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Chase tactics or accident? Martin Truex Jr. questions Kevin Harvick bumping him

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

HAMPTON, GA - FEBRUARY 28: Martin Truex Jr, driver of the #78 Furniture Row Toyota, leads Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 28, 2016 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)

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Winner Martin Truex Jr. said Kevin Harvick hit him at one point during Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway and questioned Harvick’s intention.

“Harvick ran into us and bent our fender, I think on purpose, and we had to come back from that,’’ Truex said after the race.

Truex later told NBC Sports that he wasn’t aware they were racing to be the first car a lap down at the time.

“I was ahead of him on the restart, he caught me,’’ Truex said. “Just going down the straightaway and he just hit me in the left rear. I don’t know why he did it. I don’t know if it was intentional. I don’t know what it was.

“Typically if you run into somebody on the straightaway it’s on purpose, but I don’t know if it is or not, so I guess I’ll just have to see what he says or what he said about it. I haven’t talked to him yet, so I don’t know. It just could have been a mistake. Maybe I came off the wall, I don’t think I did. Felt like I was going straight and got hit. Trying to figure that out.

“Fortunately, it didn’t screw us too bad. I had a tire rub on the left rear, and I was really nervous we were going to get a flat tire. Fortunately, we didn’t because we didn’t need another issue to ruin our day.’’

Harvick did not answer questions from reporters as he walked away from his car after the race.

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