Truex on his season: "It’s unbelievable and ridiculous"

Truex started from the pole in Monday’s rain-delayed Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway and led the first 16 laps until NASCAR’s scheduled competition caution.

Truex’s team completed a two-tire pit stop during the caution but after the race restarted, the right-front tire blew on his No. 78 Toyota and he slammed into the Turn 2 wall, receiving extensive damage.

The culprit? A lug nut that came off the first set of tires bounced off the ground, flew through one of the wheel holes, and lodged between the caliper and the wheel, knocking off the tire’s inner stem valve.

“So many weird things have happened to us this year – it’s unbelievable and ridiculous,” Truex said. “The car was so good. I was literally on cruise control and driving away.”

Truex eventually returned to the race after repairs in the garage but was forced to retire from the race after another tire incident on Lap 100. He completed 82 of the 138 laps and finished 38th.

“God, (the car) was so good. I mean, unbelievable that it happened the way it happened,” he said. “It’s crazy bad luck and just a shame. The car was so good. I was literally on cruise control and driving away. I don’t know – frustrating but it’s racing, I guess.”

The finish was Truex’s worst this season and he dropped from seventh to eighth in the Sprint Cup Series standings. He is actually tied with Jimmie Johnson for seventh, but Johnson wins the tiebreaker because of having more wins this season.

Truex’s longtime girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, posted the following tweet after Truex’s initial incident Monday: