The 36 races in NASCAR’s schedule constitute a body of work in itself. Which means each race is important. And that translates into many things. Since NASCAR introduced elimination in its playoff rumble, winning any one of these races ensures a driver a spot in the opening race of the round of 16. Moreover, the more races one wins, the more points one gathers. And when the seasonal races get over the first three rounds of the postseason are all about not making any mistakes and surviving. But that’s exactly where Joe Gibbs Racing star Martin Truex Jr fell short.

He has three dominant victories this year at Dover Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Moreover, he has been the regular points champion, which has given him a huge advantage over the other drivers on the grid as he entered the round of 16. But two weeks later, he found himself in a position where he could have missed advancing to the next round. And it somehow reminded the fans about his 2022 Cup Series season.

Playoff dejection plays déjà vu with Martin Truex Jr

Throwback to last year at Homestead Miami, Martin Truex Jr got rammed from behind on the pit road by Hendrick Motorsports icon Kyle Larson, which caused him to spin and almost crush one of his crew members. This year, he didn’t spin but instead, his tires went flat just three laps into the postseason race at Kansas Speedway.

Despite showing race-winning speed and consistency all throughout the year, the last 6 weeks seemed quite off for the number 19 team, which takes them back to 2022, his first season devoid of a win since 2014.

As of today, Truex Jr sits second in the driver standings with a total of 4036 points and a 15 plus above the cut-off line. Although time is not going easy on the 2017 Cup Series champion, he has 8 top-10s at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including 2 top-5s and one win. And with his usual driving prowess, it’s not impossible for Truex to regain his momentum.

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But as the weeks till NASCAR crowns its 2023 Cup Series champion are numbered, it is easier said than done.

Martin Truex Jr looks forward to deciding his own destiny

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During a recent interview with WFXR news, Martin Truex Jr revealed that he had anticipated his underwhelming performances at the last few races. He said that they had considered the races at Bristol Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and the Charlotte Roval wildcards that might or might not play out well for the #19 Toyota Camry pilot: “We looked at Bristol, Talladega, the ROVAL as tracks that can potentially give us trouble and they did.”

However, moving into the round of 8, he admitted that he felt a lot more confident: “Definitely feel good about this round going to Vegas, Homestead and then Martinsville,” he said, “We’ve had a lot of success and they’re kinda more straightforward.”

“I feel that you can just control your own destiny there more,” he added.

Do you think that Martin Truex Jr and crew chief James Small will be able to control their destiny and advance into the coveted Championship 4 race?

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