NASCAR orders Martin Truex Jr. to start last at Dover – SportingNews.com

Martin Truex Jr. started Sunday’s Sprint Cup race from dead last after his car was caught in a pre-race inspection.

Instead of going from ninth on the grid, Truex started 43rd. Not ideal for a driver trying to maintain his place in the Chase field.

MORE: What’s needed at Dover | Restart rule enforcement | Chase standings

#NASCAR sends Martin Truex Jr. to the rear for today’s race after apparent body manipulation: http://t.co/fe0NqNIHvF pic.twitter.com/XGOEsiFqFi
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) October 4, 2015

NASCAR says NO further penalty for Truex. Right rear was bowed out after inspection by team (unapproved); fixed and he starts in the back.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 4, 2015

Truex entered the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway 14 points ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was 12th in the standings. He had to maintain his position in the top dozen drivers to advance.

The Chase field was 16 entering Sunday, but results at Dover would eliminate four drivers with the lowest point totals. Kyle Busch, Paul Menard, defending Cup champion Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer had to run well, if not win at Dover, to stay in competition.

Truex will move on to the Contender Round with a finish of 13th or better OR 14th and at least one lap led OR 15th and the most laps led. Not only is Dover his home track but he won his first race there in 2007. Truex finished in the top 10 in the past three Dover races.

He was ninth in the starting grid because rain cancelled qualifying and practice, forcing NASCAR to set the Dover field based on points.

Truex told to keep his nose clean as he works his way through traffic. Competition caution lap 40 (no fuel before then). #nascar
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 4, 2015

Truex was advancing through the field before the race’s first caution on Lap 2. It was caused by an accident that Truex was forced to avoid.

TRASH TROUBLE

During Sunday’s warmup laps, Joey Logano complained about the amount of debris blowing across the Monster Mile. Could a hot-dog wrapper play a role in the race?

Don’t dismiss the possibility. Early on, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman — all drivers in the Chase — had trash on their car’s grill.

The problem: Junk prevents air flow through the car’s cooling system, causing the engine to overheat. Harvick immediately slide in behind a car to get a draft to blow away the debris. It was expected to be a common occurrence.

Although rain had disappeared as a concern as the race started, wind was having an effect. It was blowing trash onto the raceway and creating a problem in open areas that forced drivers to adjust.

That said, Harvick was running ahead of the field when NASCAR’s mandated competition caution slowed the race at Lap 40.

LONG ARM OF NASCAR LAW

While drivers were focused on making clean restarts, NASCAR also was watching pit-road speeds. And when the pits opened, Denny Hamlina and Jimmie Johnson were busted for speeding. Both drivers were ordered to the rear of the field.

The leaders after 50 laps: Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Johnson and Hamlin were in the middle of the field after their pit-road penalties. Truex had moved back into the top 20.

Harvick entered Sunday 23 points out of the Chase dozen. In reality, he had to win at Dover. And as he did at New Hampshire, Harvick was going for broke by running in the lead.

For 400 laps, Harvick must avoid problems. The Monster Mile earned its nickname in part because drivers find trouble at Dover no matter how hard the try.

Remember 2014’s June race, when Jamie McMurray struck a piece of concrete that had broken off the track? Nobody could have foreseen that happening. But it did.

The driver in the biggest problem because of Harvick’s run? Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was 12th in the standings and a quarter of the way through the AAA 400 was in danger of missing the Chase.