SONOMA, Calif. (AP) – Martin Truex Jr. was second as the towers collapsed in Sonoma, and team leader Cole Pearn did not think they were as fast as Kevin Harvick.

Pearn told his team to prepare for a pit stop on the 73rd lap, and he told Truex by radio to bring the car.

It was a trickery.

Harvick team leader, Rodney Childers, called his driver for tires and fuel in anticipation of the stop of Truex – but Pearn's driver remained on the outside for seven rounds Furthermore. When Truex finally got stung, he got the fresh tires he needed to get past Harvick for a sweet win.

"I called him at the last second," said Pearn with a cunning smile. "As far as he knows, we were stinging, I would like to say that we are smart enough to use the codes, but we are not smart.

Truex won the NASCAR Cup Series race in Sonoma on Sunday because of this pitiful bluff, leading to his second career victory on the challenging course.

Truex easily held out against Harvick for his second win in three weeks and his third win of the season in his Toyota Furniture Row Racing. Truex led 62 laps and won 10,513 seconds.

"The last 10 laps of the race were easy," Truex said. "A little stressful, I did not expect any warning because I had a big lead, it's so complicated and technical, but when we start to take care of its equipment and that's why it's a bit too much. we have time to think, it's almost harder, can get past a corner easily. "

The defending Cup champion did not make a mistake after waiting for the 81st lap, eight laps later than Harvick's Stewart-Haas Racing. With fresh tires, Truex overtook Harvick for first place in the final hairpin turn with 19 laps to go.

"It was all Cole," Truex said. "I will do everything he wants to do, an awesome job for him today … Honestly, all you do is beg, hoping that caution does not happen and hope the engine stays together. "

Truex's victory in the constructor race was the 18th of his career. He won his second career win at Sonoma in 2013 for Michael Waltrip Racing, making him the only rider to win twice in the last decade in Sonoma.

Cup leader Harvick went to the pits shortly after Truex overtook him, but never had the caution that would have been necessary for him to catch up. Clint Bowyer was third and Chase Elliott fourth.

Truex began his racing career as a kid who runs karts on road courses, and these ongoing skills are being demonstrated. After winning at Watkins Glen last year and winning Sonoma this year, his three road race wins are second among active drivers in the four non-oval track wins of Kyle Busch, who finished fifth at Sonoma .

"I appreciate them," said Truex. "I think it's fun to do something different."

Here are some other things to know about the race in the wine country:

Bigger worries: Harvick was not sorry about the pit strategy that probably decided the race. "The call was one thing, but I think I was too hard on the car the first two stages," Harvick said. "The brake pedal was long after qualifying and never really moved during the race, it's gradually deteriorated."

CANADIAN SCARFACE: Pearn turned his head in the pit lane, even before his strategy decisions, with a vertical scar on his forehead. The team leader said that he needed stitches earlier in the week after being hit in the face by a large corner post while he was building a treehouse for his family. The shot cut his forehead up to the skull – but he returned from the hospital and finished the treehouse anyway. "I would have liked to fight a bear or a cougar, or something like that," he said.

DINGER DINGÉ: A.J. Allmendinger won the first leg and dreamed of winning a rare victory – until he missed a shift and blew his engine on the 33rd lap. Allmendinger is a remarkable road racer, but he made a key mistake. "I have not missed a shift on the road in 10 years," said Allmendinger. "It was just me, I was trying to be so patient and so sweet, it was unexpected, it's on me, I leave everyone here."

Kyle Larson finished 14th after taking the pole start for the second consecutive year on his home track in his northern California. He lost several positions early while he could not keep his back under control, but he managed to stay together for his second best performance in five Cup races on the Sonoma course. He never finished better than 12th.

RUBBIN IS NOT ALWAYS ROOT: The Sonoma race featured little contact and grinding damage that typically characterizes this 11 lap test. Truex's car was remarkably undamaged, and the only caution of the race came after Allmendinger exploded. "I think the whole field is definitely better (in the road race)," said Truex, 37. "In general, in stock-car racing, you have more experience on the road courses today than all the others, and all these kids have more experience … Also We have not had a lot of warnings and cautions. Breed precautions. Things are crazy here. "

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