MARTINSVILLE, VA - APRIL 01: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Toyota, stands in the garage with his crew chief Cole Pearn during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on April 1, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Top Cup series crew chief responds to claims that Toyotas have an advantage


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Martin Truex's win at Chicagoland land was his fifth victory of the season, and it was also Toyota's fifth win in the last seven races.

There have been complaints about Toyota's dominance, and there have even been questions regarding whether the manufacturer has an unfair advantage.

Related: Roger Penske has a firm message for Brad Keselowski and his Toyota rants

Truex's crew chief, Cole Pearn, made an appearance on "The Morning Drive" on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday, and he was asked wha he thought about claims that Toyota is somehow cutting corners to get ahead.

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"I think that maybe just comes with the territory," Pearn said. "It's a little bit sad sign of the times. You do a lot of hard work and a ton of people put a lot of effort into it and then people try to take the wind out of your sails a little bit. That's just the world we live in, unfortunately.

"I don't know I remember racing being that way when I was growing up, but that is the way it is now, and unfortunately that just comes with the territory and you just deal with it."

NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O'Donnell said he believes each manufacturer is on a level playing field, but Keselowski doesn't agree.

Toyotas have had a great deal of success this season, from Truex to Kyle Busch to Denny Hamlin. And if Truex and Busch keep dominating like they did in the regular season, questions will continue to be raised about whether Toyotas have an unfair advantage.

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(h/t NBC Sports)