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Martin Truex Jr.‘s win at the LA Memorial Coliseum did not count in terms of points. However, it still meant a significant amount after a trying 2022 NASCAR Cup Series campaign.
There was a prominent storyline that arose as Truex went winless and missed the playoffs. He had speed, and he was in contention at numerous tracks. However, a late caution inevitably forced the field to line up once again, which opened up the opportunity for another driver to capture the win.
There were concerns that this trend would continue during a caution-filled Busch Light Clash. Truex led 25 laps, and he had a very fast car, but he also had to hold off the field multiple times during the second half of the race. This included one pivotal restart after Michael McDowell slowed on the track and brought out the caution.
“It’s frustrating when you’ve got a big lead, and like the 34 was trying to — he rode around at like 10 miles an hour for three or four laps; he should’ve just got off the d*** track, you know what I mean?” Truex said during a media session. “Obviously, he wasn’t going to finish the race, so why was he just riding around? So that was frustrating.”
“It came across my mind there when the 34 brought the caution out at the end,” crew chief James Small said after the race. “I’m like, ‘Oh, here we go. It just seems like it’s just the story of our life on the 19 car.’
“Yeah, no, [Truex] did great. You know, we were battling a lot at the end with our brakes and things like that. Very satisfying to save all those restarts, and he did awesome.”
Truex Delivered a Statement in California
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GettyMartin Truex Jr. meets with media members.
There were multiple reasons why this win was meaningful for Truex and the No. 19 team at Joe Gibbs Racing. It kicked off the schedule on a positive note. More importantly, it flipped the script after a frustrating Busch Light Clash in 2022.
The majority of Toyota drivers struggled during the first trip to the LA Memorial Coliseum. Truex, in particular, started the main event last after making the show with the points provisional, and he struggled to make any moves through the field. He ultimately finished 15th out of the 23-car field.
The 2023 iteration of the race was a completely different set of circumstances. Truex had one of the best cars all weekend, and he was one of the top picks to secure the win. He was able to achieve this goal after starting the main event second overall and avoiding a significant amount of chaos during the 150 green flag laps.
“It’s huge. It’s a huge confidence booster,” Truex said. “Just reminds you that you’re doing the right stuff. Honestly, we were probably the worst car here last year, literally, besides maybe the guys that didn’t have charters. We were just God awful. We barely made the race. Rode around the back and I spun out by myself on the last lap it was so bad, you know, trying to pass one car.
“To come back this year and be first in practice, I was really honestly nervous last night. I went to bed thinking today was going to suck. It was going to be a long day because it’s going to be hard to pass and we were starting sixth in our heat on the outside.
“They only take five. It’s like, well, if you finish fifth you’re still going to suck in the race because you’re going to start 20th. To be able to drive up through the field in the heat and win, that was just huge. It was a huge confidence builder.”
Truex Now Has Another Goal Ahead of Him
GettyMartin Truex Jr. celebrates after winning the Busch Light Clash.
Capturing the trophy at the LA Memorial Coliseum kicked off Truex’s year on a high note, and it unofficially ended his winless streak. Now he will move forward into the points-paying portion of the schedule, and he will pursue another goal.
As a competitive driver, Truex wants to win every single race on the schedule. He has that fire in him. This is not realistic due to the level of talent in the Cup Series, but there are some key tracks where he would like to finally celebrate in Victory Lane.
“You know, we’d like to win them all,” Truex said. “We’re 1 for 1 right now, so that’s a good way to start. Daytona 500 is a huge race. It’s the biggest race of the year for us, and going there with momentum is great. Been really close there before; it would be an awesome one to check off the list.”
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