Martin Truex Jr. has grabbed the pole for Sunday’s Monster Energy “Apache Warrior 400” at Dover International Speedway.
Truex – who won last fall’s race at Dover, posted the top time in qualifying Friday. He’ll be joined on the front row by Kyle Busch, who was second in qualifying.
The Apache Warrior 400 is the first elimination race in NASCAR Cup series playoffs. The field of 16 drivers contending for the season title shrinks to 12 following Sunday’s race. The four drivers lowest in points without a win will be eliminated.
Truex and Busch won the first two races in the round and so have already advanced.
There will be a battle for the final couple of spots in the top 12 with just 10 points separating the drivers currently 11th through 14th - Jamie McMurray, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman.
Jamie McMurray, who is just inside the cut-off at 11th, says he’s optimistic he’ll remain alive in the title chase this weekend.
I feel somewhat good about the position we’re in just because we ran pretty good here in the spring and the cars we’re racing for that cut-off spot I feel we’ve run better most of the year – and ran better than most of them in the spring," said Mc Murray. "So, I think if we have an uneventful race without any issues, we should be fine this weekend."
Sunday also marks the final Dover race for Dale Earnhardt Jr. – who is retiring at the end of the season. Earnhardt’s only win on the Monster Mile was a memorable one – coming on Sept. 23, 2001 in NASCAR’s first race after the 9/11 attacks.
