Dale Earnhardt Jr Reveals the “Frustrating” Issue Martin Truex Jr’s Crew Chief Put Him In: “I Would’ve Finished 20th”

Cup Series cars have come a long way since it all began with the 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Division. As we entered the Next Gen, one thing has remained pretty much consistent over the years. It is the radio chatter between drivers, crew chiefs, and spotters. A crisis therein is a call for disaster.

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr‘s day ended badly at the Richmond Raceway, following which he had a ridiculous exchange with the crew chief.

Having a lead of 56 laps, Truex Jr was close to victory. But due to poor tire management, he was the one with scuffed tires, unlike others who had fresh tires on them. Eventually, he lost his convincing lead. Former Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr addresses the situation from both angles as he reveals what he would’ve done in such a situation.

Martin became the victim at the hands of the crew chief’s inefficiency

The Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway had a scarcity of tires. In such a crisis situation, efficient management becomes paramount for optimum results. However, JGR crew chief James Small did otherwise and failed to communicate the problem of scuffed tires to the driver.

Following the incident on the Dale Jr Download podcast, Junior said, “Truex looks like he had the best car and he ends up running out of tires. And so, there was an exchange on the radio between the him and his crew chief after the race. The crew didn’t tell Truex that he was on scuffs.

“That’s sort of the question I think in the public eyes, ‘Why didn’t you tell your driver what the situation was?’

“That is really frustrating as a driver, to not get that type of important information.” He added

With years of experience on the track, Junior expanded on nuanced layers of miscommunication that ensued in the last Cup Series race. Admitting that he “can see both sides of it,” he said, “I think James, his crew chief was like, I don’t know if that’ll help him by telling him that information.“

At a personal level, Junior confessed that he was better off when he was kept immune to off-putting truths. He would often ask the crew chiefs to not let such news don’t reach his vicinity. He pointed out, “I would tell my crew chiefs, there’s something I just don’t need to know. Don’t tell me something that’s gonna put me on the defense. Don’t tell me something that’s gonna make me doubt or lose faith or lose confidence in the car and its abilities.”

Putting all these finer details into perspective, Junior stressed, “The question, I guess, is, if he knows he is on scuffs, does he run worse? Does he finish worse?”

When Junior tried to put himself in Truex’s shoes, Junior revealed, “I would’ve finished 20th” if he encountered a similar situation.

Read More: “Mad” Martin Truex Jr Screams “I Don’t Give a F**k” in Frustration After His Tussle With Joey Logano Earlier in the Race

If Truex Jr would have been made aware of the crisis situation, Earnhardt Jr believes that many contingent measures could have been adopted to ensure a better finish, if not a win. Coming to the aid of the driver, here is what Junior said.

What could Truex Jr have done had he been aware of scuffed tires?

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While Truex Jr didn’t provide insight into what he would’ve done, Junior was rife with multiple possibilities to handle the situation better. He questioned, “I wonder, if he knows he’s on scuffs, does he get a little more defense. Does he drive defensively? Does he maybe not restart in the line he chose? Does he change all of those things, right?”

Truex Jr saw his leadership slipping right out of his hands. His approach to the situation is still unknown. Will Truex open up on his approach or let the NASCAR community speculate?

Watch This Story: “I’m not ready for this”- Joe Gibbs gave Denny Hamlin a 6-point-ultimatum that eventually led him to “Seal The Deal” for the #11 car.