Martin Truex Jr. did not have an easy time getting off pit road during the Daytona 500 on Monday. The driver, who drives the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, ran into a loose gas can from another driver. It was later revealed to be from Chase Elliott’s pit, and he was penalized.
“He hit … WHAT?” @MartinTruex_Jr | #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/WaFX87EHqL
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 17, 2020
Truex, 39, hit the loose can head on after he pulled out of his pit stand.
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“You see Mark pull out of his pit stall and nailed a gas can that somebody must have pulled out of their pit stall with them when they left,” Fox Sports commentator Jeff Gordon said.
Truex is hoping to finally win the Daytona 500 for the first time, after coming in very close at the 2016 race. He previously won the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and won the Coca-Cola 600 last year. He joined Joe Gibbs Racing before last season.
That’s @chaseelliott‘s fuel can.@MartinTruex_Jr hit it on pit road. Elliott gets penalized. #Daytona500 pic.twitter.com/biNVCsecIg
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) February 17, 2020
Truex is racing with a new crew chief this season after Cole Pearn resigned to spend time with his family, reports Elite Sports NY. James Small now has that job.
“I’m very confident in his abilities and what he can do,” the New Jersey native said of Small. “He’s been a big part of our success over the last few seasons. He’s obviously been behind the scenes and not in the spotlight as an engineer. But, now being the crew chief, I think people will get to know him better.”
“The communication is something we’ve had already, a lot of dialogue about the race car,” Truex continued. “I feel like, right now, everything’s going as smooth as it possibly could. I’ll miss Cole, wish him the best, but I feel like James will do a great job and we’ll continue to perform the way we have.”
During media day before the race, Truex admitted he tried to think of it as just another race.
“It’s a huge race. It is the big one,” Truex said, according to the Press of Atlantic City. “Everybody wants to win it. I’m no different. But I mean, I don’t lose sleep at night because I haven’t won it.”
“I don’t think about it, I guess, any differently than any other race, other than when I come here, I don’t really worry about points. I just try to figure out a way to win it,” he added.
The Daytona 500 began on Sunday as scheduled, but was paused during the first stage due to rain. The race resumed Monday afternoon.
Photo credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
