Martin Truex Jr. 'fired up' to chase second NASCAR Cup Series championship

With his second NASCAR regular season championship in hand, Martin Truex Jr. will try and earn his second Cup Series championship as well. Ten races and four rounds of playoff action separate Truex Jr. from another Bill France Cup.

Martin Truex Jr. has been one of the best drivers over the last eight weeks of the NASCAR season. Honestly, taking it back to his first win at Dover this year, he’s been wildly consistent. There is a reason why he led the regular season in points.

With his trophy next to him on pit road, Truex Jr. alluded to repeating what he did in 2017. He will enter the first round tied with William Byron in playoff points. But those 15 bonus points will come in handy at some point.

“I feel as good as ever,” Truex said. He went on, “I feel like our team is really, really strong. I feel like we can be strong anywhere we go.

“A lot of the Playoff tracks seem to line up good for us. Always have. We’re optimistic, we’re hungry and excited. Fired up, ready to get going.”

Fans of the No. 19 should be very excited about his chances. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver will head to tracks he’s had a lot of success at. Honestly, he’s done well in the playoffs pretty much his entire career.

It is no wonder why Martin Truex Jr. feels confident. He’s ready to “go out on top” and secure the second championship of his career.

Martin Truex Jr. heads into playoffs with a head of steam

Looking at the first round of the playoffs, it does look to play into Truex’s strengths. Starting at Darlington, a racetrack that he has won at in the past, once in the spring, and once in the playoffs. He was the pole winner at the throwback race earlier this season.

The only issue is, Truex Jr. has to stay on the track. He has finished P31 in his last two attempts and hasn’t finished in the top-5 since he was P4 in September of 2021. Darlington is a track where drivers can get into a lot of trouble.

Then there is Kansas, another track that Truex has won at. He went back to back in 2017, sweeping the races that season on his way to the championship. Not to mention he has eight straight races of top-10 finishes or better. Going back to his last 13 starts at the track he has only failed to make the top-10 on one occasion.

That brings us to Bristol. Martin Truex Jr.’s worst track of the opening round. The good news is that it is the final race. So, if he builds up points and performs well in the first two races, Bristol isn’t that big of a deal. Stumbling once or twice can wreck your chances at a championship.