Truex Is Still the Odds-On Title Favorite

By Jared Turner

Martin Truex Jr. entered the playoffs as a heavy favorite to capture his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. Sunday’s playoff opener at Chicagoland did nothing to change Truex’s standing. Already the No. 1 seed in the 16-driver playoff field based on the playoff points he amassed for race wins and stage wins in the regular season, Truex cruised to his fifth win of the season and in the process punched his ticket to the Round of 12. Now guaranteed of advancing, Truex can spend the next two races fine-tuning for the next round and trying to add to his already massive number of playoff points, which transfer from one round to the next. The bottom line? While anything can happen, the Furniture Row Racing driver is in a terrific position to be one of the four drivers who compete for the title in the season-ending race at Homestead.