At the Kansas Speedway, Tyler Reddick emerged victorious and became the second driver to reach the Round of 12. Unfortunately, this also means that there is one less chance for the other drivers to advance. Among the prospective contenders was Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. Yet, the Kansas Speedway remains an extremely unforgiving track, as Truex Jr is another inch closer to the possibility of becoming the first regular-season champion to miss the Round of 12.

Aside from him, drivers like Bubba Wallace, William Byron, and others, all encountered problems in the race. As a matter of fact, Truex Jr was one of the first victims during the Hollywood Casino 400. Considering that he was a strong Playoff contender, falling early was a massive setback for his title hopes.

Where did it all go wrong for Martin Truex Jr?

Apparently, the culprit that led to the #19 driver’s early shower was a punctured tire. During the opening laps of the race, It just happened out of the blue, where one moment Truex Jr was racing. The next moment, his car slid out of control and attempted a poor imitation of Ross Chastain’s Hail Melon move.

As a result, the #19 Toyota sustained damage and he trundled around near the back for a bit, until he pulled in to retire. Sadly for him, his retirement came during the opening stage of the race. So he could not even score stage points to soften the blow in the championship.

He eventually finished 36th with only one point. This has put Truex seven points below the playoff cutline, a tough deal after winning the regular-season championship. In light of this, he will have to really hunker down next week and charge to a victory at Bristol in the coming weekend. What might work against him, is the fact that Truex Jr has never won at the Bristol Motor Speedway.

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The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will be seeking redemption

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So far in his career, the 2017 Cup Series champion has finished up and down the order. Last year, he finished outside the Playoff positions for the sixth time in his Cup Series career. Fortunately, he made up for that oversight, this time around, but is in danger of being eliminated in the Round of 16.

Truex Jr will have to win at the Bristol Motor Speedway in order to qualify, or score enough points to breach the Top 12. Of course, things have to fall into place for Martin Truex Jr to qualify for the Round of 12. It all starts with qualifying well, preferably in pole position, winning both stages and eventually the race.

On the other end of the scale, it is easy to say that the #19 driver has to do that, but it is difficult to execute those tasks, especially when there are 13 other drivers who are vying for 10 remaining Playoff spots.

Read More: “What a F**king D**khead”: Martin Truex Jr Loses “Crybaby” Crown as Ryan Blaney Blasts Ross Chastain’s Kansas Finesse