Martin Truex, Jr.'s Playoff Bid Possibly in Jeopardy After Lap Two Wreck
Entering Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway, Martin Truex, Jr. just needed to have a solid and uneventful run to secure his place in the Playoffs.
That ideology went out the window about 60 seconds after the green flag dropped on Sunday, when the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion got sideways inside William Byron and overcorrected into the No. 12, driven by Ryan Blaney.
Both Truex and Blaney, who entered the night sitting fourth in regular-season point standings, had damage too severe to continue in the event, relegating them to finishes of 36th and 37th in the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
"I'm an idiot."
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 1, 2024
Martin Truex Jr. loses it and takes Ryan Blaney with him! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/MD17i40cMr
"It was all my fault, all my doing," said Truex. "I got a run on [William Byron] and went to the inside and thought everything was going fine and the car just took off and I ran into him, so obviously, that was on me. I hate it for my guys and Bass Pro Shops, Toyota, everybody. We had a phenomenal racecar. I know this is the longest race of the year, just a dumb mistake on my part."
Now, the Mayetta, New Jersey native will have to sit for the next four hours and wait to learn his fate, when it comes to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. Truex entered the evening 58 points above the cutline, and should there be a repeat winner, will handily make the post-season.
However, with Bubba Wallace and Chase Briscoe in contention for the victory in the first 100 laps of the event, the nerves are high, as a brand-new winner puts him in a high-stress points battle with teammate Ty GIbbs and Chris Buescher.
Should there be a new winner at Darlington on Sunday, Truex's single point earned will leave him vulnerable to his closest rivals. Gibbs would need 20 points (equivalent to a 17th-place finish) to pass the No. 19, while Buescher would need 38 points (equivalent to a runner-up finish with three stage points) to make that critical pass.
Blaney, with a poor finish incoming, is currently shown dropping a pair of positions in the regular-season point standings, down to sixth, losing him a pair of valuable Playoff Points for when the post-season gets underway.
However, the bigger concern for the defending NASCAR Cup Series champion was the condition of his wrist, after he was holding it exiting the racecar after the crash. The Team Penske driver got it checked out in the infield care center, and reported to NBC Sports that it was okay.
"Yeah, I was hurt for a little bit, but I think I will be okay. I am alright. I saw Martin [Truex Jr.] get loose, and I thought he was going to spin to the bottom, so I kind of gassed up to get around him, but it was just terrible timing. He overcorrected, and we were just right there," said Blaney. Gosh, I hate wrecking on lap 2. It is one of those things where you think he is going to spin to the bottom, but his rear is hooked up but he just came up. I hate it for everyone at Menards and Ford. Our car was great and I just didn’t get any laps. Hopefully, next week goes a little bit better.”
The final 300+ laps of Sunday's Cook Out Southern 500 will determine whether or not the opportunity for a second NASCAR Cup Series championship ends immediately, or progresses into the 10-race post-season, which begins at Atlanta next weekend.
