Martin Truex Jr. feels his team has 'turned the page' after rough start to playoffs

After qualifying P4 on Saturday, Martin Truex Jr. is hoping to turn his fortunes around. The NASCAR Playoffs have been rough, to say the least. Truex Jr. is into the Round of 8, almost entirely due to his regular season championship. Now, he has to earn his way into Phoenix.

Those bonus points won’t carry him to the championship. Without a single top-15 finish in these playoffs, Truex needs a big performance. At Las Vegas, he doesn’t have to win. However, he’s going to need a top-5 finish to make some noise and show a sign of life.

Good news, Martin Truex Jr. believes his team has turned a new leaf. He doesn’t feel that the past six races have anything to do with today in Las Vegas.

“I felt like the guys did a great job on having a good car to unload with,” Truex said, via Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. “Felt really good throughout practice and the first round of qualifying. Knew we could get a little better. I did a little better and they made the car a little better and we came real close there. Just had to crack the throttle a little bit in [Turns] 3 and 4, I got a little tight. Besides from that, it was a really good lap and it’s hanging in there right now so, should be a good starting spot, and excited for tomorrow.”

Martin Truex Jr. is confident in his team.

“No. I mean we’re in a good spot to start this round so all that, this last six races are done and over with and we’ve turned the page. So, started this weekend off good, we had a great day today in practice and qualifying and that’s all you need to get things going.”

Martin Truex Jr. will start fourth today at Las Vegas. He doesn’t have a top-15 finish in the playoffs, and he said the team has put the last six weeks behind them. pic.twitter.com/W4jp9vjWf2

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 15, 2023

Martin Truex Jr. has the track position to start

If we break down what has gone wrong in the NASCAR Playoffs for Truex, it is a lot of things. He’s had bad luck, bad races, slow cars, and about everything in between. Starting fourth, he will have his best starting position since he was P3 at Kansas qualifying.

If not for a flat tire on the first lap of the race, who knows how that would have gone for the 19 team? He was also in a top-5 starting position at Brisotl, but fell back in the field and never really recovered.

So, good news, Martin Truex Jr. has track position to start. However, we’ve seen him have insanely bad luck and a slow car regardless of that earlier in these playoffs. I know Truex says his team has turned the page, but Stage 1 will say a lot about what this car is capable of today. Teammate Christopher Bell is on the pole to start.

Although recent history says not to, I’m taking Truex Jr. at his word here. Las Vegas is a track that he has had an insanely consistent record at. The last time he qualified P4 in Vegas was in 2021, both races that year, and he was P6 and P4 in those events. He has finished in the top-10 in 11 of the last 12 races at Vegas and has two wins in that time.

Martin Truex Jr. gets things turned around today in the South Point 400.