Truex takes Stage 2 win at Bristol

Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Erik Jones, Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top-10 in the second segment of the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson retained the lead out of the pits, followed by Truex, Johnson, Logano, Hamlin, Elliott, McMurray, Jones, Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman.

Logano moved up to second on the restart with Elliott, Truex, Johnson and Jones in tow.

After battling Ty Dillon, who was attempting to remain on the lead lap, Logano and Truex caught the leader on Lap 182. Logano looked to the inside of Larson, who was mired in traffic, but he was able to break away. On Lap 190, Larson snapped loose, but gathered up the No. 42 Chevy. Truex passed Logano on Lap 194. Although Larson extended his lead over Truex by 0.675-seconds on Lap 195, the No. 78 Toyota passed for the lead on Lap 202.

By Lap 205, Truex was at the point followed by Logano, Larson, Jones and Johnson.

Caution 3 occurred on Lap 210 when Kyle Busch slid into the wall after blowing a right front tire. Truex was in the lead followed by Logano, Larson, Jones, Johnson, Harvick, Elliott, McMurray, Stenhouse and Keselowski. The leaders pitted on Lap 211, Truex retained the point followed by Logano, Larson, Johnson, Jones, Harvick, Elliott, McMurray, Newman and Hamlin.

The race restarted on Lap 218 but before completing a circuit, Dale Earnhardt Jr. slammed into the Turn 1 wall.

“We came out of the pits and had some oil in the pit stall,” Earnhardt said. “I don’t know what broke, but I know it’s the end of the day.”

Earnhardt, who completed 218 laps, joined Ryan Blaney behind the wall. Blaney suffered transmission woes in Stage 1.

Blaney returned to the track on Lap 248 after repairs. He was 47 laps down.

Truex led the field to green on Lap 228 followed by Johnson, Harvick, Logano, Larson, McMurray, Jones, Hamlin, Elliott and Stenhouse. Logano regained second place on the restart with Johnson, Harvick and McMurray rounding out the top five.

On Lap 231, Larson got into the side of Hamlin and dropped to eighth.

With 10 laps remaining in the stage, Truex held a 0.563-second lead over Logano. Johnson, Harvick, McMurray, Jones, Larson, Hamlin, Bayne and Elliott completed the top 10.

“We made some small adjustment and the track has changed a little bit, but the car is good around the bottom,” Truex said. “We’ll see what we can do from here on out.”