LOUDON, N.H. (July 19, 2015) — Martin Truex Jr.’s 12th-place finish could be summarized as either disappointing or impressive, it’s just a matter of which way one would assess the final result in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
While comfortably running in sixth place and turning lap times quicker than some of the cars in front of him, Truex came down pit road under green for his final stop with 55 laps remaining. But the early timing of the green-flag pit stop for tires and fuel turned out to be an unlucky break for Truex.
Six laps later a caution came out and Truex found himself stuck in 23rd place on a track that is known for its high degree of difficulty to pass on. But Truex sucked it up, kicked it in to another gear and drove tenaciously in the final 43 laps, picking up 11 spots in his No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet.
“To come back from 23rd to 12th with 43 (laps) to go was pretty awesome driving by Martin,” said crew chief Cole Pearn. “If there were a few more laps we could have had a top-10. We only made minor changes throughout the race and felt that we had a top-three car. But what is encouraging is that what we learned today we can build on when we return here for the second Chase race in September.”
Truex, who started 15th, entered the top-10 on Lap 117. At the halfway mark he was positioned in eighth place. And with 100 laps remaining he was running fourth at the 1.058-mile flat track.
“We got a bad break on the timing of the final pit stop and that took away any chance of the top-five or better finish,” said Truex. “We did rally back, but we were sure better than 12th today.”
Truex remains fifth in driver points and sixth in the Chase playoff standings. There are seven races remaining before the 16-driver, 10-race Chase begins.
The 5-Hour Energy 301 winner was Kyle Busch. Rounding out the top-10 in order were: Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Austin Dillon, Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch.
There were nine lead changes among seven drivers and seven caution flags for 34 laps.
The next Sprint Cup race is Sunday, July 26 — the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
