Martin Truex Jr. earned his seventh Monster Energy Cup Series victory of the season at Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday.
Truex, 37 — who drives the No. 78 Toyota Camry for Furniture Row Racing — has now increased his NASCAR playoff point total to 69, and advances to the Round of 8.
Furniture Row Racing dedicated the win to former crew member Jim Watson, who died Saturday at age 55.
Truex’s longtime girlfriend and cancer fighter Sherry Pollex, who missed his last victory due to chemotherapy, attended Sunday’s race.
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Joining Truex in the Round of 8 will be Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.
Crashes on Sunday led to the elimination of drivers Matt Kenseth, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Jamie McMurray. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson’s engine exploded early on in Stage 1.
During a restart in Stage 1, Truex went under the white line on the track and was forced to serve a pass-through penalty. Though the No. 78 was ahead at the time of the restart violation, Busch took over once Truex came down the pit road. Harvick was also below the line, but NASCAR explained that since the No. 4. followed leader Truex, he was not penalized.
Pollex expressed her discontent with the result on Twitter: “That makes ZERO sense,” she wrote.
The Round of 8 — the First Data 500 — will be held next Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.
KANSAS CITY, KS – OCTOBER 22: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 22, 2017 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
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