Martin Truex Jr. expressed his frustration in a dramatic manner following his loss at Richmond.
During the Toyota Owner’s 400 at Martinsville, Martin Truex Jr. experienced a low point in his career. The former Cup champion was defeated by his teammate Denny Hamlin in overtime, leaving him extremely angry. Truex Jr. had been leading for over 200 laps and was on the verge of securing his first victory of 2024 when NASCAR called for caution on lap 399.
After the race, Martin Truex Jr. did not hold back his thoughts. He was quick to criticize the caution call and accused Denny Hamlin of jumpstarting. The driver of the No. 19 Toyota even accused Hamlin of using overly aggressive moves against him. However, a former NASCAR driver has come forward to dispute Truex Jr.’s claims, reminding him that he has done the same during the race.
Regardless of how agitated Martin Truex Jr. was, the son of a NASCAR legend was not impressed with his approach to the situation. He believes that the incident was not as serious as Truex Jr. made it out to be in his post-race interview, and that Hamlin’s moves were something that many drivers in the Cup grid have been doing for a long time.
One of the main controversies from last week was the alleged jumpstart by Denny Hamlin. Television replays clearly showed Hamlin moving early in the designated zone. The three-time Daytona 500 winner defended himself, stating that he moved inside the zone as he should have. NASCAR also reviewed the situation and cleared him of any wrongdoing, stating that it was a close call but not illegal.
Addressing all the drama, Kyle Petty told Martin Truex Jr. that he should have been more cautious during the restart, especially considering that he had been beaten at the pit-stop. The former racer believes that the driver of the No. 19 Camry should have been more prepared to make the first move when approaching the green-white-checkered.
The controversies surrounding the jumpstart will likely continue to be discussed by NASCAR fans, as it involved Hamlin, a highly disliked racer, going against Truex Jr., a highly loved racer. However, at the end of the day, the drivers have moved on and shifted their focus to upcoming events.