NASCAR: 5 drivers who need a quick start at Darlington and Charlotte
Martin Truex Jr.
This may be the most surprising thing so far in the 2020 season: Martin Truex Jr. has not recorded a single top 10 finish in the first four races of the season.
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The season has been filled with frustration for Truex. He was involved in a crash in the Daytona 500, he lacked speed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he became frustrated with his teammates racing him hard at Auto Club Speedway before a pit issue knocked him out of contention, and to top it all off, he was involved in a crash at Phoenix Raceway.
The loss of Cole Pearn on top of the pit box has seemed to affect Truex and the #19 team. It has taken longer than expected for him and new crew chief James Small to hit the nail on the head and get going.
Truex sits in 15th place in the championship standings and is in the playoff picture as of right now, but this is still far lower and a lot less comfortable than where he has been in recent seasons.
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This 10-week break was probably good for Truex and all of Joe Gibbs Racing. He did win at Darlington Raceway back in 2016, so he has proven that he can get the job done there. He also has two wins in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2016 and 2019. Once he gets going, he will be back as a top contender and a favorite for this year’s championship. But he needs to start soon.