Martin Truex Jr. started from below the playoff elimination line for Saturday’s Cup Series race in Bristol. He overcame much of the 14-point deficit he was in to advance to the Round of 12 by earning 16 stage points. His No. 19 Toyota Camry XSE was a fast car and looked set to carry him through the lines. But misfortune struck in the form of a pit road error.
Advertisement
Truex was caught speeding on the pit road during the race’s final pit stop, which came with 170 laps to go. He was running second at the time and his team had just executed a brilliant pit stop but the penalty forced him to the back of the field. The 2017 champion then struggled to break through the cars in front of him and remained outside the top 20 for the rest of the race.
The turn of events naturally left him heartbroken considering that this is his final full-time season in the premier tier. He lamented to the press, “They said we had to run second or third to make it through. It was going to be tough. I don’t know if we were quite good enough but it would have been nice to find out. Just hate it that I screwed it up for everybody.”
In his defense, his speed was a mere 0.009 mph over the limit described in the rule book. The mistake came at the worst of times and hit the No. 19 team hard. Being the professional that he is, Truex took the blame on himself and expressed regret to his crew. He finished the Bristol race in 24th place, 21 points below the elimination line. His one final run for a second Cup Series title has now officially ended.
What’s the goal for Truex Jr. and his team for the rest of the season?
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver said to NBC Sports, “It would have been fun to have a fighting chance. But from here, we will just go on and try to race hard. Hopefully, get back to the victory lane before it’s all said and done.” Seven more bullets remain in his chamber to win a race.
Hitting the mark in at least one of them would be an ideal way to draw the curtains on what has been a glorious career. Truex has won two Xfinity Series championships, one Cup Series championship, and two Cup Series regular-season championships in his time at the pinnacle of the sport.
He might not have secured a seat in the Round of 12 this year but a Hall of Fame induction is certainly on the cards in a few years. He is joined in elimination by Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski, and Harrison Burton.
