At the Texas Motor Speedway, many drivers got involved with each other during the race. While Kyle Larson managed to emerge victorious, his rivals endured nightmarish races. Apparently, there was a massive mid-pack scuffle, owing to some unusually tight racing. Sadly, one of the victims was Martin Truex Jr, who tangled with Trackhouse Racing driver Daniel Suarez.

This was only one of several squabbles between the playoff and non-playoff drivers. There was plenty of fender-rubbing and a lot of bumping and barging. In some circumstances circumstances threatened to have ramifications for the seven remaining playoff contenders.

With a handful of laps to go, Truex Jr. was focused on maintain his position in the race. At the time, he was right in front of Suarez, when the two of them collided at Turn 4. Admittedly, it was a bit of a small tap from the #99 car. However, it was enough to get Truex Jr. loose and send him hard into the wall.

What was the impact of the Martin Truex Jr crash?

Sadly for the #19 driver, the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota could no longer continue the race. As a result, he went from six points above the cutline to 22 points below it after Texas. With this setback, the 41-year-old sits seventh in the standings and will hobble his attempt to clinch a Championship 4 berth.

Interestingly, Daniel Suarez was unapologetic over the incident. Suarez said, “I don’t know what the h*** was trying to do, man. I was right there all the time. I feel bad for him. I’m sorry, but I was there, man. I just can’t lift anymore. We’ve got to go.”

At least the Joe Gibbs Racing driver can take comfort in the fact that there are still two more races left. He can use the Kansas and Martinsville races to build back his advantage and try to sneak into the Championship 4.

READ MORE: “That Was More Fun” – Martin Truex Jr on Working With His Teammates