Do you agree with Dale Earnhardt Jr. that Martin Truex Jr. is too nice on the track at times and that contributed to him not winning Sunday at Martinsville? Why or why not?
Nate Ryan: It’s easy to armchair quarterback that Truex should have made a preemptive strike by roughing up Joey Logano earlier. But as discussed Monday on NASCAR America and written about here, that’s just not his style. Yes, his nature probably has cost him some wins, but it’s hard to criticize him for being a good guy with a principled way of racing.
Dustin Long: Yes. He’s winless in 78 Cup races on short tracks and winless in 55 Cup races at restrictor-plate tracks — places where being nice isn’t always a good thing.
Daniel McFadin: I don’t think so. Truex’s proven his style of racing works by winning 17 races in the last four years. Aside from some harmless door banging in the final five laps, Truex got by Logano his way and put himself in the lead after he started the race from the rear. Unfortunately for Truex, he wasn’t ready for Logano to get by him in his way.
Dan Beaver: Yes: Given the current state of short track racing, his approach is not going to be very successful.
Martin Truex Jr. said Joey Logano’s move on the last lap was a cheap shot. What do you think?
Nate Ryan: It might not have been classified as dirty, but it also fell short of being elegant (which was to be expected given the last-chance circumstances).
Dustin Long: That’s racing, particularly on a short track. Truex may call it a cheap shot but NASCAR deemed it a legal move. Case closed.
Daniel McFadin: It was the last lap. Winner is part of the championship four. Truex wasn’t wrecked. Nothing cheap about it.
Dan Beaver: Logano’s move was right on the edge. His bump-and-run was not as severe as it appeared, but Truex got onto the throttle a little too aggressively in the dirty outside lane. Without his fishtail, the two drivers would likely have crossed under the checkers in a photo finish.
What was the best quote you heard after Sunday’s race?
Nate Ryan: Hard to argue with Dale Earnhardt Jr. that Martin Truex Jr.’s postrace interview was a top-five contender, but the answer is his crew chief’s lighthearted dig about baseball bats and jack hammers. If Cole Pearn is an option for “who had the best quote or tweet?”, the default answer is always Cole Pearn.
Dustin Long: Kevin Harvick on trying to pass Ryan Newman late in the race: “His car gets as wide as his neck sometimes.”
Daniel McFadin: “He’s a racer and should know better than to say that. That was as clean a shot as you can have in a race like this.” – Roger Penske on Martin Truex Jr.’s “cheap shot” comment.
Dan Beaver: Martin Truex Jr.’s “They won the battle, but he didn’t win the damn war.”
Do you think the Big 3 all make it to Miami now?
Nate Ryan: Yes.
Dustin Long: Yes. It will be the Big 3 and Joey Logano racing for the championship in Miami.
Daniel McFadin: I don’t have enough conviction in me to say yes. I think Martin Truex Jr. is going to trip over himself at either Texas or Phoenix.
Dan Beaver: I didn’t think they were all going to make it in week one of the playoffs and my opinion hasn’t changed. I think one of the others win the next two races and either Kyle Busch or Kevin Harvick stand alone among the Big 3.
