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| Erik Jones (77) goes airborne in a crash with Jamie McMurray (1), Daniel Suarez (19) and others on Lap 197. Martin Truex Jr. (lower right) sneaks by on his way to eventual victory. |
It was another big day for Martin Truex Jr., as he captured his 7th win of the season at Kansas. Truex started on the pole, but he didn't sit out front for the whole race. On an early restart, the #78 was penalized for going onto the apron while leading the field to the green flag. Truex then ran into more trouble, with a vibration that put him a lap down. Somehow, Truex still recovered, coming back to lead the final 57 laps. He not only sweeps Kansas this year, but also becomes the first driver to win 7 races in a season since Matt Kenseth in 2013. Kurt Busch, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-5 at Kansas. Also having impressive runs were Chris Buescher in 6th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 7th, and Aric Almirola in 9th.
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| Kyle Larson blows an engine early in the Hollywood Casino 400, ending up 39th. |
Several "playoff" drivers ran into trouble during the Hollywood Casino 400. Jimmie Johnson spun on two separate occasions, but recovered to finish 11th. Matt Kenseth was collected in a large crash on Lap 197, and forced out of the race on a 'crash clock' technicality. But the biggest letdown of all was when Kyle Larson blew an engine early, and finished back in 39th. This cost Larson, who has been a championship contender all season long, a spot in the next round of the playoffs. I've never seen so many people on Twitter lash out at the current points system!
Looking at the updated 'classic' top-5, Larson lost 42 points to Truex Jr. at Kansas. While he hasn't been 'eliminated,' Larson's chance of catching Truex Jr. took a major blow this weekend. But does 'officially' eliminating Larson make any sense? This is where the playoff format gets tested; does Ryan Blaney, who is 16th in the classic format, really deserve a shot at the championship? Or Jimmie Johnson, who only has 11 top-tens on the year? NASCAR would have to be embarrassed if Truex Jr. or Kyle Busch were not in the "final four" at Homestead.
With four races to go in the season, Truex has all but secured his first 'classic' championship. For Kyle Busch to catch up, he has to hope something goes wrong for the 78. Truex's 60-point advantage is his largest lead all season. If you're Kyle Larson, your biggest regret has to be the 35-point penalty after Kentucky. Remember, it's a full season marathon, not a Game 7 finish. One blown motor shouldn't immediately drop the 42 from contention.
Next up on the Cup schedule is Martinsville, the final short track race of 2017 (unfortunately). Watch for Hamlin, Keselowski, Johnson, and Kyle Busch to all race hard here; they all consistently run well at the track. One advantage for Kyle Busch: points leader Martin Truex Jr. has never won at Martinsville, and has an average finish of 20th there. It could be a chance for the 18 to gain back some points.
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| Martin Truex Jr. does a burnout after winning the Hollywood Casino 400. |
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