Tricky Richmond Challenge Complicated Further by New Tire Option: Martin Truex Jr.

The NASCAR Cup Series race at the Richmond Raceway will see a couple of different tire compounds drivers can choose from. The yellow-marked prime tire is a harder compound with low grip and high durability. The red-marked option tire is a softer compound that has more grip but does not last as long. Some drivers are happy with these options as it will give teams a chance to play with strategy. However, Martin Truex Jr. does not believe anything is going to change.

As per the 2017 Cup Series champion, teams these days have a wealth of knowledge and rarely make bad decisions with strategies. Only certain circumstances can test their understanding of the race which could later impact the result. Truex believes that the field will mostly be on the same strategy throughout and that things won’t be that interesting. Tire wear is high at Richmond so switching to the softer compound in the middle of a green flag run is just not a good option on paper.

“The problem with options like that on a tire in the Cup garage is that everyone is so smart and people are on the same agenda. You are going to have to see a very specific set of circumstances to decide to put the soft tire on. You’re not going to be in the middle of a green-flag run and make a pit stop to pass a few cars because you’re going to wear them out and be in trouble,” he said in a recent media interaction.

The veteran race car driver has not yet won a race this season but has a good number of points to make it to the playoffs. But you can’t take anything for granted in NASCAR. He will be hoping to win at least once before the round of 16 gets underway so that he has some momentum going into it.

JGR star explains his love for Richmond Raceway

Truex has a great record at the Richmond Raceway. The 44-year-old has won three races at the track and has finished inside the top five 10 times so far in his career. This will be the last time he will race around the track as a full-time Cup Series driver. Speaking about the track, the Joe Gibbs Racing star explained why it is one of his favorite places to race.

“I really enjoy the track because it’s kind of unique. It’s a short track, but it races like a bigger track than it is. You can really move around there the way the tires wear out and the track is really slippery, and that makes it fun and a challenge, and it’s always a good race for the fans,” he explained.

As the Olympics break comes to an end, the 44-year-old will hope that he can finally take the checkered flag at least once in his final full-time Cup season.