Martin Truex Jr. is a confirmed NASCAR Cup Sequence champion with three runner-up factors finishes since then, however this yr shall be his final likelihood to turn out to be a multi-time Cup champion. Even after profitable the common season title in 2023, it appears solely misfortune has adopted him.
“Just a bit bit pissed off with how issues have gone these days,” mentioned Truex at Watkins Glen. It doesn’t matter what we do, it’s fallacious, and we are able to’t catch a break. It has been irritating, however the guys are working arduous and a giant weekend right here. It is a good place for me, and I really like developing right here. We put lots of effort in, so we’ll see the way it seems this weekend.”
Martin Truex Jr, Joe Gibbs Racing, Reser’s Nice Meals Toyota Camry
Picture by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
Nonetheless winless and already in jeopardy of elimination after only one playoff race, he is desperately hoping to show issues round this weekend. The dangerous information is that he enters The Glen 19 factors beneath the cut-line, however the excellent news is that he certified on the entrance row. However does he think about himself in a must-win scenario but?
“I actually don’t know,” he admitted. “We are going to simply need to see. It’s clearly a little bit of a gap to dig out of, so it’s unlucky final week that we obtained caught up in that and obtained some harm. I don’t know. We are going to simply have to attend and see. We’re going to attempt to win, however I feel we’ll know extra after this weekend is over.”
In search of somewhat luck
Truex’s precarious place has nothing to do with an absence of velocity, as he identified this weekend. He is led practically 500 laps this yr, however pit street penalties, unforced errors, wrecks, and dangerous luck appears to plague him all over the place he goes.
“It’s lots of various things,” he defined. “You name it a stoop — nice gamers get in slumps in different sports activities, and that’s what I really feel like it’s. I really feel like we’re doing lots of good issues — we have now lot of velocity and put ourselves in place, we simply need to put all of it collectively. Some days I make errors, some days the staff makes errors, some days — final week we obtained caught up in an accident. There was lots of that. Simply need to put it collectively on sooner or later and hopefully that’s this weekend.”
Martin Truex Jr. ended the common season with a crash on the third lap of the Southern 500 at Darlington.
Picture by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
Watkins Glen is a monitor that has all the time been good to him. In fact, Truex has had a knack for street course racing for the reason that early days of his profession. He is gained 4 Cup races at Sonoma with three totally different groups and was additionally victorious at Watkins Glen in 2017. Within the final six races right here, he has 4 finishes of third or higher.
“I really feel actually good about it, truthfully,” mentioned Truex. We must always be capable to carry out properly right here, and I’m excited. It’s going to be attention-grabbing this weekend with tires that they’ve introduced and the autumn off that everybody is taking about. It is going to be attention-grabbing to see the way it performs out. Can we move — say we don’t qualify nice — however we have now a great future automobile, can we make our means although the sphere? It isn’t one thing that we’ve been capable of do with these vehicles on the street programs shortly. I’m enthusiastic about it and I’m trying ahead to having the chance this weekend and going to have some enjoyable at a spot I like.”
Racing his playoff rivals, and people with nothing to lose
Truex is beginning between two drivers who’re solely centered on profitable. There’s pole-sitter Ross Chastain, who’s notoriously aggressive and simply missed out on the playoffs for the primary time in three years. Instantly behind MTJ is three-time Supercars champion and street racing ace Shane van Gisbergen, Simply one other row again is A.J. Allmendinger, who’s operating a part-time Cup schedule like SVG this yr, and is a former winner at Watkins Glen like Truex. Juan Pablo Montoya can also be current, however he begins very deep within the pack. None of those drivers care about factors and there are lots of others like them all through the sphere.
“That’s the arduous half if you race with these type of guys,” mentioned Truex, talking of so-called ‘ringers’ within the area. “For essentially the most half, everyone seems to be respectful of the scenario and people guys have sufficient expertise to know to not run somebody over that’s possibly preventing for a playoff spot or a championship or so. All of them have lots of expertise — they’re nice drivers, and it isn’t like they’re new to this. You play it somewhat protected round them, and don’t put your self in a foul scenario as a result of they will be aggressive for certain.”
Truex’s first objective on Sunday shall be stage factors as he tries to chip away on the margin to the cut-line. Since factors aren’t a precedence for these instantly round him (Chastain and Van Gisbergen), it’s possible they may cease simply in need of the tip of the 20-lap levels in favor of gaining monitor place later, clearing the way in which for Truex to probably win the stage — except dangerous luck pays him one other premature go to but once more.