The post-season performance so far for Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. has been dismal compared to his regular season run. Race after race he has suffered with new problems, relegating him to the back of the field. Racing in Vegas last weekend, a poor strategy call from his crew chief saw him run into more trouble. But in the end, he managed a decent enough finish, though not as great as he would have wanted.
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While speaking to the media ahead of the race at Homestead Miami, Truex Jr. was asked whether he was now more inclined to override his crew chief, James Small, in terms of strategy decisions following the events of the previous weekend.
Martin Truex Jr. stands with his crew chief despite Vegas strategy disaster
Subsequently, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver responded, “No, but in that situation, yes. And James (Small) told me after the fact I should have in that situation. But in the end, crew chiefs know a lot more than racing drivers when the race is going on, so I go with that. But in that scenario, I did feel weird about the decision.”
During the race at Vegas, his crew chief had decided to keep him out and not head into the pits for a fresh set of tires after the end of stage 1. While this momentarily helped him with track position, it ended up throwing him back in the middle of traffic after he eventually did have to pit. Also since almost everyone else pitted behind him, their choice to stay out did not reward them in terms of a competitive advantage as they would have hoped for.
Naturally, any other driver would have second thoughts regarding future strategy calls. But with Truex’s response, it feels like he would continue to listen to his crew chief’s strategy calls without any hesitation. Although, if a similar situation arises, there might be a possibility for him to consider an alternative option.
Truex Jr. does not believe the Homestead race to be a wildcard
Speaking further into the press conference, the JGR driver was also asked if he felt that the upcoming race at Homestead could be considered a wildcard race for him. He replied, “No, I don’t, I don’t think it’s anywhere near one.”
Adding, “It’s a tough place and a lot can happen. But, if your car’s good and you’re good on long runs, taking care of what you need to, it’s not a wildcard where guys can take two-tire stops and flip track position. It’s more of a straightforward race for the most part.”
As per the current playoff standings, solely based on points, Truex would be able to make the cut-off in two races’ time. However, if anything were to go wrong he probably would end up being eliminated. Heading into Homestead, he would have to ensure one of his best performances and stay at the top of the field, if he were to make it to the championship four next month.
