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NASCAR: Five Lessons Learned From Talladega

By Michael Guadalupe

Oct 21, 2016; Talladega, AL, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) and driver Kyle Busch (18) and driver Denny Hamlin (11) and driver Martin Truex Jr. (78) practice for the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 21, 2016; Talladega, AL, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) and driver Kyle Busch (18) and driver Denny Hamlin (11) and driver Martin Truex Jr. (78) practice for the Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 28, 2014; Dover, DE, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr stands on pit road prior to the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
Martin Truex Jr. blew an engine at Talladega and it ruined his Chase chances. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O /

Truex’s Troubles Show Some Of The Issues With The Chase

Martin Truex Jr. has been fantastic this season. He’s won four races and looked like a championship team in the Chase.

Now the driver of the 78 car won’t be moving onto the Round of 8, all thanks to a blown engine at Talladega.

His troubles are a great reminder of how one bad race can completely ruin a driver’s Chase. Truex didn’t have bad races at Charlotte or Kansas, but without a win in the Round of 12 he was vulnerable to the issues that happen at Talladega.

Truex’s issues at Talladega bring to attention some of the issues with the Chase. He wont two races in the Round of 16, one more than what was needed to move on to the next round. The second win at Dover, besides for proving that the 78 team was championship ready, did nothing for his Chase hopes.

It didn’t lock him into another round, it didn’t give him a points cushion, it did absolutely nothing for his standings in the Chase.

When he entered the Round of 12 he was just as vulnerable as everyone else, even after winning two races in the Round of 16.

With his engine blowing at Talladega, Truex went to the garage and was eliminated from the Chase when Talladega was over. The only driver to win two Chase won’t be competing at Homestead and it’s just another reminder that NASCAR needs to add more importance to multiple wins in one round of the Chase.

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