Truex wins pole after bolts were confiscated from his car

TALLADEGA, ALA. — Martin Truex Jr. showed up at Talladega Superspeedway determined to be at the front of the field and in control of his chances in NASCAR’s playoffs.

A pole-winning run Saturday put him at the top of the field for the critical elimination race.

Truex turned a lap of 193.423 mph to earn the top starting spot today. The run came after NASCAR confiscated bolts from his Toyota, but Truex said he was not worried about ramifications to his Furniture Row Racing team.

“The jack bolt issue is really not a big issue,” Truex said. “They just took the left front, so it’s not a big issue.”

Winner of two races in the first round of the Chase, Truex is winless in round two but above the cutoff point. Four drivers will be cut from the field today.

“All we have to do is make it through to the next one,” he said. “We’ve got some good tracks coming up for us and [Sunday] is going to be a tough race. A lot is going to happen, but we just have to hope for the best and do the best job we can do.

“I feel good about my car, and it’s got a lot of speed in it, obviously.”

The inspection issue with Truex provided a little early drama on qualifying day, as there was some speculation the team could face a penalty. NASCAR typically issues penalties in the middle of the week, and a point deduction could in theory knock Truex out of the Chase.

However, NASCAR vice president of competition Scott Miller said a points penalty is unlikely and that Truex had no competitive advantage. The bolts taken could have been considered a safety issue, though.

Brad Keselowski, in nearly a must-win situation today, qualified second. Matt Kenseth qualified third and was followed by Chase Elliott, who is in a must-win situation today.