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Pit strategies are like a set of people throwing darts simultaneously and expecting that all hit the bullseye. One never really knows what will work and what won’t; when to commit to the pit lane and replenish the fuel tank or when to get a tire change; decisions like these go a long way to deciding the results of the race. And that was evident from the way Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr dropped the ball yet again at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last week.
As much as it might hurt the #19 team, the regular season champion is not in the position where his fans had expected him to be before the postseason commenced. With a bag full of bonus points, Truex Jr sits in the top 3 on the driver’s standings. However, every single week seems to unravel a new angle to his 2023 playoff miseries.
While Martin Truex Jr scored his first top-10 finish of the playoffs in Vegas, his day could have perhaps been a lot better had his crew chief James Small not kept him wandering on the track all alone after a 14-lap stint on fresh tires, while the others drove down the pit lane.
And that could have worked if there were a few more drivers running with him. However, that didn’t happen as NASCAR brought out the yellow flag separating Stages 1 and 2. The rest of the field took advantage of their fresh tires and gained positions. Alas, the Toyota sensation dropped back even after showing great speed throughout the race.
Truex Jr hesitated to follow the orders under the yellow flag but ultimately went with what Small said. When FOX Sports journalist Bob Pockrass brought up the mishap from last week, Truex Jr shook his head, trying to shake off the memories of the nightmare-like situation. Reluctant to even talk about it, Truex Jr mouthed, “In that scenario, I did feel weird about the decision.”
The 43-year-old Stafford native exclaimed that he would have overruled his crew chief’s decision if he could re-live the moment. Interestingly, even Small told Truex Jr that the latter should have paid no heed to the former’s pit call. “James (Small) told me after the fact I should have in that situation.”
“But in the end, crew chiefs know a lot more than racing drivers when the race is going on, so I go with that,” he added.
However, this time, he admitted that they have plenty of new tires and tires are not going to cause problems for them anymore. But was the call absolutely unnecessary? If so, why did Small even take the risk?
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The playoffs have not really been a smooth ride for Martin Truex Jr. There was a point when he even faced the danger of getting chucked off of the contention. That would have made him the first driver ever to have been ousted from the playoff battle despite being the regular season champion. Thanks to the crash between Corey LaJoie and Joey Logano at Bristol Motor Speedway, Truex Jr. was able to do what he had to do in order to advance into the round of 12.
Hence, Small was afraid that if Truex Jr lost positions in the race, they would never be able to recover from the loss. And that is exactly why he felt like staying out on the track and upfront would corkscrew their hold on the track position. But that strategy works when a minimum of 4 or 5 drivers stay out with him.
