April 1, 2024

Martin Truex Jr. was the favorite to win the Toyota Owners 400 on Sunday night, according to sportsbooks, and the Joe Gibbs Racing driver showed up with the best car. He didn't get the win, though. Despite leading 228 of the 407 laps, Truex ended up with a disappointing fourth-place finish after a late caution and restart closed the door on the No. 19 Toyota cruising to victory. The aforementioned restart just added to Truex's frustrations, as he believed that Denny Hamlin (his teammate and race winner) illegally jumped the restart and should have been penalized. Truex ended up bumping both Hamlin and Kyle Larson after the race completed to air his frustrations. After the race, he stated, "It's unfortunate. You know, unfortunately, this has happened here a few times over the years. We were in a great spot, and had a great Auto-Owners Camry all night long. The guys did a real good job. Just got beat out of the pits. I don't know. He jumped the start, and then just used me up in Turn 1. It definitely sucks, but good solid day and another car capable of winning." On a positive note, Truex is still the series points leader after seven races, and the next Cup Series event is at Martinsville Speedway, where Truex has won three times in his career.--Jordan McAbee
Source: TobyChristie.com