Martin Truex Jr. fueling issues hamper Chase run at Kansas

Rea White

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Martin Truex Jr. fueling issues hamper Chase run at Kansas image

Martin Truex Jr. first looked like he had been unlucky, and then that perception shifted a bit when he caught a timely caution after having to make an unscheduled pit stop in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. 

Truex and his Furniture Row Racing team had a fueling issue on a pit stop, and suddenly could not go more than 24 laps without refueling yet again. That set the stage to put the Chase for the Sprint Cup contender off cycle from the rest of his competition. 

MORE: Early action fast and heavy at Kansas

Just as Truex was finishing his stop, though, a caution came out for a Josh Wise crash. Truex was a lap down, but eligible to take the wave around to put him back on the lead lap after the leaders opted to pit during the caution period. 

His team still had fueling issues and, according to NBC, was going to be a few laps short of the field once more. 

Truex won two of the first three Chase races and entered this, the second round, among the favorites to win the title. He was 17th on Lap 123.

Next week, Sprint Cup drivers compete at Talladega. Given that track's notorious unpredictability, Truex needed the best finish possible at Kansas. He was 11th and is now sixth in the standings.

"You’ve got a bad week, it could ruin your whole season," he said after the race. "All in all today wasn’t a disaster. I think we’re – I don’t know what the points are but we did okay. We’ve just got to go to Talladega and hope that nothing crazy happens.”

Rea White