Chase Briscoe finished second in the Sonoma Cup Series on June 28, just 0.357s behind winner Shane van Gisbergen.
What happened?
Van Gisbergen led 74 of the 110 laps to secure his eighth Cup Series victory.
The final laps
Briscoe closed within one foot of van Gisbergen's bumper in the hairpin on the final circuit but couldn't get close enough to make a move for the win.
Briscoe might have overtaken van Gisbergen had he not slipped in Turn 1 with four laps left, costing him a second.
Post-race reaction
Briscoe said he was frustrated with himself, feeling he had the better car but didn't drive as well as van Gisbergen.
Van Gisbergen's win was his second of the season and second straight at Sonoma, tying NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart for second-most road course wins.
The victory helped van Gisbergen assuage the frustration of last Sunday's race, where he was eliminated in a multicar wreck 32 laps into the contest.
Looking ahead
Briscoe's strong performance at Sonoma will be a confidence booster as he heads into the next Cup Series event.
Ty Gibbs finished third after winning Stage 1 and Stage 2, while Kyle Larson ran a consistent race to finish fourth.
Christopher Bell came home fifth despite managing a broken wrist, and Ryan Blaney finished sixth.
The Sonoma Cup Series was the opening race of the Cup Series' In-Season Challenge, with van Gisbergen advancing to the next round.