Joe Gibbs will try his best to get three JGR drivers to Phoenix. The recent situation inside the team has been more precarious than confident, especially after the Round of 8 races. The team has already taken its first step in the positive direction. Regular season champion Martin Truex Jr. brushed aside the playoff woes that have tormented him throughout the playoffs to claim the pole at Martinsville.

While winning the race is the easiest way to grab a spot, it is easier said than done. Among fierce competitors, one will be his teammate and one of the fastest drivers, Denny Hamlin. The #11 Camry driver has experienced a dip in form since the Round of 12 and has yet to execute a winning strategy recently. With two places left for six drivers, does Martin Truex Jr. believe he can turn it around? I’d like to hear it from the 2017 champion himself.

The playoffs setback has hurt Martin Truex Jr.

Martinsville has been a strong track for Truex. The shortest track on NASCAR’s list has rewarded him with three wins in the last eight races here. Winning the pole position goes a long way for Truex, especially considering his form in recent weeks. Coming into the playoffs as a title favorite, the #19 driver has been disappointed ever since. Rumors of a fallout with his pit crew emerged as radio footage from Homestead came to light. Explaining his stance on the same, Martin Truex Jr. said,

“I don’t know, it’s hard to say. I just feel like, you know, it’s been really tough, and nothing’s really gone right. Thought we were sitting in a really good position last week; things were going pretty well, and then, you know, we pit, and the bottom falls out. We lose two laps, we get them back, get back on the lead lap, and then the thing blows up. So, just been an uphill battle.”

However, NASCAR couldn’t have visited Martinsville at a better time. A win at this point is the thing the 39-year-old desires the most. The front-row start has boosted his chances by leaps and bounds as he has struggled to pick up pace after falling behind in races recently. Speaking about what Sunday could bring for him, he added,

“Not really had much to be excited about other than the guys bringing fast cars to the track. We’re reset, we’re ready to go again, and this is a new week and a new opportunity, and we’ve been in this position before, so let’s just go see what we can do tomorrow. I wasn’t really involved other than knowing that our pit stops have been pretty bad here lately. Feel good about it, you know; they say practice went well this week. Everybody’s pretty fired up about that, and they’re feeling good.”

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It is great to see him pick up form at a decisive point of the season. However, he needs to maintain his position in the race and avoid ending up fumbling the advantage like his teammate Christopher Bell has on four occasions in the playoffs.

Truex is happy with the adjustments in the car after the horror show at Homestead

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On Saturday, Martin Truex Jr. looked like the driver JGR fans had been rooting for. The faulty valve spring that forced him to retire from the race last week was also underlined by TRD President David Wilson. Following the mechanical failure, the Camry’s engine blew up, forcing him to retire. Hamlin and championship rival Kyle Larson faced similar fates as well, which kept the small window for qualification open for Joe Gibbs and co.

“The first round, I wasn’t really sure how hard to go and how hard to push it or what the balance was going to be like,” said Truex, who drove the fastest on Saturday at 20.018 seconds. “The last time we ran here, the tires were different—a lot was different.”

Moving on from the provocative incident at Homestead, Truex then addressed the changes brought in by the pit crew, which helped him edge teammate Ty Gibbs. The minor tweaks made a massive difference with steadier downforce, giving him more room to push for higher speeds.

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“Our car was pretty free in practice, and I was a little concerned about that, but the guys made good adjustments, and the car was really close. Round 2, we just made a small adjustment and made the car more comfortable. It gave me a little more confidence on throttle, and that’s where the time was.”

It is certainly great to see Truex find his feet before the big showdown on Sunday. Could he lay the finishing touch to his resurgence and dive into the championship race? Only time will tell.