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Truex Exudes Confidence as he Comes to Home Track

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Sprint Cup Series Track News
Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota, speaks with the media after practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Citizen Solider 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 30, 2016 in Dover, Delaware. Photo - Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota, speaks with the media after practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Citizen Solider 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 30, 2016 in Dover, Delaware. Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images

If you don’t consider Martin Truex Jr. one of the favorites to win this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, you haven’t been paying attention to the first two races in the Chase.

Truex won the Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway and had perhaps the fastest car a week later at New Hampshire, though he dropped to seventh at the finish after a late restart.

Now he comes to Dover, the track closest to his childhood home in Mayetta, N.J., full of confidence—and not just because he’s locked into the Chase’s Round of 12 by virtue of the win at Chicagoland. Dover gave Truex his first Sprint Cup victory in 2007; in addition, he notched two poles and ten top-tens at the track. Continue reading →

Despite Last Year’s Failure, Johnson Likes his Chances at Dover

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Sprint Cup Series Track News
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Citizen Solider 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 30, 2016 in Dover, Delaware. Photo - Chris Trotman/Getty Images
Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Citizen Solider 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 30, 2016 in Dover, Delaware. Photo – Chris Trotman/Getty Images

On a rainy morning at Dover International Speedway, Jimmie Johnson was hopeful lightning wouldn’t strike twice—figuratively speaking, of course.

A year ago, in the third race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the failure of a rear-axle seal eliminated the six-time series champion from NASCAR’s ten-race playoff.

Never mind that Johnson has owned the Monster Mile with ten victories in 29 starts. Last year’s 41st-place finish in the Chase race reminded the Dover dominator that freakish bad luck can strike at any time and dramatically change the course of a season. Continue reading →

Hemric in Search of Breakthrough Win to Advance in Chase

Camping World Truck Series NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Track News
Photo - Getty Images
Photo – Getty Images

Daniel Hemric picked the worst possible time to have car trouble.

In last weekend’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Hemric cut his left tire and brake line which caused him to place a season-worst 28th. Heading into the event, the No. 19 Brad Keselowski driver was riding a streak of four consecutive top-three finishes, including a runner-up at Chicagoland Speedway. As a result of his poor showing, Hemric sits last in the Chase standings, 21 points behind the cutoff line with two races left before the Round of 6. Continue reading →

Brandon Jones Upbeat about Chase Chances

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Track News Xfinity Series
Photo - Getty Images
Photo – Getty Images

Brandon Jones believed he had at least top-five car in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase opener Saturday at Kentucky Speedway. Unfortunately, he got collected in a wreck involving cars piloted by two drivers not in the driver’s Chase – the No. 88 and No. 42 Chevrolets driven by Josh Berry and Justin Marks, respectively.

As a result of the wreck, Jones finished 26th. He now sits 11th on the Chase Grid, 15 points behind Blake Koch on the cutoff line,  heading into the penultimate race of the Round of 12 – Saturday’s Drive Sober 200 at Dover International Speedway at 3 pm. ET on NBCSN. Continue reading →