The Chase for the Sprint Cup begins today at Chicagoland Speedway with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400. Chris Buescher is seeded 13th and Chase Elliott 14th.
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Sixteen drivers – winners of the first 26 races and the next-highest in points – are eligible to win the title. “Got to take something from them, ‘” Truex said, smirking.
YOUNGINS: The Chase includes two rookies for the first time.
Rosberg’s third successive win, and first in Singapore, took him to the top of the drivers’ championship with six races left. He now has eight top-five finishes – including second-place performances at the two MI races. This weekend, it could be the Team Penske Fords that steal the spotlight.
Elliott is a rookie. He was in position for a fast start to the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.
Elliott’s vehicle was about a half-turn from ideal from the get-go.
Prior to the final caution, Elliott had led most of the laps since getting by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson on lap 180. He was close several other times with more than a dozen top-10 finishes. There’s every indication that he’ll succeed, and don’t be surprised to see him win the whole thing again.
JOLIET, Ill. (AP) – Martin Truex Jr. was a lap down after he had to make an unscheduled pit stop for a completely unraveled tire. “You’re not dumb. We’ve all watched this stuff long enough to know these races don’t go green that long”. “Winning at Darlington gave us momentum and we used it here”.
Truex restarted fourth and quickly got to the front and pulled away from Joey Logano on the final lap for his third victory of the season.
As they two went side-by-side, the No. 4 came up and hit the door of the No. 78, causing Truex to fume on the radio.
“I feel for Chase”, Truex said. We were going straight.
Especially given his early trouble.
“That’s just a part of life”, Elliott said.
“On one hand the bad luck was going to bite us and on the other we had a lot of time to battle back”, Truex said after the race. “We’re lucky it happened early and we were able to have an awesome race auto all day”. We’ll just keep working on it. Late cautions and a faulty restart cost him there, as well. “I had fresh tires, he was lapped and that was after I had my flat (so) I was racing to get my lap back”. “All I can do is assume that and wait for him to tell me otherwise”. Twelve drivers will advance to the second round. Next Sunday is a 300-mile race at New Hampshire, where Kenseth won in July.
Johnson was eighth in the playoff standings after Chicagoland, pending NASCAR’s announcement of the exact penalty for failing the inspection. Making his day worse, his auto failed postrace tech, and the potential 10-point penalty will send him into that three-way tie for 12th – the final cutoff spot to advance to the quarterfinal round after Dover.
It was Truex, by the way, that smacked Harvick’s vehicle and led to Harvick’s troubled day. “It should have been a top-five day, but I will back down pit road even more and try not to make that mistake”.
Keep that in mind – especially if unhappy Harvick is eliminated. Hamlin has four top-10s at the track. In fact, Kahne had a terrific finish and Alex Bowman had his best race in Sprint Cup.
At Phoenix in 2015, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race by pitting early. Truex said of racing setbacks. After starting sixth, he vaulted to the lead on Lap 22 of 270 and held that position for 30 consecutive circuits.
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Truex, meanwhile, has no pressure now.
