Martin Truex Jr. was 'too loose' to catch Ross Chastain during Ally 400
When it came down to it, Martin Truex Jr. just didn’t have enough in his car to catch Ross Chastain at the end of the Ally 400. The NASCAR veteran has been on a hot streak and continues that with another top-5 finish at Nashville. However, he was hoping to put his No. 19 Toyota Camry back in Victory Lane.
Ever since his win at Dover, Truex has been on an absolute tear. It isn’t just good finishes, he is poking his nose around for a win week in and out. There are shades of that driver we saw from the 2017-2019 seasons in this year, despite the win total not matching up to that season.
Despite leading for 50 laps and having a really strong No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Martin Truex Jr. just didn’t have enough to beat Ross Chastain.
“Just needed to get the lead,” Truex Jr. said after the race on pit road. “Once we lost it, I probably made a bad move taking the bottom on a restart. Just too loose in the long runs. I could hang with whoever was leading. Just could never get off the corner good enough to get a move. Just lacking side bite. Overall just burning the rear tires off too much.
“Just really loose at the end of the race there as well. Just needed a little bit. Got lots of speed. Just could never get the balance where it needed to be. Without having clean air, it was difficult, so… Overall good night for our Bass Pro Tracker Toyota Camaro. Guys are doing a great job. Just that close again. If we can keep doing this, we will be in good shape.”
Can Martin Truex Jr. make it five top-5s in a row next weekend at Chicago?
Martin Truex Jr. dominant in last four races
Looking at the season the 19 is having this year, there is a reason to be excited about his chances to win the championship. He is having a streak like he did between 2017-2019. Winning races, racking up top-5s, and having good races every week.
In fact, this is his best streak of finishes since 2020 when Truex Jr. rattled off eight top-5 finishes in a row. However, that was a different situation. That season the Cup Series would race at the two-race tracks back-to-back. So it’s not like going from one city to the next for each race.
I would argue his streak this season is more impressive and it isn’t even over yet. With how good Truex is at road courses, he could perform well in Chicago on the streets. At the very least, he leads the points standings and has put himself in contention for the regular season championship.
So, keep your eye out for Martin Truex Jr. He’s likely to be near the front of the next race with a good chance to win. That is if he keeps up his high level of racing as the season continues. He tends to not cool off when he gets hot.