As Sunday’s race neared its end, Denny Hamlin was in the lead, but Martin Truex Jr. was catching up quickly with fresher tires. However, things changed when Kyle Busch spun out, causing a caution and extending the race by two laps.
During the caution, all the lead cars went to pit for new tires and fuel. While most teams took two new tires, Truex’s team chose to put on four. This decision pushed Truex back to 10th place for the restart.
Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher passed Hamlin on the restart, leading to a close finish where Larson won by a small margin. Truex could only manage fourth place.
Truex explained that restarting from 10th with four tires made it challenging to advance in just two laps. He felt frustrated because he believed he had a chance to win if things had gone differently.
Truex felt confident he could have overtaken Hamlin if the race had stayed green. However, he remains without a win this season, sitting in second place in the standings, trailing Larson by 29 points.
Despite the disappointment, Truex acknowledged the team’s efforts and the improvement of his car throughout the race. He regrets missing out on the win but understands the challenges of making strategic decisions during the race.
Truex’s decision to pit for four tires might not have been the right call since many teams opted for just two tires after a long green flag run. However, he remains optimistic about his chances in future races.
