RICHMOND, Va, – Martin Truex Jr. Assumed the lead whilst Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch was penalized for dashing with about 50 laps to go and received the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night time.
The victory changed into the 0.33 for Truex inside the closing five races at Richmond. He got the lead when Busch turned into stuck dashing coming into pit street at some point of green flag pit stops, inflicting him to relinquish a large lead and fall lower back to tenth.
Truex led a 1-2-three end for JGR, with Denny Hamlin finishing 2d and Christopher Bell. And Truex did it after being black-flagged on the primary lap for beating Hamlin, the pole-sitter, to the start-finish line for the start of the race.
“That become irritating, I’m no longer going to lie, but I knew we had an amazing enough vehicle to overcome it,” Truex said approximately the penalty.
The end marked the sixth time JGR cars swept the top three spots.
“We needed just a couple greater laps. That’s all.” Hamlin said.
The penalty despatched Truex to the lower back of the sphere, but as he has executed repeatedly due to the fact that finishing an eighty-race winless drought on tracks shorter than a mile at the start of his career, he masterfully worked his manner lower back into competition.
Defending series champion Chase Elliott became fourth, observed by way of Joey Logano and factors-chief Kyle Larson, who started the race in the back of the field after twice failing pre-race inspection. Larson did, but, control to clinch his spot in the 2nd spherical of the playoffs, which start after one more race.
Hamlin, as he did inside the spring right here, gained both levels and led the most laps – 207 in the spring, 197 in this race – however didn't comply with his victory last weekend with every other on the tune approximately 20 miles from where he grew up.
Playoff driving force Kurt Busch finished remaining after his left rear tire went down and he crashed into the wall in Turn 1. Busch completed handiest 40 of the 400 laps.
"After the pit forestall, some thing within the left rear wasn’t proper," Busch stated. "The guys stated they got the tire tight. They made an adjustment and there was no rub and the left rear permit cross. I simply radioed to them how unfastened the car become. Something came about with that left rear. It allow pass."
PRE-RACE TRIBUTE
Fans were given small American flags as they entered the track and were encouraged to stand and wave them as a fire truck and two police SUVs, all with lights flashing, led the pace vehicles on the pre-race parade laps.
As the tribute unfolded, a chant of “USA! USA!” erupted in the stands.
PLAYOFF PROBLEMS
William Byron and Michael McDowell’s playoff experiences are going poorly.
Byron finished 34th last week at Darlington and 19th at Richmond. McDowell finish 37th – last – last week and had three speeding penalties and finished 29th at Richmond. The third penalty came while he was serving the second.
UP NEXT
The series wraps up the opening round of the playoffs, and narrows the championship field from 16 to 12, on another short track with the annual Saturday night race around the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway.
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