Martin Truex Jr. says he ‘feels good as he has ever been’ going into the 2023 playoffs
Martin Truex Jr. and William Byron are the front runners to win the 2023 Cup title.
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Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. (Via IMAGO)
The 2023 season has been the year of redemption for the 2017 NASCAR Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. After missing out on the playoff for the first time in his time with Joe Gibbs Racing last season, the Toyota driver stepped up and delivered. He started the year by winning the Clash at Colosseum and went on to win the regular season title, securing three-point-paying races.
The disappointment of 2022 has been the biggest motivator for him, as he wasted no time after Joey Logano’s triumphant run at Phoenix season finale. He and the No:19 Toyota Camry team started working on this year’s car, which paid off. He is a definite Championship Four contender and the strongest title challenger in the book of many NASCAR pundits and analysts.
Martin Truex Jr., while talking about the playoff ahead of the Round of 16 race at Darlington, pointed out that he feels as good as he has ever been going into the post-season. He is motivated by the consistency and solid run they have had in the last 26 races of the season. Despite being a bit disheartened by missing out on wins in the final races, he understands he will have a shot at winning in the last ten races, given that he put himself in the right place.
“I feel as good as I ever have going into the playoffs. It’s been a really strong year for us, consistently up at the front and doing what we need to do. Certainly, let a few wins slip away, which is always disappointing, but to have three and the Clash win is a pretty good regular season, so you just have to keep putting yourself in the right position,” Truex Jr. said as reported by NASCAR.com.
In case you missed it: Kyle Petty names Denny Hamlin’s ‘Achilles Heel’ that always stops him from winning the Cup title
Martin Truex Jr.’s biggest rival, William Byron, has his plans in place ahead of the post-season
Another driver who has been the most impressive in 2023 is Hendrick Motorsports young sensation William Byron. The No:24 Chevy driver has won five races this season, the most among the drivers, and finished the regular season P3 behind Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.
While talking about his post-season plans, he said that he isn’t eying to make any changes to his approach to the races. He plans to approach one race at a time and is confident that he can deliver with the capable team he has around him.
“I don’t think we change a thing. The intensity of the moment already elevates your performance a little bit. I know we’re good enough, I know we’re capable. I know my best is good enough. I feel like, for me, it’s more the same. … It’s trying to approach each track individually and not look too far ahead. That’s really the thing I’ve learned, not to get ahead of ourselves,” Byron said.
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Justin P Joy
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