Truex grateful for no-penalty decision
LOUDON, N.H. — Martin Truex Jr. said he was uneasy as he sat down in the NASCAR hauler where officials summon drivers accused of rules infractions, bruised from fistfights or guilty of poor decorum.
“Anyone feel like they’re in trouble for being here?” he asked.
The setting was unfamiliar for one of NASCAR’s more popular drivers around the garage, but he was in the hauler not because he was in trouble. With a smile, Truex insisted he’s been a stock car model citizen through 396 career races, where not one has ended with him being called to the sport’s version of the principal’s office.
“It’s a good record,” he said, laughing.
Truex’s win Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in the Chase opener came under scrutiny when the No. 78 Toyota failed the post-race laser inspection. His car was tagged with infractions that should have drawn a 10-point penalty. Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet failed the same inspection and was subject to the same penalty until NASCAR decided not to punish the drivers.
Truex said he hoped he could escape the accusation that the Furniture Row Racing team had cheated.
“You don’t want people to think you’re winning races by what they call ‘cheating,’” he said Friday. “You have people on social media and they get upset about it. It was such a little thing. It so easily could have went the other way. It’s frustrating that it kind of taints your win a little bit.”
Truex would have kept his win and advanced to the second round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship even
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TV: Track: Distance: if NASCAR had levied a points fine. NASCAR did make one change for Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway — all 16 Chase cars will go through laser inspection after only nine did after the Chase opener.
Carl Edwards, a fellow Chase driver, backed NASCAR’s decision to reverse course on a points penalty for the drivers.
“They police this sport the way that we have asked them to police it,” he said.
EDWARDS ON POLE
Carl Edwards turned a lap of 135.453 mph to win the Sprint Cup pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He took the top spot Friday for the third time in the last four New Hampshire races and he won his sixth pole of the season.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has failed to win in 24 career starts at New Hampshire.
Edwards led the way for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship drivers. Martin Truex Jr. joined Edwards on the front row.
Ryan Newman will start third, followed by Chase drivers Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray, and Matt Kenseth.
Chase drivers Chris Buescher and Austin Dillon failed to advance out of the first round of qualifying. Fellow Chase drivers Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart failed to get out of the second round.