Rookie Daniel Suarez fends off Truex to win Stage 2 at Watkins Glen

Suarez held the No. 78 car off by .310-seconds coming to the finish-line at Watkins Glen International on Sunday.

Matt Kenseth, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top 10.

Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray remained on the track when the leaders pitted on Lap 21. Suarez was the first car out of the pits followed by Johnson, Kenseth, Jones, Blaney, Kurt Busch, Harvick, McDowell, Hamlin, Truex, Keselowski, Austin Dillon, AJ Allmendinger, Stenhouse, Kahne, Patrick and Newman.

Matt DiBenedetto had to drop to the rear of the field for an uncontrolled tire during his pit stop.

Kyle Busch, who led the first segment, reported a loose wheel and returned to the pits.

“Come down quick,” Tony Hirschmann told Busch. Crew chief Adam Stevens told Busch he had lug nut stuck between the caliper and the wheel. Busch restarted 32nd on Lap 24.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was down a cylinder after the first stage, went to the garage before the second segment began. The team retired the No. 88 Chevy. Joey Logano restarted 22nd after issues removing the left rear tire on the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

After the first green-flag lap, Suarex passed Larson for third, Kesenth was fifth followed by Johnson, Blaney, Jones, Kurt Busch, Harvick Truex, McDowell, Hamlin, Keselowski and Allmendinger. Kyle Busch moved up to 27th and started knocking off the competition.

Larson and McMurray pitted on Lap 28. McMurray’s team had issues removing the left front tire. He dropped to 34th. Elliott extended his lead to 2.6-seconds over Suarez. Kenseth, Blaney, Jones, Truex, Johnson, Kurt Busch, Hamlin and Harvick rounded out the top 10.

Halfway through the segment, Elliott led followed by Suarez, Kenseth, Blaney, Truex, Jones, Johnson, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Harvick, Keselowski, Allmendinger, McDowell, Austin Dillon and Joey Logano.

With five laps remaining in the stage, Suarez’s lead was 0.943-seconds over Kenseth. Truex, Blaney, Jones, Hamlin, Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Harvick and Johnson rounded out the top 10. Kyle Busch passed McDowell for 12th.

Harvick pitted on Lap 37 from ninth. Johnson and McDowell also came in for service. Truex passed Kenseth for second. Blaney and Jones rounded out the top-five. Hamlin, Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Allmendinger rounded out the top 10.

Truex closed in on Suarez with two laps to go in the stage and cut the No. 19 car’s lead to 0.568-seconds.

With one lap remaining, Suarez was a mere .428-seconds ahead of Truex. He held the veteran off for the last 2.45-mile chase.