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Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ryan Truex lost the 2023 United Rentals 200 at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday by a margin of 0.641 seconds. The 20-year-old had a fast car on track in the final 10 laps but the circumstances didn't prove ideal for Truex as he was edged by his teammate Sammy Smith in a close battle at one-mile-track.
Driving the #19 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing, Truex matched his career-best finish with a second-place result in his first Xfinity appearance this season.
During the post-race interview, Truex expressed his happiness and disappointment at the same time as his P2 finish. He was happy to finish second in his first race of the season and disappointed because he knew that he missed the opportunity to secure his first Xfinity Series win.
Truex said:
“If you told me halfway through the race, I'd finished second, I would have been very happy. But sitting here, knowing how close I was, I was a little bit faster than him for a while there in the last round and started reeling them in. And once I caught him, I just started `getting tight, and I just couldn't move around with my car as much as I wanted to. I couldn't make the top work. I was really just stuck on the bottom.”
He continued:
“So, I kind of was what it was. But, yeah, like I said, to not be in a car since July of last year, it feels good to come out here and prove that I can do it and prove to myself it'd be nice to be back in it. I know it's kind of a superspeedway race, so it's different, but just another week with the guys and keep building that momentum. We finished third there last time, so hopefully we finish third there, then second here, and then maybe next time we first.”
Ryan Truex showed speed in the final stage of the NASCAR Phoenix race
The speed in Ryan Truex’s car didn’t show until the closing lap, but it was too late for him to challenge for victory. He entered the top 10 during the final stages of the race. His #19 car slowly picked up speed and jumped into the top five on the final restart.
Ryan Truex had a tough battle with Kyle Busch, Austin Hill, and Chandler Smith in the final 15 laps, but missed the win by a fraction of seconds against his teammate and eventual winner, Sammy Smith.
Catch Ryan Truex in action next at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
