MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – OCTOBER 27: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Halloween Toyota, leads Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 27, 2019, in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kevin Harvick’s victory Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway not only earned him a guaranteed position among the Championship 4 drivers to challenge for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title – it certainly upped the intrigue-level for Sunday’s already championship crucial Bluegreen Vacations 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Phoenix’s ISM Raceway.
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – OCTOBER 27: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads a pack of cars during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 27, 2019, in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – That Martin Truex Jr. led a race-best – and career-high – 464 of 500 laps last Sunday en route to his series-leading seventh Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season cannot be lost in the post-race shoving fracas that took place between his fellow Playoff contenders Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano at Martinsville Speedway.
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – OCTOBER 27: Aric Almirola, driver of the #10 Smithfield Ford, and Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Halloween Toyota, are involved in an on-track incident during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 27, 2019 in Martinsville, Virginia. Photo by Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images
Aric Almirola and Kyle Busch were battling for the seventh position in Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway, and they weren’t doing each other any favors.
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – SEPTEMBER 21: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, crosses the finish line to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway on September 21, 2019, in Richmond, Virginia. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
After a fast start to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff stretch, race teams were looking forward to Richmond Raceway as a race to bounce back into contention and further advance themselves in the point standings. Martin Truex Jr, with Joe Gibbs Racing, has the clear advantage in the early goings after securing the first win of the playoffs at Las Vegas. This automatically advances him into the next round and allows him the chance to earn extra points toward the championship title.
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – SEPTEMBER 21: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway on September 21, 2019, in Richmond, Virginia. Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
RICHMOND, Va. –Martin Truex Jr. overcame late adversity and continued to assert his mastery over the first round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.