Martin Truex Jr Clinches His Sixth Career Short Track Win

Martin Truex Jr has locked his place in the next round of the Playoffs. He won the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Richmond Raceway, which came as his sixth short track win in his career. Previously, he was not particularly successful in the short track scene, but that has all changed.

To make matters even better, this win locked his berth in the next round of the Playoffs. Furthermore, he led a Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2, ahead of Denny Hamlin, who has already qualified for the next round.

While all that was going on, Kyle Larson finished in sixth place, securing his slot in the next round of the Playoffs. With three positions locked, there will be pressure on the remaining drivers to confirm their berths; there is just one race left and nine slots up for grabs.

How did Martin Truex Jr perform in the race?

Admittedly, he copped a penalty early in the race, but managed to rally forth and eventually win. He said, “That was frustrating, I’m not going to lie. But I knew we had a good enough car to overcome it. Just one of those things you have to put out of your mind and go race. A lot on the line tonight, but going to Bristol next week without any worries is always fun.”

With 51 laps to go, Martin Truex Jr snatched the lead and controlled the pace. Despite a number of green-flag pit stops, he managed to hold on.

Teammate Kyle Busch established himself as a threat early on, until a pit road penalty ruined his chances. Apparently, he incurred a speeding violation during his green-flag stop, and it was his second infraction. Owing to the penalty, he dropped all the way down to 10th place. To make matters worse for Busch, he was the last car on the lead lap and he eventually finished ninth.

READ MORE: NASCAR Drivers Honor Cancer Survivors During Cup Race at Kansas Speedway