By Jared Turner

Martin Truex Jr. continued his magical 2017 by completing the Kansas Speedway season sweep and winning for the seventh time and third time in six playoff races. Thanks to all the playoff points he’s amassed, Truex enters the Round of 8 with a significant points cushion over his fellow championship contenders — making him all but assured of reaching the Championship 4. If there’s any reason to doubt Truex’s championship credentials, it’s the fact that the season-ending winner-take-all race is at Homestead-Miami Speedway — a mile-and-a-half track where he’s finished no better than 12th in three starts with his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team. But regardless of his struggles at the South Florida facility, Truex unequivocally remains the championship favorite — especially in light of his dominance this season at the 1.5-mile tracks. Truex and the team plan to test at Homestead on Tuesday in preparation for the all-important season finale.