Going into the final round-of-16 Cup Series race at Bristol, regular-season champion Martin Truex Jr. has a mountain to climb. After a poor result at Darlington and a DNF at Kansas, the 43-year-old is seven points below the cutline. And Bristol is not exactly his favorite track. He might not have imagined himself in such a position. But if he gets eliminated, it will make things easier for the other title contenders.

The #19 driver will not have it easy. Bristol is one of the trickiest tracks to navigate in the entire NASCAR calendar. And 500 laps of that will be excruciating. However, Truex is a former Cup champion and a veteran of the sport. He has what it takes to turn this around in his favor. And he will hope that his skills and experience are enough to do the job.

One’s Bad Luck Can Be Another’s Opportunity

Sitting seven points below the cutline, Truex needs to deliver on Saturday. He had a good qualifying session on Friday and will start the race in 5th place. But Bristol has not been kind to the 43-year-old. He has raced at the track 32 times so far in his career. But he has never won there. So if he manages to get on to victory lane on Saturday, it will be nothing short of miraculous.

But it’s almost like Truex doesn’t have a choice. Of course, a good finish would certainly help him with the points. But relying on points is not the best way to go when there’s just one race left. The JGR man will undoubtedly gun for victory. And he is willing to take any means necessary.

In an earlier interview, Truex, who fans know as a clean racer, admitted that he wouldn’t shy away from racing dirty. When asked if he was going to be a jerk during the race, the 43-year-old simply answered, “It’s possible.”

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If eliminated, the 43-year-old will be the first regular-season champion to be eliminated before the round of 12. But a threat for one can be an opportunity for another. And in this case, that “another” is everyone who will make it through to the next round.

In a recent interview, Hendrick Motorsports driver, and one of Truex’s rivals, Kyle Larson admitted this. He said the #19 team’s elimination in the round of 16 would make things easier for the ones who make it through to the top 12.

When asked how JGR man’s elimination will affect the title picture, he said, “I don’t know, I haven’t thought too much about it. Obviously, I mean, he’s a championship favorite, so if he’s not in it, you know… everybody could live a little easier.”

Truex’s effort in qualifying will definitely help his case going into Bristol. Ahead of the race, the #19 driver revealed his game plan for what could be one of the most crucial races of his career.

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Martin Truex Jr. Looks Forward to Stern Test

In his pre-race interview, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran said: “It’s obviously a terrible spot to be in. I know tomorrow night’s a big race, this place hasn’t been our best place by any means, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. It’s going to be what it’s going to be, and we’ve just got to go do our best.”

It has been quite a steep fall from the top for Martin Truex Jr. He was one of the best drivers in the regular season. He earned the regular-season championship after stage one of the final regular-season race in Daytona.

Going into the playoffs, everyone believed he was the strongest title contender. And then Darlington happened where he did not have a good race. But that was not a big deal. People believed the #19 driver would make his mark in Kansas.

So it stunned his fans and experts alike when he retired from the race due to a tire issue. Because it meant that Truex was behind the cutline with just one round-of-16 race to go. Now, the veteran racer has one chance to prove to the world just how good a driver he is. Will he do it, or will he become the first regular season champion eliminated before the round of 12?

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