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Truex Jr. fends off Kyle Busch to win 2017 NASCAR Cup title

Martin Truex Jr, fought through adversity – and fought back the tears – as he captured the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup title with victory at Homestead-Miami.

2017 champion Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota

2017 champion Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota

Rainier Ehrhardt

2017 champion Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota
2017 champion Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota
2017 champion Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota
2017 champion Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota
Restart: Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota lead
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota, Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota, Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet is greeted by teams as he leaves pit road
Race action
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
F16 flyover
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion trophy

Truex won eight times in 2017, but Sunday’s victory in the EcoBoost 400 was the sweetest of all.

“We just never gave up all day long,” Truex said. “We didn’t have the fastest car, but we dug deep…made it happen. I wanted this ever since I was a kid. Just never give up, never give up.”

He held off Kyle Busch by .681-seconds at the line. Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman rounded out the top 10.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished 25th in his final full-time run in the Cup series.

After twelve seasons, Truex added his first Cup title to his two Xfinity championships. He’s the fifth driver to win both series titles. Furniture Row Racing team owner Barney Visser and crew chief Cole Pearn also enjoyed their first Cup championship with the win. Truex led 78 laps on Sunday and a remarkable 2253 for the season. 

The No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team provided Martin Truex Jr., with the lead off of pit road on Lap 162 for the final segment. Kyle Busch rolled off second followed by Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Chase Elliott, Jamie McMurray, Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Daniel Suarez and Clint Bowyer.

Truex took the outside line for the restart on Lap 166. Truex shot out to a four-car lead over Kyle Busch as the sun began to set on the 1.5-mile track Harvick took third from Larson, Logano ran fifth followed by Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Keselowski and Elliott.

Truex held a half-second lead with 100 laps remaining. Larson caught Logano and passed him in Turn 3 for fourth on Lap 175. Kyle Busch went low on Truex for the lead on the next lap at the line. Truex regained the point on the backstretch but Busch closed the deal by Lap 178. Larson passed Harvick on Lap 181. Crew chief Rodney Childers told Harvick there was a hole in the right front fender of the No. 4 Ford.

With 85 laps remaining, Busch moved out to a two-second over Truex. Larson ran third followed by Harvick, Kenseth, Logano, Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon and Keselowski. By Lap 190, Busch pulled out to a 2.5-second lead on Truex. Keselowski fell out of the top 10.

Larson rode the outside line around Truex out of Turn 4 for second on Lap 195. Keselowski, who passed Dillon for ninth, pitted with Kurt Busch on Lap 198. Harvick, Truex, Logano and Bowyer followed on the next lap.

Busch retained the lead followed by Larson, two-seconds behind. Kenseth, Hamlin and Suarez also remained on the track. Truex cycled out to seventh with 60 laps to go. After a lengthy stop to repair his fender, Harvick was eighth, one lap down. Logano, Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Elliott, Bowyer, Austin Dillon and Newman rounded out the top 15. On Lap 207, Truex passed Suarez for fifth. Harvick moved back on the lead lap in seventh.

Larson pitted on Lap 213 with Hamlin and Suarez. Kenseth came on the next lap and Busch gave up a 21.4-second lead for service on Lap 216. Truex inherited the lead followed by Harvick, Logano, Keselowski, Larson, Kyle Larson, Elliott, Kyle Busch Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer and Austin Dillon with 50 laps to go.

Larson passed Logano for third. Kyle Busch passed Keselowski on Lap 221 for fifth and moved up to fourth on the next circuit after moving by the No. 22 Ford. With 40 laps remaining, Truex’s lead was 3.8-second over Harvick. Keselowski reported a brake rotor in Turn 3 after Daniel Suarez hit the wall on Lap 224. Two laps later, Kurt Busch spun between Turns 3 and 4 to bring out the fifth caution. He was running in the top 10.

Truex led the 11-lead lap cars onto pit road on Lap 230 followed by Harvick, Larson, Kyle Busch, Logano, Keselowski, Elliott, Hamlin, Kenseth and Bowyer.

Truex took the top lane on the restart with 34 laps remaining with Harvick alongside. Kyle Busch ran third followed by Logano, Hamlin, Larson Kenseth, Keselowski, Elliot and Bowyer. Kurt Busch restarted 23rd. 

Logano moved up to second after the first circuit. Harvick, Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Larson, Keselowski, Kenseth, Elliott and Dillon rounded out the top 10. Harvick moved back to second on Lap 236. Harvick settled into the low lane with 30 laps to go but trailed Truex by a half-second. Elliott passed Kenseth for seventh on Lap 240. Kyle Busch caught Logano for second on Lap 243. Harvick cut Truex’s lead to .379-seconds on Lap 245.

With 20 laps remaining, Truex pulled out to a .736-second lead. Kyle Busch ran third followed by Larson, Logano, Elliott, Keselowski, Kenseth, Hamlin and Austin Dillon. Kyle Busch passed Harvick on the backstretch for second on Lap 249. Larson caught Harvick off of Turn 2 with 15 laps to go for third.

“I need help,” Truex yelled as he approached lap traffic and Busch closed to within a half-second.

Truex held a three-car lead coming to the line on Lap 256. Truex pulled out to a .625-second lead over Busch with 10 to go.

Kyle Busch moved to the low line to gain on the No. 78 Toyota with five to go and Larson closing in. But held the position to the finish.

Cla#DriverManufacturerLapsTimeLaps LedPoints
1 78 united_states Martin Truex Jr.  Toyota 267   78 40
2 18 united_states Kyle Busch  Toyota 267 0.681 43 35
3 42 united_states Kyle Larson  Chevrolet 267 1.580 145 54
4 4 united_states Kevin Harvick  Ford 267 8.150   33
5 24 united_states Chase Elliott  Chevrolet 267 10.824   39
6 22 united_states Joey Logano  Ford 267 13.934   36
7 2 united_states Brad Keselowski  Ford 267 15.566 1 30
8 20 united_states Matt Kenseth  Toyota 267 15.765   33
9 11 united_states Denny Hamlin  Toyota 267 16.212   32
10 31 united_states Ryan Newman  Chevrolet 267 20.188   27
11 3 united_states Austin Dillon  Chevrolet 267 21.684   26
12 14 united_states Clint Bowyer  Ford 267 28.029   26
13 1 united_states Jamie McMurray  Chevrolet 266 1 lap   24
14 47 united_states A.J. Allmendinger  Chevrolet 266 1 lap   23
15 17 united_states Ricky Stenhouse Jr.  Ford 266 1 lap   22
16 27 united_states Paul Menard  Chevrolet 265 2 laps   21
17 38 united_states David Ragan  Ford 265 2 laps   20
18 43 united_states Aric Almirola  Ford 265 2 laps   19
19 6 united_states Trevor Bayne  Ford 265 2 laps   18
20 37 united_states Chris Buescher  Chevrolet 265 2 laps   17
21 77 united_states Erik Jones  Toyota 265 2 laps   16
22 41 united_states Kurt Busch  Ford 265 2 laps   24
23 34 united_states Landon Cassill  Ford 265 2 laps   14
24 95 united_states Michael McDowell  Chevrolet 265 2 laps   13
25 88 united_states Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Chevrolet 264 3 laps   12
26 13 united_states Ty Dillon  Chevrolet 264 3 laps   11
27 48 united_states Jimmie Johnson  Chevrolet 264 3 laps   10
28 72 united_states Cole Whitt  Chevrolet 264 3 laps   9
29 21 united_states Ryan Blaney  Ford 264 3 laps   8
30 32 united_states Matt DiBenedetto  Ford 263 4 laps   7
31 23 united_states Corey Lajoie  Toyota 261 6 laps    
32 33 united_states Jeffrey Earnhardt  Chevrolet 259 8 laps   5
33 5 united_states Kasey Kahne  Chevrolet 234 33 laps   4
34 19 mexico Daniel Suarez  Toyota 225 42 laps   3
35 15 united_states Reed Sorenson  Chevrolet 212 55 laps   2
36 66 united_states David Starr  Chevrolet 175 92 laps    
37 10 united_states Danica Patrick  Ford 139 128 laps   1
38 51 united_states Ray Black Jr.  Chevrolet 49 218 laps    
39 83 united_states Joey Gase  Toyota 4 263 laps  

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