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Kyle Larson wins strategical dogfight at chaotic Sonoma
Just five days removed from the conclusion of Kyle Larson's waiver saga, it was back to business for the No. 5 team.
After officially being declared eligible for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs on Tuesday, it appeared the off-track drama surrounding Larson had no effect on his abilities behind the wheel.
Thanks to fresher tires and a car that got better on the long run, Larson maneuvered around Chris Buescher and Martin Truex Jr. in the closing laps, driving off into the California sunset at Sonoma Raceway.
The sweet taste of victory ... AND wine. pic.twitter.com/Osju9DhghD
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 9, 2024
The win is Larson's second at Sonoma and third of the 2024 season. Larson is now tied with Denny Hamlin and Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron for the most wins in 2024.
The race also brought more chaos than is usually seen in Wine Country, as the Cup Series tied the track record for cautions (nine) that was set back in 1990.
Several big crashes, such as a pileup in Turn 11 and a crash involving Austin Cindric, Noah Gragson and Michael McDowell took center stage in a race with seven cautions for cause.
Will Brown and Cam Waters, the two Australian Supercar drivers in the field, had issues, as electrical issues that plagued Brown all weekend eventually took him out of the race. Cam Waters also fell victim to mechanical issues, with Brown and Waters finishing 31st and 35th, respectively.
Joe Gibbs Racing also had a less than fortunate day at Sonoma, as Denny Hamlin, who led the regular-season points coming into the day, blew an engine on Lap 2. Hamlin finished last in Sunday's race, and drops to second in the regular-season standings after 16 races, handing the points lead to Larson.
Ty Gibbs brought out the caution flag on Lap 15, as a flat tire sent the No. 54 car into the wall and out of the race. Martin Truex was rudely greeted by Brown, as the Aussie sent Truex, the 2023 Sonoma winner, around on lap eight, relegating Truex back to 37th.
In an admirable show of perseverance, however, Truex battled all the way back to the lead with nine laps to go, getting around Chris Buescher.
Unfortunately for Truex, Larson's fresher tires prevailed, and while Truex kept Larson within shouting distance for a few laps, Larson eventually drove off.
For the second straight week in the NASCAR Cup Series, a contender fell just a few drops of gas short of making it to the finish.
While Truex didn't suffer the unimaginable heartbreak of Ryan Blaney, who ran out of gas while leading on the final lap one week ago in St. Louis, he ran out of fuel from second just a few corners short of the finish, resulting in a 27th place finish and stripping Truex of 25 valuable points.
Truex is out of gas. pic.twitter.com/Iy5qqaMcoD
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 9, 2024
Instead, it was Michael McDowell who took Truex's silver medal on Sunday, capitalizing on his fresh tires on the race's final run. Buescher finished third, while Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain rounded out the top five.
Road-course ace A.J. Allmendinger finished sixth, with Ryan Blaney making up for his St. Louis defeat by virtue of a seventh-place effort. Stage 1 winner Tyler Reddick finished eighth, with Christopher Bell and Todd Gilliland rounding out the top 10.
Other notable finishers include Kyle Busch, who spun on the final lap in 12th, 2022 Sonoma winner Daniel Suarez in 14th, pole-sitter Joey Logano in 21st, St. Louis winner Austin Cindric in 22nd and COTA winner William Byron in 30th.
More must-reads:
- Kyle Larson cements himself as 2024 NASCAR title favorite with Sonoma performance
- Martin Truex Jr. gets huge ovation for awkward reason at Sonoma
- The 'Five game-winning-drives in a season' quiz
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Austin Cindric gets tagged by Supercars Grand Final contender Chaz Mostert
A tough go of things in Austin Cindric’s first full-length Supercars race in Adelaide. He finished P23 in a somewhat disappointing result. Not only did Cindric take contact from one of the Grand Final contenders, but he then found himself smacking a tire barrier afterwards. He would finish multiple laps down in the end. Austin Cindric is not having his Shane van Gisbergen moment in Australia. What the New Zealander was able to do by winning his Cup Series debut at Chicago in 2023 remains one of the most impressive feats in motorsports this century. Supercars drivers like Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki, champions of the series, haven’t been able to replicate that result in NASCAR, either. While trying to make it to the end of the race, Cindric ran into the buzzsaw that was Chaz Mostert. The Grand Final driver was on a warpath to finish as high as he could in the standings. He managed to fly up to P2 to make the championship race going into Sunday a nail-biter with Broc Feeney, who won on Saturday. Mostert was trying to round the corner and just drove into Cindric. It appears the NASCAR driver even attempted to get out of the racing line. That did not matter. After suffering damage to his shock and then hitting the tire barrier, Austin Cindric was limping to the end. He would finish only 71 of 78 laps in the race. Meanwhile, Feeney extended his points lead with a win. He has 23 points over Mostert as the two face off on Sunday. Will Brown and Kai Allen are 76 and 88 points behind Feeney. They will need a miracle to contend with the other two Grand Final drivers. This trip is to learn, get better, and perhaps take lessons from Australia and Supercars back to the United States. However, this weekend hasn’t been the most merciful on Cindric. In the sprint race, a downpour made conditions extremely sketchy. Then, he gets hit by a championship-contender while trying to make all of the laps. So, it hasn’t been the storybook trip like some may have expected for Austin Cindric. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from Cindric in his first Supercars weekend. It is a difficult series with very talented drivers. When you see Cindric’s result, it is easy to say it’s disappointing. But Will Brown has raced three times in NASCAR, twice in Cup, once in the O’Reilly Series. He has only finished one race and that was a P31 at Sonoma with mechanical issues. Going to another country, another series, in a car you don’t know, is difficult. It doesn’t matter who you are. Even champions have issues adapting to new series. Brodie Kostecki, who has ARCA experience, finished P22 in the 2023 Indy Road Course race. I hate to belabor the point, but it reinforces the hype behind SVG. What he’s been able to do, in the time he’s been able to do it, is remarkable.
Jerry Jones claims Jets turned down absurd trade offer involving Micah Parsons, Quinnen Williams
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently revealed that he offered Micah Parsons plus a first-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for Quinnen Williams during training camp. Jerry Jones says Jets turned out incredible trade offer for Quinnen Williams “I wanted a one and Parsons for Williams,” Jones said on 103.5 The Fan. That seems like an absurd offer, but Jones left little up to interpretation. “A one and Parsons for Williams,” he repeated. Later, he added that the deal did not go through because the Jets “did not have the cap room to pay [Parsons].” Jones also said something similar to WFAA’s Ed Werder: “We tried at training camp with the Jets to basically make an exchange that was ready to go, heads up, with Quinnen and Micah and a one, and we didn’t get it done.” Parsons, of course, was instead sent to the Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Cowboys later acquired Williams before the trade deadline for a package including a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder and defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Jones has slowly revealed more and more information about the Parsons trade since it was completed. During a September radio appearances on ESPN New York, Jones said that called the Jets regarding Williams when he was shopping Parsons before the season. The Jets were not interested, he claimed, because they “didn’t have the resources to entertain [the] conversation,” similar to his pronouncement on 103.5. If true, Jets made a big mistake If Jones’ latest revelation is true, that means two things. First, he was willing to sacrifice a massive amount of value to move Parsons and acquire Williams. Second, the Jets made a huge mistake in not accepting the deal. Although Williams is an excellent defensive tackle, Parsons is undoubtedly a better and more valuable player, even at a higher price point. This year, Williams has 2.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss this season; per Pro Football Focus, he ranks fifth among interior defenders with 40 pressures but 38th with a 12.1% pass-rush win rate. Parsons, meanwhile, has 12.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, plus 67 pressures and a 24.3% pass-rush win rate, both top-three marks among NFL edge-rushers. In his career, he has averaged 0.89 sacks and one tackle for loss per game; Williams’ per-game numbers are 0.41 sacks and 0.60 tackles for loss. Those numbers may not tell the complete story of either player, but it seems like the Jets should have taken Jones’ offer. Sure, they would have had to pony up for Parsons’ mega-extension, but they were already prepared to move on from Williams. Adding an extra first-round pick on top would also give the Jets an opportunity to add another starter — if not a star — on a rookie contract. That would help to offset the financial cost of acquiring Parsons. How realistic is Jerry Jones' claim? But Jones’ words should also be taken with a grain of salt. He has spent a lot of time trying to retroactively justify trading away Parsons, especially after using some of the resulting draft capital to acquire Williams. Claiming that the Jets were not interested in Parsons and a first-rounder for Williams serves to downplay the former’s value and boost the latter’s. The idea that the Jets could not afford to pay Parsons does not hold water, either. After his extension, the All-Pro edge-rusher’s cap hit in 2025 is just $9.97M. New York certainly could have designed a similar contract structure and absorbed Perhaps the Jets didn't want to commit so much money to Parsons as they were clearly contemplating a rebuild. Parsons would still be a cornerstone for that effort, but he may not have wanted to weather any losing seasons in the hopes of a future turnaround. But again, adding another first-round pick would have accelerated that process, and a core of Parsons, cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson seems like a solid foundation for the Jets to build from. That is an expensive trio, but having elite players at three of the sport’s most important positions is a good problem to have. Instead, the Jets declined the Cowboys’ initial offer for Williams before moving him and Gardner at the deadline as part of what appears to be a full-on franchise reset.
Patrick Mahomes has blunt take on Chiefs' disappointing season
The Kansas City Chiefs couldn't secure the win on Thanksgiving, dropping to 6-6 for the season after a 31-28 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys. All of Kansas City's losses have been by just one possession, and they might not even make the playoffs now. Thursday's loss followed an epic 23-20 overtime comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Every time it looks like the Chiefs will get back on track, they take a couple of steps back. That's why, even though he still believes in this team, quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a pretty blunt way of describing how the season has gone for Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes calls out the Chiefs' inconsistency “Our ceiling is playing in the Super Bowl," Mahomes said, per Marleah Campbell of KCTV. "We can beat anybody, but we’ve shown that we can lose to anybody.” Mahomes was the only bright spot for Andy Reid's team in the loss. He completed 66.7% of his passes for 261 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, and kept extending plays and making things happen behind a banged-up and inefficient offensive line. Kansas City's playoff hopes are alive for now, but it can't afford any mistakes from now on. They will face the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos at home, and they have road games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans. Of course, facing the best defenses in the game and three divisional rivals is far from ideal, but there won't be a better way to prove that the Chiefs' dynasty is far from over.
Canadiens Calling up Engstrom Could Mean Trade Is Imminent
When the Montreal Canadiens set off for their midwestern road trip, they recalled an extra defenceman from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL). Since they have been playing with a man short on the 23-man roster, they usually do this for every road trip. The difference this time is that in the past, they would recall Marc Del Gazio; this time, however, they recalled Adam Engstrom, which raised many eyebrows and sparked much speculation about what general manager Kent Hughes has in mind. Canadiens Recall Engstrom for Western Road Trip The Canadiens recalled Engstrom for the road trip after he had a phenomenal game against the Belleville Senators, where he had a goal and four assists in a 7-2 victory. The fact that he was recalled right after his best professional game could be a sign that the Canadiens wanted to reward him for his play, but it could also have a deeper meaning. As mentioned earlier, the Habs usually recall Del Gazio for road trips as the seventh defenceman; this has happened twice before. The fact that they promoted Engstrom and then played him in the first game after his recall could mean they want to showcase him to other teams and maybe have him available for a trade. Engstrom played in the first game on the trip against the Utah Mammoth and played well. Nothing exciting, but he didn’t look out of place, with one shot and just under 11 minutes of ice time, while replacing Arber Xhekaj, who was a healthy scratch. With the team extending Mike Matheson for five years at $30 million, they have created a logjam on defence with an overabundance of talented defencemen fighting for spots in Montreal. Recalling and playing Engstrom can be seen in two ways: showcasing him to other teams or assessing how he fits into the Canadiens’ system and where he should be in the lineup. Given that, until 2031, the top three spots will be Matheson, Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson, it might be hard for an offence-skilled playmaker like Engstrom to get the ice time he needs to succeed in Montreal. Canadiens Involved in Many Trade Rumours When the Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 at the Bell Centre, there were many scouts in attendance, mainly from the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues. This makes sense, knowing that the Habs are connected to a few players from both teams in trade rumours. The Blues are reportedly shopping Jordan Kyrou, who Montreal had interest in before the season started. The Predators have been rumoured to be looking to move centers Steve Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly as they try to clear up cap space. Since the Canadiens already made a trade with the Blues for Zachary Bolduc, trading for Kyrou seems a bit redundant, considering they are both wingers. Trading for Stamkos or O’Reilly makes more sense since the Habs are still trying to fill their number two center void, and both players could fit in there for the short term. Engstrom could be part of any deal for any of those players; the asking price for O’Reilly has been reported as a first-round pick and a top prospect. If Engstrom falls into that category, he could be part of a deal for O’Reilly. Playing him in Montreal could also show they are willing to move on from one of their other defencemen, such as Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, or injury-prone Kaiden Guhle. The Candiens also have many defencemen in their system that project to be NHL players, like David Reinbacher, William Trudeau, Bogdan Konyushkov, Owen Protz and Bryce Pickford. The team is left-handed heavy, and moving a left-handed defenceman makes the most sense, plus it’s a move from a position of strength. Canadiens fans shouldn’t be shocked if the Habs move a young defender and pick up a coveted second-line center by the Christmas deadline of Dec. 20. The question is, who will it be? Let me know your thoughts.
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