AVONDALE, Ariz. – Martin Truex Jr. retired on Sunday’s final laps at Phoenix Raceway for his first NASCAR Cup Series win and 28th overall win.
Truex beat the four finalists in last year’s championship. Failing to make the season finale for the first time in four years, he could only watch as Chase Elliott beat Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski for the desert oval title. All four got Truex across the finish line.
The championship race will take place again on the Phoenix Raceway in November.
“To come here and win this, I wish it was November,” said Truex. “Hopefully we can come back in November and take a shot at the championship.”
40-year-old Truex had problems earlier this year and finished 25th in Daytona. But he’s done a lot better in the past few weeks, finishing third in Homestead and sixth in Las Vegas last week.
He was dominant in the latter half of Sunday, becoming the first driver from the playoff field of 16 cars last year to qualify for the postseason. Truex blew past Logano with 25 laps left on the last restart and was never challenged again.
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It was a good day for Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing who had the winner in Truex and Hamlin in third place.
Kyle Larson, who drove to his maiden win with Hendrick Motorsports last week in Las Vegas, had to start at the back of the field after a pre-race inspection error. He worked his way back forward and briefly led about halfway through the race.
But shortly after he made a critical mistake, he was marked for over speeding in the pit lane. As a penalty, he had to pass the pit lane, which meant that he fell in 22nd place to the last place on the leading lap. He finished seventh.
Logano, who led 143 laps, won the second stage after leading the final 35 laps during a long stretch of green flag races. But he couldn’t hold back Truex, who won his ninth race with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Hamlin was quick at the start of the race, leading 31 laps until the competition began to exercise caution in the middle of the first stage. But he fell back a few spots after a pit stop that allowed Ryan Blaney to come forward through a window. Blaney won the first stage with 75 laps after leading 35 laps.
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FANS IN STANDS
Truex enjoyed taking the win in front of a few fans in Phoenix. About 20% of the grandstand could be filled on the route. The last “normal” race took place in Phoenix in March of last year before COVID-19 stopped the sport for about two months.
“We have seen most of them for some time and the more the better. We love to have them, we miss them, we miss them in the infield, we miss the pre-race race, we miss practice, we miss qualifying like everyone else, ”said Truex.
REMARKS
Six drivers – three from Hendrick Motorsports – had to start at the back of the field, including Elliott, William Byron, Larson, Cody Ware, Quinn Houff and Garrett Smithley. Larson, Byron, and Ware went back for pre-race inspection failures, Elliott and Houff had unapproved adjustments, and Smithley was a reserve driver. … Lyn St. James was the honorary starter. St. James is one of only nine women to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.
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NEXT
NASCAR is making the long journey across the country for a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway this coming weekend. Kevin Harvick won on the track last season.
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