Martin Truex Jr. will have one last shot at a NASCAR Cup Series title this year, but a mistake at the start of the Southern 500 had him believing he had just thrown it all away. Losing control on Lap 3, he slammed the wall, watching helplessly as a 58-point buffer in the Series' points evaporated. Despite this, he still barely made it and is now one of just two drivers to advance into the playoffs on points alone.
“It was pretty wild, honestly," said Truex during Media Day interviews. "I wanted to leave Darlington, dig a hole and crawl into it for a few days. It was a terrible feeling. I felt like it was the biggest mistake I’ve made in my entire racing career, which was pretty bad given what the day was and what was on the line ... I was thinking that I just ruined our whole season and the next ten weeks would stink. Now, we have a chance for the next ten not to stink and it’s going to be fun.”
