Within the closing laps, Martin Truex Jr. was working simply contained in the top-ten and one level above the cut-line when he was shoved out of line, four-wide — dropping him down the working order. On the next restart, he was amongst these collected in a pile-up getting into the esses, forcing him to pit for repairs and recent tires.
Truex was solely in a position to drive again as much as twentieth in additional time and leaves Watkins Glen 14 factors beneath the cut-line regardless of profitable the opening stage.
“You get green-white-checkered on the finish of the race, and you recognize individuals are simply going to drive by somebody. We had been within the incorrect lane, on the quick finish of the stick as regular,” stated Truex, visibly pissed off by one more race the place misfortune adopted him. “We had been in an honest spot there with our Camry, and also you undergo the esses, and so they simply plow by you and put you within the marbles. This racing is simply ridiculous.”
The 2017 NASCAR Cup champion is named one of many cleaner drivers on the grid. He was beside himself over the dearth of etiquette in the midst of the sphere, which has been a difficulty in late-race restarts at different street programs.
“Simply loopy that each one these races at all times come all the way down to this,” stated Truex in some extra post-race feedback. “I simply do not actually perceive how guys can name themselves the very best on the planet after they simply drive by everybody on restarts on the finish of those races. It’s extremely irritating, however it’s what it’s nowadays. I am out of right here.”
It was a tough day total for Joe Gibbs Racing. Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin had been collected in a Lap 1 wreck, with Hamlin wrecking a second time afterward. Bell ended up being the highest-finishing JGR driver in 14th whereas the remainder had been twentieth or worse. Ty Gibbs leaves Watkins Glen on the bubble, simply six factors up on none apart from teammate Hamlin.
It is wanting probably that at the least one JGR driver might see their playoffs finish subsequent weekend within the Spherical of 16 elimination race. For Truex, that is his final probability at one other title earlier than retiring from full-time racing, however he enters the race with seven straight finishes of twentieth or worse.
