Martin Truex Jr. moved on to the Contender Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, finishing 11th in the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway.
Truex was initially supposed to start in ninth place, but was sent to the back of the pack after failing a pre-race inspection. He started in 43rd place.
Solid charge for @MartinTruex_Jr, who started last. He's up to 8th. #NASCAR
— Jay W. Pennell (@jaywpennell) October 4, 2015
The Colorado-based driver was one of 12 to advance. Points reset after each round, which favors Truex since he would have sat towards the back of the pack in the Contender Round.
The first race of the Contender Round will take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway this Saturday. Truex has not won or placed in the top 5 through 15 races at the Charlotte track this season. Following the third and final race of this round, the Chase will be narrowed to eight drivers.
Calvin Jouard is an intern at Mile High Sports and a student at the University of Denver