Truex opens NASCAR Cup playoffs with impressive Chicagoland win

The defending winner of the Tales of the Turtles 400 scored his 11th-career Monster Energy Cup Series victory in the opening race of the 2017 playoffs on Sunday.

“Do you know what time it is," Truex said after scoring his fifth win of the season. "This is unbelievable. This is what it's all about."

Truex had to overcome issues in pre-race inspection and loose lugs during the race but he led 77 laps and sailed off to a 7.096-second lead over Chase Elliott at the finish. Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top 10. 

Chase Elliott, the Stage 2 winner, retained the lead in the pits between segments. Harvick exited second followed by Truex, Keselowski, Hamlin, Larson, Logano, Kurt Busch, Kenseth, Johnson, McMurray, Suarez, Bowyer.

With 100 laps to go, Elliott led the field to green but the caution came out for Jamie McMurray, who spun coming off of Turn 2. Harvick regained the lead followed by Truex, Keselowski, Larson, Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Logano, Suarez, Johnson, Kenseth, Bowyer, Menard, Cassill, McMurray and Blaney, who received the lucky dog. 

Blaney, Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Cassill and Dale Earnhardt Jr. used the opportunity to pit during the yellow. 

The race returned to green on Lap 173 with 16 cars on the lead lap. Keselowski pushed Harvick to the lead and drag-raced Elliott to the line for second. Elliott gained the position on the backstretch and Keselowski dropped to third on Lap 174. Truex ran fourth followed by Larson, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Logano, Johnson and Suarez. 

Truex passed Keselowski for third on Lap 176 as Harvick extended his lead to 1.450-seconds over Elliott. Elliott closed to within 1.282-second on the No. 4 Ford on Lap 180. Truex held third followed by Keselowski, Kurt Busch, Hamlin, Larson, Logano, Johnson, Suarez, Kenseth, Bowyer, Menard, McMurray, Blaney and Cassill.

Truex passed Elliott for second on Lap 183. He ran 1.4-seconds behind Harvick. Hamlin passed Kurt Busch for fifth as the No. 41 Ford had developed a vibration. Truex, who was running the low line, pulled underneath the No. 4 Ford on the backstretch for the lead on Lap 190. Harvick fell to second followed by Elliott, Keselowski, Hamlin, Larson, Busch, Logano, Johnson and Kenseth. 

Elliott carried momentum on the high line coming out of Turn 4 and passed Harvick for second on Lap 193 as Truex pulled out to a 1.3-second lead. Logano and Johnson passed Kurt Busch, who dropped to ninth.

By Lap 200, Truex checked out to a 2.213-second lead over Elliott. Harvick, Keselowski, Hamlin, Larson, Logano, Johnson, Kenseth and Bowyer rounded out the top 10. Kurt Busch, who dropped from fifth to 10th on the restart, pitted with a vibration. Busch dropped to 16th but had to return to the pits for a drive-thru on Lap 204 following a speeding violation in Zone 14. He fell to 20th, two laps down — and the stop failed to relieve the vibration.

With 60 laps to determine the race winner, Truex lead was three-seconds. On the next lap (209) Erik Jones spun off of Turn 4. Truex held the point followed by Elliott, Harvick, Keselowski, Hamlin, Larson, Logano, Johnson, Kenseth, Bowyer, Suarez, McMurray and Blaney. Kyle Busch ran 16th, two laps down. 

Truex led the field down pit road on Lap 213. He held the lead after the stop followed by Harvick, Elliott, Keselowski, Larson, Hamlin, Kenseth, Logano, Johnson, Bowyer, Suarez, McMurray, Blaney, Menard and Cassill.  

The No. 2 team told Keselowski to make a track bar adjustment when the race went green on Lap 216, and he moved around Elliott for third. Elliott returned to third on Lap 219. Hamlin moved up to fifth followed by Larson, Logano, Johnson, Kenseth and McMurray.

After the first 10 laps of green-flag racing, Truex’s lead was two-seconds over Harvick. Elliott held third followed by Hamlin, Keselowski, Larson, Logano, Johnson, Kenseth, McMurray, Blaney, Bowyer, Suarez, Menard and Cassill.

Elliott passed Harvick just passed the start-finish line on Lap 228. Larson closed in on Keselowski, put the No. 2 Ford extended his advantage over the next five laps after the No. 42 Chevy got loose. 

With 30 laps remaining, Truex held a 2.446-second lead over Elliott with 14 cars on the lead lap. Harvick ran third followed by Hamlin, Keselowski, Larson, Logano Johnson, Kenseth, McMurray, Blaney, Suarez, Bowyer and Menard.

Larson finally passed Keselowski for fifth on Lap 242. Logano ran seventh followed by Johnson, Kenseth, McMurray, Blaney, Suarez, Bowyer and Menard. Kyle Busch, who had issues in the pits in the second stage, raced his way back to 15th — and the lucky dog on Lap 243.

Truex pulled out to a 3.2-second lead over Elliott with 20 laps to go. Harvick, Hamlin and Larson rounded out the top five. Over the next five laps, Truex moved to 4.5-seconds over Elliott. 

On Lap 255, Truex lapped Menard to leave 13 cars on the lead lap. 

With 10 laps to go, Truex’s advantage was five-seconds over Elliott. Harvick, Hamlin, Larson, Keselowski. Logano, Johnson, Kesneth and McMurray rounded out the top 10. On Lap 260, Truex put Kurt Busch (19th) a second lap down. 

There were 12 lead changes among seven drivers. Kyle Busch led a race-high 85 laps but was plagued by pit road issues and finished 15th, one lap off the pace. The race was slowed four times for cautions, two for stage conclusions and two for spins. McMurray spun off of Turn 2 on Lap 167. Jones off of Turn 4 on Lap 209.

 Watch highlights of Truex Jr.'s win and getting slimmed in Victory Lane:

Cla	#	Driver	Manufacturer	Laps	Time	Laps Led
1	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Toyota	267	-	77
2	24	Chase Elliott	Chevrolet	267	7.179	42
3	4	Kevin Harvick	Ford	267	10.200	59
4	11	Denny Hamlin	Toyota	267	11.212	1
5	42	Kyle Larson	Chevrolet	267	13.236
6	2	Brad Keselowski	Ford	267	18.232	1
7	22	Joey Logano	Ford	267	18.363
8	48	Jimmie Johnson	Chevrolet	267	20.615
9	20	Matt Kenseth	Toyota	267	22.217
10	1	Jamie McMurray	Chevrolet	267	25.545
11	21	Ryan Blaney	Ford	267	26.367
12	19	Daniel Suarez	Toyota	267	26.460
13	14	Clint Bowyer	Ford	266	1 lap
14	27	Paul Menard	Chevrolet	266	1 lap
15	18	Kyle Busch	Toyota	266	1 lap	85
16	3	Austin Dillon	Chevrolet	266	1 lap
17	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Chevrolet	266	1 lap
18	10	Danica Patrick	Ford	265	2 laps
19	41	Kurt Busch	Ford	265	2 laps
20	34	Landon Cassill	Ford	265	2 laps	2
21	5	Kasey Kahne	Chevrolet	264	3 laps
22	6	Trevor Bayne	Ford	264	3 laps
23	31	Ryan Newman	Chevrolet	264	3 laps
24	43	Aric Almirola	Ford	264	3 laps
25	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Ford	263	4 laps
26	47	A.J. Allmendinger	Chevrolet	263	4 laps
27	37	Chris Buescher	Chevrolet	263	4 laps
28	13	Ty Dillon	Chevrolet	262	5 laps
29	38	David Ragan	Ford	262	5 laps
30	95	Michael McDowell	Chevrolet	262	5 laps
31	32	Matt DiBenedetto	Ford	261	6 laps
32	15	Reed Sorenson	Toyota	259	8 laps
33	77	Erik Jones	Toyota	259	8 laps
34	33	Jeffrey Earnhardt	Chevrolet	258	9 laps
35	72	Cole Whitt	Chevrolet	257	10 laps
36	23	Corey Lajoie	Toyota	256	11 laps
37	83	Brett Moffitt	Toyota	255	12 laps
38	55	Gray Gaulding	Toyota	254	13 laps
39	66	Timmy Hill	Chevrolet	254	13 laps
40	51	Ray Black Jr.	Chevrolet	251	16 laps