The 2017 Winston Cup Series: Truex Jr. wins, Busch struggles

Kyle Busch had a rough Bank of America 500, finishing 29th. Busch hit the wall several times throughout the race, and needed medical attention after exiting his car.

     Sunday's race couldn't have gone better for Martin Truex Jr., and couldn't have gone worse for Kyle Busch. While Truex Jr. led 91 of 337 laps en-route to his 6th win of 2017, Busch got into the wall several times during the race, and brought out three separate cautions. Busch wound up 29th, six laps down. Upon exiting his Toyota, Busch needed prompt medical attention after the race, due to excessive heat inside his race car, and higher carbon monoxide levels due to the car's damage. Adding insult to injury, Busch lost all the ground he recently gained on Truex Jr. in the 'classic' point standings... Coming home 2nd in the Bank of America 500 was Chase Elliott (yet again), followed by Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Jamie McMurray.

Some random thoughts on this year's Bank of America 500:
--This was the first fall Charlotte race scheduled for Sunday afternoon since 2002. Not only that, but the 2pm start was pushed up to 1pm due to rain in the forecast (which thankfully never showed up). I forgot how nice those early afternoon starts are; getting a race done before 5 o'clock... Maybe NASCAR should keep that in mind!
--For how well he's raced all season, it's amazing that Kevin Harvick only has one win to show for it (Sonoma). Harvick leads 149 laps at Charlotte, but winds up in 3rd.
--After an abysmal summer, Jimmie Johnson has posted four top-10's in five races, including 7th at Charlotte. During that time, he's jumped to 11th in the classic standings.
--Jamie McMurray is having his most consistent season since 2004. "Jamie Mac" ran impressively well, getting his third top-5 of 2017, and his 16th top-10.
--Dale Jarrett's pace laps in tribute to Robert Yates were priceless, and a fitting move to remember the former car owner, who passed away last week...

     With six races to go in 2017, Truex Jr. leads Kyle Busch by a comfortable 46 points. If we compare that the old Winston Cup points structure, it's basically a 200-point lead. The rest of the top-5 remains unchanged, but Chase Elliott has jumped to 6th in points, past Brad Keselowski. Elliott has finished 2nd in three of the last four races... Both Johnson and Daniel Suarez jump ahead of Ryan Newman, who wrecked early at Charlotte and finished 40th.

Martin Truex Jr. celebrates his 6th win of 2017, a career best

     Next up on the schedule is one of my personal favorites, the fall race at Talladega. It's going to be unpredictable, wild, and will likely throw a wrench into the points race (Both this one and the real one). It's also Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s final race at his best track. Dale Jr. has six wins at Talladega, tied with Jeff Gordon for 2nd most all-time, and only behind his father Dale Sr. who had 10... While it's a stretch to say Jr. will get his 7th Talladega win Sunday, he will certainly get a heartfelt goodbye from the fans. Talladega won't be the same come next season...