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Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was mere seconds away from his first win of the season on Sunday at the Richmond Raceway.
However, an unexpected caution with two laps to go left the points table leader frustrated, losing the lead on pit road and then his temper as his teammate Denny Hamlin stole the fifth Richmond win of his career right out of under his nose.
Martin Truex Jr. was not happy after missing out on a win over Denny Hamlin. Truex Jr. led a race-high 228 of 407 laps before finishing a disappointing fourth. After the checkered flag, Truex Jr. was seen aggressively hitting Hamlin’s #11 car's rear from behind.
Speaking to reporters, the #19 Joe Gibbs Racing driver expressed his frustration, saying that he feels the wins were taken away from him by his teammate after having a dominant outing at the 0.75-mile short track.
“I felt like 11 used up down there in turn one and I didn’t really appreciate a teammate racing me like that,” Truex said. “I wish he would have gave me a chance, but that’s the way it is,” Truex Jr. said, as quoted by On3.com.
“Unfortunately, it’s happened to us a few times at Richmond. Leading the whole race, and then some stupid, dumbass move brings out a caution,” Truex Jr. added.
“Another car capable of winning” – Martin Truex Jr. takes a positive after finishing P4 at Richmond
The P4 finish marked Truex Jr.’s fifth consecutive top-10 finish of the season. Despite the setbacks and frustrations, the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion took positives from the outing and hopes to come back strongly for next week’s Martinsville race.
Martin Truex Jr. acknowledged the strong performance of the #19 JGR Toyota team and the potential they had to win. He appreciated the effort put in by his crew and recognized the competitive edge of his car throughout the race.
Truex Jr. said (via motorsports.com):
“We were in a great spot. Had a great (car) all night long. The guys did a really good job. But a good, solid day. Another car capable of winning. So just have to come back next week, try to get them again.”
Martin Truex Jr. is leading the NASCAR Cup Series points table with 270 points.
