Yeah, Jimmie Johnson has ruled this time of year in the past. Kyle Busch is the defending champion, but he doesn't do much when title time comes around until it's the right time to do it.
But they didn't come close to what Truex did at Chicago. The No. 78 found another gear, rallied late, and won the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400. Truex won for the third time this season and got a fairly huge break when a post-race laser inspection station failure was small enough to stay away from an "encumbered victory."
Translation: Everyone on the 78 team can breathe again knowing they're safely through to the round of 12.,
Among the other highlights: Johnson led the most laps at Chicago (118), but ended up 12th. With the first of three races done in the opening round, Tony Stewart (16th) has the last transfer spot, a point ahead of Austin Dillon, who came in 13th, and Kevin Harvick, who was a lap down in 20th.
Michigan 2 race winner Kyle Larson was the first car a lap down in 18th, and he's two points behind Stewart.
As for Chris Buescher, he's holding up the rear, 12 points behind Stewart, after finishing 28th.
With Race No. 2 of the first round of the Cup Chase on deck, the fields are officially set for the first Chase battles in the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. Here's a quick summary of who's in the running for the title.
XFINITY
1. Erik Jones. Four wins: Bristol 1, Dover, Iowa 2, Chicago.
He may be heading to Furniture Row's second Cup team in 2017, but Jones has every intention of making a last splash before he leaves. Already has a six-point cushion on the field.
2. Elliott Sadler. Two wins: Talladega, Darlington
Leads all Chasers in the field with 23 top-10 finishes and comfortably led the points for the regular season. He'll be going deep as a serious title contender.
3. Daniel Suarez. One win: Michigan
Take away his win where he led 62 laps, and the second-year Joe Gibbs Racing driver has led a combined 23 circuits in the other 25 races. Because he has to endure seeing Kyle Busch on track whenever the mood hits, that stat can be forgiven.
And now, the rest with best finish listed.
4. Justin Allgaier: Second at Talladega, Daytona 2, Bristol 2.
In the 10 races to the Chase, Allgaier's worst run was 11th at Darlington and his average finish was 6.0. He's a dark horse worth watching.
5. Ty Dillon: Second at Richmond 1, Iowa 1 and 2.
Crashed at Bristol 2, but wasn't in any real danger of missing Chase. Has averaged a 10th-place finish since then (four races). Will need to pick it up to contend.
6. Brendan Gaughan: Second at Road America.
A win on the road course would have been nice for his standing, but Gaughan has to do better on the 1.5-mile tracks to have a title shot. Five of the seven Chase races will be run from that distance, and his average finish has been 11th in six other tries this season.
7, Brennan Poole: Third at Talladega and Road America.
The Talladega finish was Poole's first top-5 of the year, but it came in the eighth race. With only seven races in the Chase, he has to get going after finishing 21st at Chicago.
8. Brandon Jones: Sixth at Las Vegas
He's the only driver other than Blake Koch without a top-5 run in the regular season. Gotta get at least one to be considered a contender.
9. Darrell Wallace Jr.: Second at Dover
Bubba hasn't been very strong of late. He hasn't finished on the lead lap in six of the last 10 races and was two laps down at Chicagoland while finishing 20th.
10. Ryan Reed: Fifth at Road America
The native of Bakersfield, California has a sixth, ninth and 10th on his season resume. Everything else is 11th or worse.
11. Ryan Sieg: Third at Daytona 2.
Sieg's only other top-10 showing was 10th at Texas. Moving on...
12. Blake Koch: Eighth at Richmond, Bristol 2.
Add in a ninth in the season opener at Daytona, and you have Koch's season in a nutshell. Next?
CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS
1. William Byron. Five wins: Kansas, Texas, Iowa, Kentucky, Pocono
Byron doesn't turn 19 years old until Nov. 29. He drives for Kyle Busch Motorsports. That's all you need to know.
Other than engine issues at Atlanta (32nd) and a crash at Chicago (30th), Byron has been outside the top 10 only three other times. Prime contender for the title.
2. John Hunter Nemechek. Two wins: Atlanta, Canadian Tire.
The win on the road course near Toronto on Sept. 4 gave Nemechek a few more enemies than he would have liked. Voted the most popular driver in the series last season, Nemechek shoved Cole Custer to the grass on the final lap, and the pair crossed the finish line together off the track.
The result: Custer isn't in the Chase and the debate over Nemechek's move will be talked about all the way to Homestead.
3. Matt Crafton. Two wins: Dover, Charlotte.
Crafton went back-to-back with his wins this season and is the only repeat champion (2012, 2013) in Truck Series history. Bigger question: Can he break his hex at Las Vegas, which is the second race of the first round in the inaugural Chase?
His average finish there in the last seven visits is 5.1, including three seconds and two thirds. A win Oct. 1, after all the ThorSport race shop went through with a fire in June, will be a big motivator for title No. 3.
4. Johnny Sauter. One win: Daytona.
After three races where he finished 28th, 32nd and 16rh following the Daytona win, Sauter has been outside the top 10 just once -- a 13th at Eldora.
5. Christopher Bell. One win: Gateway.
Teammate to William Byron, Bell crashed at Michigan and finished 24th, but rebounded nicely with a fifth at Canadian Tire and fourth at Chicago. He'll need those kinds of efforts to advance.
6. Ben Kennedy. One win: Bristol
The son of ISC boss Lesa France Kennedy, the 24-year-old's only other top-5 run was a fourth at Texas. The series returns there Nov. 4, and the Red Horse Racing driver will be a contender for the title if he can get out of the first round.
7. Daniel Hemric: Second at Chicagoland.
Beyond his showing Friday, Hemric has six (!!) third-place runs on his season to date. Keep that up, and he'll be fine, even without a win.
8. Timothy Peters: Second at Michigan
The second driver for Red Horse Racing has covered each of the top five positions without a win. Peters was third at Atlanta, fourth at Pocono and fifth at Martinsville. He hasn't finished on the lead lap just once all season -- 34 laps down in 27th at Eldora.
Enjoy the rest of the Chase and may your favorite driver fare well enough to hold the big trophy at Homestead.
Follow Tom Zulewski on Twitter @Tomzsports or @TommyZee81. Email him at tominator19@yahoo.com.
THIS WEEK'S RACES
New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.058-mile oval), Loudon, New Hampshire.
-SPRINT CUP: New England 300, Sunday, 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT, NBC Sports Network. Radio: SiriusXM Channel 90 or your local PRN Radio affiliate.
Race distance: 300 laps, 317.4 miles.
2015 champion: Matt Kenseth
-CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: UNOH 175, Saturday, 1 p.m., Fox Sports 1. Radio: SiriusXM Channel 90 or your local PRN Radio affiliate.
Race distance: 175 laps, 185.15 miles.
-XFINITY SERIES: VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300, Kentucky Speedway (1.5-mile D-shaped oval), Saturday, 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, NBC Sports Network. Radio: SiriusXM Channel 90 or your local PRN Radio affiliate.
Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.
2015 champion: Ryan Blaney.
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