Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

A19
SPORTS Monday 18 SepteMber 2017

NASCAR’s Playoffs

Continued from Page 19

an automatic berth in the go and lap the field twice,”
second round of the play- crew chief Cole Pearn said.
offs, piling on more points in “I think he was pretty mo-
his bid to compete for the tivated this whole week-
title in the finale at Home- end.”
stead. Truex insisted he forgot
A driver with three Cup about the debacle at
wins in his first 10 seasons, Richmond the moment he
Truex has nine over the last boarded the plane home.
two years for Furniture Row As the closing laps ticked Martin Truex Jr. celebrates with his crew in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Monster En-
ergy Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017.
Racing. off a week later, Truex said Associated Press
“I think we all realize it’s he refused to think another
just a unique time in his- potential win would roll off
tory, in all our lives, that this the rails.
has come together,” team “I don’t really care a whole
owner Barney Visser said. lot about statements. I’m
Truex was in cruise control just having fun,” Truex said.
over the final 55 laps and “It’s important to come
built a nearly 7-second lead here and not let the pres-
over Chase Elliott to win at sure get to you, and I think
Chicagoland for the sec- we did a good job with
ond straight season. Truex’s that.”
car flunked inspection fol- Truex’s longtime girlfriend,
lowing the win last season Sherry Pollex , was by his
and the No. 78 Toyota ran side in victory lane, even as
into more issues Sunday — she battles a recurrence of
the car needed four tries ovarian cancer .
through pre-race inspec- “I’m a lot better driver these
tion before it was cleared days because of her and
and Truex later overcame what she’s been through,”
an early pit-road penalty. he said. “We’ve learned
By the end, there was no a lot about life together.
doubt the path to the NAS- We continue to face every
CAR championship goes challenge head on and
through the 37-year-old not scared.”
Truex. Pollex was smart enough to
Elliott was second, followed step aside from the slime.
by playoff drivers Kevin The Furniture Row Racing
Harvick, Denny Hamlin and crew was bathed in the
Kyle Larson. ooze and champagne dur-
Truex again seemed right ing a raucous victory lane
at home on the 1.5-mile celebration.
track. Truex had wins this Truex entered the playoffs
season on 1.5-mile tracks at the No. 1 seed with four
at Las Vegas Motor Speed- wins, 18 stage wins and
way, Kansas Speedway he totaled a whopping 53
and Kentucky Speedway. bonus points that he can
Truex had a win snatched keep through the first three
from him last week at Rich- playoff rounds.
mond because of a late Truex leads the standings
caution and he ended up by 27 points over Larson.
crashing. He and his team Here are other items of
looked downright miser- note from Chicagoland:
able accepting the regular BUSCH’S RUN
season title trophy. Kyle Busch led 85 laps from
“After last week, he was the pole and won the first
like, I want to go to Chica- stage as he positioned the