By Jared Turner

Following a big restart with nine laps to go in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400, Martin Truex Jr. was driving away from the field and appeared to have the race firmly in hand. Then, just when it seemed that all hope was lost for everyone else, the caution flag waved, erasing Truex’s healthy lead and setting the stage for a green-white-checkered finish. Truex got a decent restart but lost the lead to Kyle Larson, who got a huge jump from the second row and blew past Truex and Truex’s rookie teammate, Erik Jones. Then, once Larson was out front in clean air, it was all over. Larson, who led only the final two laps, pulled away to the victory while Truex finished second on a day when he really should have been standing in Victory Lane. Want to know something? Some cautions really do change everything.