Martin Truex Jr dominated the track for the win… And for Mom
The NASCAR Cup Series made his first trip to Darlington Speedway for a classic Mother’s Day race. Martin Truex Jr. dominated the track from end to end. The New Jersey native took the checkered flag embodied in a throwback paint scheme reminiscent of his days with Furniture Row Racing. It was a win for mom, and a win to bolster his top position for the Playoffs.
Truex Jr. Leads the Train
It was a smooth start for the 36 drivers at Darlington. As it is customary around the lady in black, everyone went up high near the red and white lines of the wall. That went wrong, very wrong rother, rather, for Aric Almirola. His number 10 Mustang came loose off turn four and bounced off to the inner wall. Almirola’s Mark Martin paint scheme was wrecked and so was his race.
Last week’s winner found some trouble as well on lap 23. Kyle Busch went sideways instead of forwards off the same turn as number 43 and wrecked his tires. Up at the front, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and yet again Denny Hamlin fought for the lead.
Chase Elliott was not at the front of the pack, but he was up in ninth near the end of the stage. That was not a bad place to be considering he started at the rear after failing pre-race inspection.
Both Hamlin and Truex Jr. had a ton of speed on the long runs and that was evident looking at the standings. Only 17 laps were on the lead lap and those two were on a dig fight for the stage win. Despite traffic, the 19 Camry pulled it off and got his second stage win of the season and the first Playoff point of the race.
The Evil Inner Wall
Stage two gave Stewart-Haas Racing yet another shot in the foot. With the #10 Mustang out of the race, teammate Cole Custer hit that very same wall in a similar fashion. Early in the second stage, STHR was praying for Kevin Harvick’s #4 to hold on. He was not to be the last man to touch noses with the wall as only a few minutes later Kurt Busch did as well.
Martin Truex seemed to have fun at the racetrack as he was manhandling everyone out there leading 105 laps before going in to pit. Harvick and Christopher Bell took the top two spots after the pit cycle was over. Bell, however, was one of the last ones to pit and gave up the lead again to Truex Jr.
William Byron and the younger of the Busch brothers did their best to catch up to JGR’s Camry. Their best, however, was not enough. Horses were let loose as soon as drivers stopped hitting the wall and the fastest of such horses remained on top. Truex Jr not only won the second stage, but he also dominated it.
He Bent But didn’t Break
Truex jr. didn’t let his foot off the gas for the start of the final stage. A clumsy pit stop, however, saw his eight seconds lead reduced to just two. Traffic didn’t do him any favors either, that allowed Kyle Larson to get right in his “Trunk” with 30 laps to go.
Truex Jr’s drive changed dramatically just seven laps later as he stuck to the wall like wood glue on a birdbox. He had to use every inch of the track and he did so very well, problem was, Larson followed him like a hyperactive fly.
So good was the fly that he dived in between Ryan Newman and Tyler Reddick with eight laps to go to not lose any more time to the #19 car. Yet, at some point, as lapped traffic became denser and denser, he seemed to burn off. There were not enough laps to catch up and there were too many cars in between him and the leading Toyota.
Truex Jr. came across the finish line first, dominating the race and getting his third win of the season.
What’s Next?
NASCAR will head to the Monster Mille at Dover International Speedway next Sunday.
Missed Trux Jr.’s second win? Check it out HERE
