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Nearly a week since the controversial conclusion to Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 race at Richmond Raceway, Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano continue to try to make sense of NASCAR's decision-making.
Former NASCAR champion Truex was cruising to his first win of the season in Richmond last weekend, when a 398th-lap restart halted his momentum. Once the racing action began following the caution flag, Truex's teammate Denny Hamlin took advantage of the pit stop to grab the lead. He went on to win his second of the season.
Widespread drama then ensued when it was brought to notice of fans that Hamlin, piloting his No. 11 Toyota, seemingly jumped the restart, gaining an unfair advantage over his competitors. While fans and drivers alike called for a penalty for Hamlin, NASCAR VP Elton Sawyer had a rather perplexing opinion for doing otherwise.
Sawyer, speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, cited Hamlin's race-position as the deciding factor for him escaping the incident unscathed.
Now, ahead of the NASCAR Cup race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, Martin Truex Jr. has reflected on Sawyer's words. Emphasizing the need for clarity and consistency in officiating such crucial moments on the track, he said (via Frontstretch):
"It’s clear as day, it’s not a question. It's black and white, it’s a you can or you can’t call. So, I don’t really understand what the debate is all about."
"I’ve seen what was said. I read what they said and I heard what Elton Sawyer said that if it happened with 50 to go or 100 to go or 300 to go, they may have called. It’s clear as mud," Martin Truex Jr. added.
Meanwhile, former two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, who finished second on the night, demanded for consistency from NASCAR in such crucial decisions. He told the aforementioned source:
"Consistency is what you look for. I don't believe a call should be different for the end of the race versus the middle of the race. I also believe there is more time at the end of the race than there is during the race."
Water under the bridge for Martin Truex Jr. after Richmond incident
Despite the lingering frustration from the Richmond incident, Martin Truex Jr. appears determined to put the controversy behind him ahead of the Martinsville race. The JGR driver said:
"It’s a race, it’s over. I was frustrated. It’s aggravating to lead an entire race, dominate a race, and then have it go away that way because I think that’s the fifth or sixth time it’s happened at Richmond. So, you just get aggravated, and it all piles on in a short amount of time, in just 10 or 15 minutes."
Acknowledging his emotional reaction in the heat of the moment, he emphasized the need to maintain composure.
"I clearly lost my cool and did some things I’m probably not proud of," he said. "But you move on, you got to next week, and you hope you can come out on top and do a better job."
Martin Truex Jr., who currently leads the NASCAR Cup Series standings after seven races, will start the Martinsville race from fourth position. Meanwhile, Team Penske driver Joey Logano will start from sixth position.
