Martin Truex Jr. make gave response to rival after pestering him on Championship 4

A playoff that has been miserable for Martin Truex Jr., the regular-season champion, only got worse Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Within moments of teammate Denny Hamlin hitting the wall and ending his race after 236 of 267 laps, Truex came to pit road with his car smoking, his day also done.

Truex and Hamlin — who ended the regular season first and second before the points were reset — both head to next week’s elimination race at Martinsville 17 points from the cutline and a chance to join teammate Christopher Bell in the championship race in two weeks at Phoenix.

Sunday proved to be yet another disappointing day for Truex and his No. 19 team. He narrowly avoided becoming the first regular-season champion eliminated in the first round and slipped through the second round due to the playoff points he earned in the regular season.

“Everything has gone wrong,” crew chief James Small said after the No. 19 car was pushed to the garage. “Every conceivable thing.”

Only once has Truex finished better than 15th in eight playoff races this season.

Truex has been thwarted by a cut tire that caused him to crash (Kansas), a blown engine (Homestead), and a “terrible decision” as Small said about his call not to pit Truex last week at Las Vegas, costing Truex stage points.

“We can’t afford to give up points,” Truex said Saturday after winning the pole at Homestead. “We have to get all we can (Sunday). I feel like we missed a few in stage 2 last weekend. Hopefully, that doesn’t come back to haunt us.”

It could after Sunday’s race.

Truex, who finished 29th, left without talking to media Sunday.

Small aptly described the feelings of the team.

“Disappointing day,” he said.