As the checkered flag waved on the 2017 season Sunday night, Martin Truex Jr. became our newest champion. It has indeed been a season to remember for Truex who has risen in the past five years from just another driver to a Monster Energy Cup Series champion.
There's one thing I have zero tolerance for in the world of motorsports, and that's when incompetence puts the safety of drivers at risk. NASCAR, your safety team needs a lot of work.
Four years ago, Martin Truex Jr. sat on his front porch thinking his career was over. Four years later, he held off a hard charging Kyle Busch to win the Ford EcoBoost 400 and the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.
After posting a lap that was three-tenths faster than his closest competitor while he was on track, pole position all but belonged to Martin Truex Jr. But after time expired, Denny Hamlin edged him out by five-one thousandths of a second and took the pole for the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
All three series head to Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend to crown their champions. The Camping World Truck Series finale will air on FS1 Friday evening, followed by the XFINITY Series race Saturday afternoon on NBCSN. Sunday the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will hit the track for the title event at 3 p.m. on NBC to determine its 2017 champion.
For most of his life, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has walked in the shadow of his famous father. Each victory has been celebrated while every misstep has led to the inevitable comparison to a legacy that is larger than life.
With the final race of the 2017 Monster Energy Cup series looming, four drivers go into Homestead hoping to hoist the trophy come Sunday night. Before the green flag waves on Sunday, here's how the Championship 4 have fared at Homestead-Miami Speedway.