Martin Truex and Cole Pearn and the Furniture Row racing team, which is based in Denver, Colorado, got a big win to start the Chase in Joliet, Illinois at the Chicagoland Speedway in the Teenage Mutant Turtles 400. After it looked like the race was going to be dominated by Hendrick Motor Sports, Jimmie Johnson took himself out of contention by getting a speeding penalty on pit road, on what had been a dominating day for the Lowe’s driver. He had led 119 laps before the speeding penalty. Chase Elliott, the rookie out of Dawsonville, Georgia, is replacing Jeff Gordon in the legendary number 24. His team is led by Alan Gustafson, the same crew chief who led Gordon one year ago into Miami. Elliott was within four laps of winning until a caution came out for the number 95 car of Michael McDowell. But nobody could stop Martin Truex, Jr., who had the fastest car. Cole and Martin are a satellite tram of Joe Gibbs Racing.
