{"id":30343,"date":"2016-09-19T10:23:53","date_gmt":"2016-09-19T17:23:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=30343"},"modified":"2016-09-19T10:23:53","modified_gmt":"2016-09-19T17:23:53","slug":"nascar-wrap-up-at-chicagoland-speedway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/nascar-wrap-up-at-chicagoland-speedway\/","title":{"rendered":"NASCAR Wrap-up at Chicagoland Speedway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fast Pit Crew Motivates Martin Truex, Jr. to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 Victory<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"NASCAR
Martin Truex Jr, driver of the #78 Furniture Row\/Denver Mattress Toyota, celebrates. (Photo by Robert Laberge\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A late race caution flag changed the complexion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday.\u00a0 Just when it looked like Chase Elliott was on his way to his first win for the third time this season, the unfurling of another yellow flag with four laps to go abruptly changed his day, assisting Martin Truex, Jr. to his third 2016 victory, sixth of his career and his very first Chase win.<\/p>\n

With NASCAR, extending the race into overtime put all the decisions into the hands of the crews. Sacrificing track position for quicker tires and first off pit road was Truex, narrowly getting by Elliott by scant feet.\u00a0 That was all it took for the Furniture Row No. 78 Toyota to get around on the restart to pass Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, and Ryan Blaney, blazing his way to the lead in the two-lap Green-White-Checkered finish.<\/p>\n

“We have more races to win\u2014the more we can win, the better,” said Truex, who holds the lead in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings for the first time in his career.\u00a0 “What can I say?\u00a0 This is how we want to start off. \u00a0This feels awesome.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did what we came here to do. \u00a0That always feels good, when you accomplish your goals. \u00a0We had a good weekend here with our Toyota. \u00a0Worked really hard on our car throughout practice, on race runs. \u00a0Tried some new stuff this weekend and really felt like throughout the weekend we were getting the car feeling really good for race trim.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Chase Elliott rallied back to third in the overtime restart after leading the race for 75 laps. He had a \u2018matter of fact\u2019 outlook about the outcome of the race, accepting the loss and moving on to New Hampshire.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no easy outcome,\u201d said the 20-year old driver from Dawsonville, Ga. \u00a0\u201cYou know, it’s unfortunate.\u00a0 You hate to have it happen.\u00a0 \u00a0As you get faced with these situations more than once, I think you learn.\u00a0 You learn from situation to situation.\u00a0 You can’t control when a caution is going to come out.\u00a0 We played the cards we were dealt and came up short.\u00a0 That\u2019s just a part of life, part of racing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The overtime finish shook up the finish with Joey Logano jumping from sixth to second, Elliott sprinting past Ryan Blaney for third, and Brad Keselowski finishing fifth.<\/p>\n

As the first race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship came to a close, Truex was set to advance to the Chase of 12, despite his Toyota failing post race laser inspection along with the race\u2019s lap leader, Jimmie Johnson.\u00a0 Both could be deducted 10-points and Truex\u2019s win would not be considered an encumbered victory, since the margin of the infractions is just thousandths of an inch off.<\/p>\n

The following are the unofficial Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship standings: No. 1, M. Truex Jr. – 2,050; 2, B. Keselowski – 2,049; 3, Kyle Busch – 2,046; 4, D. Hamlin – 2,045; 5, J. Logano – 2,043; 6, C. Elliott # – 2,039; 7, M. Kenseth – 2,038; 8, J. Johnson – 2,037; 9, C. Edwards – 2,032; 10, Kurt Busch – 2,031; 11, J. McMurray – 2,030; 12, T. Stewart – 2,028; in the elimination positions are 13, A. Dillon – 2,027 (-1); 14, K. Harvick – 2,027 (-1); 15, K. Larson – 2,026 (-2); 16, C. Buescher \u00a0– 2,016 (-12).<\/p>\n

The New Hampshire Motor Speedway will host the New England 300 on Sunday, Sept. 25, airing on NBCSN.\u00a0 It\u2019s the second race of three before the last four positions are cut at Dover International Speedway.<\/p>\n