NASCAR Martin Truex Jr

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Qualifying Rainout puts Keselowski on Pole for Elimination Race at Dover

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Sprint Cup Series Track News
DOVER, DE - SEPTEMBER 30: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Citizen Solider 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 30, 2016 in Dover, Delaware. Photo by Sarah Crabill/NASCAR via Getty Images
DOVER, DE – SEPTEMBER 30: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Citizen Solider 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 30, 2016 in Dover, Delaware. Photo by Sarah Crabill/NASCAR via Getty Images

For the second time in the first three Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup races this year, rain played havoc with Sprint Cup qualifying, forcing cancellation of Friday’s knockout time trials for the first elimination race of the playoffs.

This is the third straight Sprint Cup event at Dover for which qualifying has been cancelled because of rain.

With the field set by the rule book, Brad Keselowski, whose No. 2 Team Penske Ford leads the owners’ standings, will start Sunday’s Citizen Soldier 400 at 2 pm ET on NBCSN from the pole. Martin Truex Jr., winner of the first Chase race at Chicagoland Speedway, will take the green flag next to Keselowski on the front row. Continue reading →

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 →

Truex and Kenseth Stage Intense Late-Race Battle – But in Vain

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Sprint Cup Series Track News
LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 25: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, leads Martin Truex Jr, driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota, and Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bad Boy Off Road 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 25, 2016 in Loudon, New Hampshire. Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images
LOUDON, NH – SEPTEMBER 25: Matt Kenseth, driver of the #20 Dollar General Toyota, leads Martin Truex Jr, driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota, and Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bad Boy Off Road 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 25, 2016 in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images

For all appearances, Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr. were going to settle Sunday’s Bad Boy Off Road 300 between them.

Truex led a race-high 141-of-300 laps at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Kenseth led 105.

From a restart on lap 249 until the fifth caution of the race on lap 285, the Toyota drivers ran 1-2, with Kenseth playing defense from the lead and Truex trying every trick he knew to get past Kenseth’s No. 20 Camry. Continue reading →

Joey Logano Makes the Most of an Inauspicious Start

NASCAR NASCAR Wire Service Sprint Cup Series Track News
LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 25: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bad Boy Off Road 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 25, 2016 in Loudon, New Hampshire. Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images
LOUDON, NH – SEPTEMBER 25: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, leads Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bad Boy Off Road 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 25, 2016 in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Photo by Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images

There’s no statistical category for “saves” in NASCAR racing, but if there were, Joey Logano would be the clear leader at New Hampshire.

With perseverance, Logano and the No. 22 Team Penske outfit turned a potentially disastrous day into a respectable finish and gave themselves a modicum of breathing room in the Chase for NASCAR Sprint Cup standings.

After a so-so qualifying effort, Logano started 15th in Sunday’s Bad Boy Off Road 300 and quickly went backwards. On lap 114 of a long green-flag run to start the race, leader Martin Truex Jr. passed Logano to put the No. 22 Ford a lap down. Continue reading →