Truex Jr. wins NASCAR Chase opener

Martin Truex Jr. has scored victory in the opening race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup after winning the race off pit road and then the re-start in an overtime finish at Chicagoland Speedway.

It was his third win of the season and importantly guarantees that he will progress to the next phase of NASCAR’s version of the playoffs.

The race looked to be in the hands of young sensation Chase Elliott, but just a handful of laps from the finish a caution was called after Michael McDowell had a tyre explode scattering debris all over the track.

Truex’s crew were better when it counted on the pit road as he was serviced with four fresh tyres to re-start ahead of Elliott.

With a number of cars trying to hold-on with older rubber, Truex vaulted around them and passed Ryan Blaney for the lead with a lap remaining.

Joey Logano finished second ahead of Elliott, Blaney and Brad Keselowski.

Truex had to come back from an early puncture when he lost the lead lap. He gained the “Lucky Dog” soon after and made his way back to the front. He had been taking time out of the lead of Elliott when the final caution was called.

“There was a long way to go at that point,” Truex said. “On one hand it was the bad luck’s going to bite us again and on the other we’ve got a lot of time to make it up. We’re lucky it happened early and we were able to have an awesome race car all day.”

Chase drivers Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson had a tough day after both started off the rear for modifications to their cars after qualifying. Harvick quickly worked his way into the top 10, but went a lap down when he came in for a green-flag pit stop when a caution came out. From that point he could not catch a break and he finished 20th.

Larson had a tyre issue late which also took him out of any contention and he finished 18th.

The 270-lap race tied the track-low with four cautions and featured nine different leaders. Jimmie Johnson led all drivers with 118 laps led. Johnson was slapped with a penalty for speeding on pit road late in the race, that pushed him back to a 12th-place finish.

As much as the focus was on who won, attention was also on the points battle with Chase driver Austin Dillon, Harvick, Larson and Chris Buescher sitting in the bottom four positions.

16 drivers will become 12 after Dover in two weeks’ time, in-between is the race at New Hampshire.

UPDATE
Both cars from race winner Truex and Johnson failed a post-race technical inspection. NASCAR will later this week hand down penalties, but it has been confirmed that the infraction is a low breach. Truex will keep the race win, including his advancement to the next stage of the Chase, but a financial and points penalty is expected.

VIDEO: Race wrap

RESULTS: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 – Chicagoland Speedway

STANDINGS