lead, Truex's team mounted the wall as if they were ready for the Number-78 to arrive in his pit box.  Harvick's team went for the bluff and Harvick was sent onto pit road giving up the lead and surrendering it to Truex.

Truex gave up the lead eight laps later when he had to pit, but when he returned to the track he had tires that were eight laps fresher and it allowed him to chase down Harvick and Clint Bowyer and when they had to pit again during the third stage Truex stretched his lead and finished 10 and a half seconds over Harvick who finished second.

For Truex it's his third win this season, second at Sonoma and the 18th of his career.  Following Harvick, Clint Bowyer finished third with Chase Elliott and Kyle Busch completing the Top 5.

Next Sunday the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series moves on to Chicagoland Speedway.

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