$3.6 Billion Tire Company’s Blunder Cost Martin Truex Jr. His Shot at Another Title

A recent NASCAR race saw a surprising turn of events when a tire mishap jeopardized Martin Truex Jr.'s chance at another championship.

The Unexpected Incident

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During the maiden playoff race at Darlington, Martin Truex Jr. hit the fence early in the race at the 1.5-mile tri-oval racetrack near Kansas City. Despite having a fast car in qualifying and bagging a top-5 start position on the final race day, Truex Jr. failed to bag the win.

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The Aftermath

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The regular-season champion entered the 10-race-long battle in winning contention but fell back to an 18th-place finish after the Southern 500 last weekend¹. After finishing the race in last place, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver sits 7 points below the cutline.

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The Culprit

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Moments after the race, Goodyear tires pointed out the reason behind the Martin Truex Jr. mishap. It turns out it was a puncture. According to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, “Goodyear says they found a puncture in the center of the tread on the Truex right rear that was flat”.

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