Jerome Miron-US Presswire
Wednesday was one of the most eventful weekdays in recent NASCAR memory. The sanctioning body ruled down upon all of the infractions that occurred over the past weekend of racing, namely the infractions to Penske Racing drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. Yet, the driver who suffered the most was Michael Waltrip Racing driver Martin Truex Jr.
The formidable Truex has been having a great season so far, but is currently 19th after lacking to find consistency during the beginning of the year. Besides a 12th place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway Truex had only one quality run before the race this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, that being a top 10 run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
But, in one way or another, the race at Texas changed everything for the team. The car was dominant, albeit too low in the front end. Truex led his only laps of the season, over 42 percent of the race. Crew chief Chad Johnston will have to be wary, as he is on probation until June 5.
Luckily for Truex, though, he is only 41 points away from the final chase position in a still young season. Truex has the ability to contend for wins, and with the addition of Clint Bowyer as a teammate, Truex knows that not making the chase will be a disappointment to the team.
Despite the penalty, Truex is heading to one of his best tracks. Truex dominated the last race at Kansas Motor Speedway and finished second in both races last season. However, the second place that Truex got on the repaved surface, though, was far less convincing.
With that in mind, expect Truex to have a solid run, and finish in the top 10 barring any unforeseen circumstances such as a wreck. Even in the second race, his average position on track was a 10.09. That doesn’t translate to a second place result, but Truex should be able to have a solid run, even contend for a win, as the team looks to rebound after a tough week.
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