BRISTOL, Tenn. -- What is the difference between making the next round of the Cup Series playoffs and being eliminated? For some drivers, it's a crash or mechanical issue. For Martin Truex Jr., it's a speeding penalty determined by the slimmest of margins.
"I guess it was 0.09 miles per hour," Truex said on pit road after finishing 24th and failing to make the second round of the playoffs.
The 2017 Cup Series champion was second in the running order behind eventual winner Kyle Larson during Saturday night's playoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He had a fast car that he used to score 16 stage points early, one that put him above the elimination line during the final stage.
The situation drastically changed after a caution for Corey LaJoie wrecking. Truex headed down pit road with his fellow drivers and he got tires and fuel. He headed back out onto the track only to be informed that he had sped on pit road.
Instead of restarting in second, Truex dropped outside of the top 20. He never recovered his lost positions.
"We said we had to run second or third to make it through," Truex said. "So it was going to be tough. I don't know if we were quite good enough, but it would have been nice to find out at least.
"Just hate it that I screwed it up for everybody."
Truex was not the only driver to speed on pit road and watch their championship dreams crumble. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs sped after stage 1. He was able to get back into contention for a top-10 finish at points of the final stage, but the penalty ultimately proved too costly.
This penalty buried Gibbs in the field during stage 2. He was not able to add to his points earned, which ultimately became the difference in his battle with Daniel Suarez. Gibbs finished far ahead of Suarez, who was four laps down in 31st place, but he could not overcome the points deficit.
"Speeding penalty is on me," Gibbs said after the race. "You run the lights so close -- it's my fault. Unfortunate."
The big difference between the two JGR drivers is that Gibbs will have more playoff appearances. This season is Truex's final as a full-time driver. It was his final opportunity to win his second championship after finishing second in the standings three times since 2017.
Truex no longer has the opportunity to add another championship trophy. Instead, he has to watch other drivers compete for the title while he counts down the races until the season's end.
Of course, there were other issues for Truex. He failed to finish the playoff opener due to suspension damage sustained in an incident involving Ryan Blaney. He finished 35th.
He then finished 20th at Watkins Glen International after qualifying on the front row. He missed out on stage points and then he was sent into the wall in a multi-car incident.
The penalty committed by the slimmest of margins was just the final blow to Truex's championship hopes.
"We all put in a lot -- all season long, and in the last three weeks, just snake bit," Truex said. "Can't do anything right. 0.09 mph hurts really bad to take the chance away to know if we even could have done it."