The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series has perhaps been the most unpredictable motorsports competition in the world. While other elite competitions have one or two clear favorites who dominate throughout a season, over here, things can change in an instant. However, if a driver performs well in the regular season, they will always have a safety net going into the playoffs. And that safety net is often what saves them from certain elimination. That is exactly what a certain Joe Gibbs Racing driver is taking advantage of at the moment.

For JGR as a team, the 2023 season has been a good one. Three of their four full-time drivers are still in the playoffs. Denny Hamlin has been a revelation for the team. After years of disappointment and falling short of the title, the 42-year-old finally seems like he can get the job done. But the same cannot be said for one of his teammates. A driver who, before the playoffs, was being considered as one of the strongest contenders for the title.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s top title contender has drastically fallen off the pace

Martin Truex Jr’s dip in form has shocked almost everyone following the Cup Series. Yes, his form was already on the decline before the playoffs began, but the fall has been quite steep. In the five playoff races that have happened so far, he has not finished in the top 15 even once. Yet, he sits above the cutline with just one race to go in the round of 12.

The regular season champion actually was in danger of being knocked out of the round of 16 but his points tally managed to somehow pull him through. Now, he just needs a decent finish, ideally in the top 10, to cement his place in the round of 8.

But will he be able to do it? Joe Gibbs Racing’s #19 team has been extremely inconsistent of late. At a track like the Charlotte Roval, crews cannot afford to make a mistake with strategy. Passing is not easy on road courses so track position will be absolutely vital.

However, Truex Jr doesn’t need to be at his best at the roval. He is already 15 points ahead of the cutline. It is not a do-or-die situation for the driver of the #19. Truex has had a torrid time in the playoffs but he is somewhat in a decent position right now simply because of the points he accumulated in the regular season.

On a recent episode of The Teardown, NASCAR journalists Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi discussed the importance of the regular season. Martin Truex Jr is the perfect example of how important it is. Bianchi could not help himself but laugh at the fact that Truex Jr was not in as much trouble despite not finishing in the top 15 even once in the playoffs so far.

“They’re certainly pushing the….how much can we get away with and still advance? Like it would be comical if they go to the roval and they finish like 16th and they still move on,” he said while talking about the #19 JGR team.

Despite having a tough time in the playoffs, Truex sounded confident going into the Roval race at Charlotte a week later. The JGR man may finally break his 2023 playoffs curse of not finishing in the top 15 at the road course.

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Confident veteran Martin Truex Jr sets his sights on Charlotte test

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After the Talladega race, an exhausted Martin Truex Jr was asked about how the day went. The Joe Gibbs Racing ace said that it was tough but acknowledged that he was in a position where making moves was difficult.

“You know, stuck on the bottom there at the end, I think three to go we were probably almost up to 10th or 12th and, you know, three laps later, we’re 19th. So just, you know, nowhere to make any moves, just everything was clogged three wide, and you just kind of rode there and got what you could. So a tough day, you know,” he said.

However, while talking about the Charlotte race, the 2017 Cup Series champion said, “But I think we’re in good shape going to the ROVAL. We can take care of business from there. Just need a good day.”

So perhaps Martin Truex Jr knows something that we don’t. Maybe he has been working on his road course skills in private. Maybe his team has a setup that will make the #19 run smoother than any other car on a road course. We don’t know. But what we do know is that Truex will fight tooth and nail to defend his place in the round of 8.

Will he be able to keep himself alive in the championship after the Charlotte race? Let us know your thoughts.

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