Qualifying report

NASCAR Cup Martinsville II

Truex earns Martinsville Cup pole for critical playoff race

After a difficult start to the NASCAR Cup playoffs, Martin Truex Jr. is showing up when it matters most – on pole.

Jim Utter

Edited: Oct 29, 2023, 3:50 AM

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For the second consecutive week, Truex beat all his competition and won the pole for a playoff race and will lead an all-Joe Gibbs Racing front row Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Truex, the last to make a qualifying attempt in the final round of Saturday’s session, posted an average lap speed of 94.153 mph, just edging teammate Ty Gibbs (94.115 mph).

The pole – his third of the season and 23rd of his career – couldn’t have come at a better time.

He enters the final race of the semifinal round of the playoffs, 17 points behind the cutoff line which would allow him to advance to the Championship 4. A win would automatically put him in next week’s title race at Phoenix.

“I mean, it’s definitely a big deal, obviously,” Truex said. “The first pit stall here is huge. We have a couple new guys on our pit crew for tomorrow and looking forward to seeing what they can do and I’m sure they’re excited to have that No. 1 stall.

“All in all, a good day. This car is feeling pretty good. It’s fast. We just got to get it better on the long run for tomorrow.”

Chase Briscoe will start third (94.106 mph), JGR driver Denny Hamlin fourth and playoff driver Kyle Larson fifth.

Completing the top-10 starting lineup are Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski.

Round 1 / Group A

Gibbs edged his JGR Hamlin to lead Group A with an average lap speed of 94.581 mph.

Hamlin was second fastest at 94.425 mph while Keselowski was third (93.673 mph).

Also advancing to the final round of qualifying from Group A were Wallace and Harvick.

Among those who failed to advance were three playoff drivers – William Byron, Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick.

Reddick was eighth fastest when he completed the first of his two laps but spun out off Turn 4 on his second lap. Fortunately, he did not make any contact with his No. 45 Toyota.

“We were really loose in practice to start,” Reddick said. “I think we just over-adjusted.”

Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Mph 1

T. GIBBSJoe Gibbs Racing

54 Toyota 2

20.021

94.581 2 United States D. HAMLINJoe Gibbs Racing 11 Toyota 2

+0.033

20.054

0.033 94.425 3 United States B. KESELOWSKIRFK Racing 6 Ford 2

+0.194

20.215

0.161 93.673 4 United States B. WALLACE23XI Racing 23 Toyota 2

+0.213

20.234

0.019 93.585 5 United States K. HARVICKStewart-Haas Racing 4 Ford 2

+0.219

20.240

0.006 93.557 6 United States W. BYRONHendrick Motorsports 24 Chevrolet 2

+0.240

20.261

0.021 93.460 7 United States T. GILLILANDFront Row Motorsports 38 Ford 2

+0.249

20.270

0.009 93.419 8 United States C. BUESCHERRFK Racing 17 Ford 2

+0.253

20.274

0.004 93.400 9 United States T. REDDICK23XI Racing 45 Toyota 2

+0.266

20.287

0.013 93.341 10 United States R. STENHOUSE JRJTG Daugherty Racing 47 Chevrolet 2

+0.287

20.308

0.021 93.244 11 United States A. CINDRICTeam Penske 2 Ford 2

+0.289

20.310

0.002 93.235 12 Mexico D. SUAREZTrackHouse Racing 99 Chevrolet 2

+0.369

20.390

0.080 92.869 13 United States E. JONESLegacy Motor Club 43 Chevrolet 2

+0.403

20.424

0.034 92.714 14 United States C. LAJOIESpire Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 2

+0.422

20.443

0.019 92.628 15 United States K. BUSCHRichard Childress Racing 8 Chevrolet 2

+0.424

20.445

0.002 92.619 16 United States R. NEWMANRick Ware Racing 51 Ford 2

+0.530

20.551

0.106 92.142 17 United States J. YELEYRick Ware Racing 15 Ford 2

+0.618

20.639

0.088 91.749 18 United States B. MCLEODLive Fast Motorsports 78 Chevrolet 2

+0.638

20.659

0.020 91.660

Round 1 / Group B

Truex led the way in Group B with an average lap speed of 94.595 mph.

Larson, who is already locked in the Championship 4, ended up second fastest (94.519 mph) while Briscoe was third (94.303 mph).

Also advancing to the final round from Group B were Custer and Bell.

Among those who failed to advance were Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, playoff driver Ryan Blaney and A.J. Allmendinger, who briefly hit the wall during his qualifying attempt.

Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Mph 1 United States M. TRUEX JRJoe Gibbs Racing 19 Toyota 2

20.018

94.595 2 United States K. LARSONHendrick Motorsports 5 Chevrolet 1

+0.016

20.034

0.016 94.519 3 United States C. BRISCOEStewart-Haas Racing 14 Ford 2

+0.062

20.080

0.046 94.303 4 United States R. PREECEStewart-Haas Racing 41 Ford 2

+0.084

20.102

0.022 94.200 5 United States C. BELLJoe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 2

+0.138

20.156

0.054 93.947 6 United States R. BLANEYTeam Penske 12 Ford 2

+0.154

20.172

0.016 93.873 7 United States A. ALMIROLAStewart-Haas Racing 10 Ford 2

+0.164

20.182

0.010 93.826 8 United States R. CHASTAINTrackHouse Racing 1 Chevrolet 2

+0.167

20.185

0.003 93.812 9 United States C. ELLIOTTHendrick Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 2

+0.175

20.193

0.008 93.775 10 United States J. LOGANOTeam Penske 22 Ford 2

+0.193

20.211

0.018 93.692 11 United States A. BOWMANHendrick Motorsports 48 Chevrolet 2

+0.299

20.317

0.106 93.203 12 United States M. MCDOWELLFront Row Motorsports 34 Ford 2

+0.311

20.329

0.012 93.148 13 United States J. HALEYKaulig Racing 31 Chevrolet 2

+0.314

20.332

0.003 93.134 14 United States A. ALLMENDINGERKaulig Racing 16 Chevrolet 1

+0.355

20.373

0.041 92.947 15 United States A. DILLONRichard Childress Racing 3 Chevrolet 2

+0.369

20.387

0.014 92.883 16 United States H. BURTONWood Brothers Racing 21 Ford 2

+0.381

20.399

0.012 92.828 17

C. HOCEVARLegacy Motor Club

42 Chevrolet 2

+0.522

20.540

0.141 92.191 18 United States T. DILLONSpire Motorsports 77 Chevrolet 2

+0.539

20.557

0.017 92.115

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