Truex on his Win Being buried by Vegas Fight

Most race weekends, a driver winning the race is the top story. But on some weekends, the race win gets buried under other events.

Last weekend in Sin City fell into the latter category.

Martin Truex Jr., who led 150 of 267 laps, passed Brad Keselowski with two laps to go — thanks to a broken part on his car — and scored the victory in the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

It was his fourth victory in the last 15 races, half of his career victories, which is significant considering he went 218 races between his first career win in 2007 and second win in 2013, and another 69 before winning his third two years later.

Putting aside the well-documented perseverance of his career, he also swept all three stages in the race.

Any other weekend, his performance would’ve been the top story.

But it played second-fiddle to the post-race brawl between Kyle Busch and Joey Logano following the conclusion of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas.

Truex was a little disappointed that his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota team didn’t get the spotlight, but his team “got the trophy and the points” and that’s all that matters “at the end of the day.”

“Hate it a little bit for my team for maybe not getting the recognition they deserve, but all in all, we got what we wanted out of Vegas, and looking forward to making positive highlights,” he said.

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Tucker White
Tucker White
I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

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