Truex Jr. still leader of pack

JOLIET, Ill. — Martin Truex Jr. backed up his regular-season dominance with a victory Sunday in NASCAR’S playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway.

Truex solidified himself as the driver to beat over the final nine races as he chases his first Cup championship. Truex raced to his fifth victory of the season and an automatic berth in the second round of the playoffs, earning even more points in his bid to compete for the title in the finale at Miami-homestead.

Truex had a nearly 7-second lead over Chase Elliott in the final laps and won at Chicagoland for the second straight season.

“I don’t really care a whole lot about statements. I’m just having fun,” Truex said. “It’s important to come here and not let the pressure get to you, and I think we did a good job with that.”

Elliott was second, followed by Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson.

Truex’s No. 78 Toyota needed four tries through pre-race inspection before the car was cleared and later overcame an early pit-road penalty. By the end, there was no doubt the path to the NASCAR championship goes through Truex.

Of the other playoff drivers on Sunday, Brad Keselowski was sixth, Jimmie Johnson was eighth, Matt Kenseth ninth, Jamie Mcmurray 10th, Ryan Blaney 11th, Kyle Busch 15th, Austin Dillon 16th, Kurt Busch 19th, Kasey Kahne 21st, Ryan Newman 23rd and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 25th.

Kyle Busch led 85 laps from the pole and won the first stage as he positioned the

No. 18 Toyota as the car to beat.

Busch was forced to pit because of a loose tire, then his Joe Gibbs Racing crew was penalized for going over the wall too soon, which would drop him back to 30th.