The third-year Cup driver at Joe Gibbs Racing had started the season getting caught up in a wreck in the Daytona 500 and a week later retired before half-distance at Fontana with an engine failure.
After a 10th-place finish at Las Vegas – on a weekend where the Toyota driver did win the pole – he spun out at Phoenix and finished a disappointing 26th. That left the 27-year-old languishing 30th in the series standings and seemingly a long way from a win or the playoffs.
