Truex Jr. sweeps Stage 1, Stage 2 at Kentucky

STAGE 2:

Martin Truex Jr. swept the first two stages at Kentucky Speedway, logging his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series-leading 13th stage win of the season when he won Stage 2 on Saturday night.

Truex took the lead from Kyle Busch with 26 laps remaining in Stage 2, and never relinquished it. Truex earns a playoff point and 10 race points for the Stage 2 win.

Kyle Busch finished second, and led a race-high 112 of 160 laps.

Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Erik Jones rounded out the top five in Stage 2.

Stage 2 featured a wreck on Lap 87 when Brad Keselowski appeared to get loose in traffic, and spun in front of Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson.

Keselowski’s No. 2 Team Penske Ford suffered enough damage that he exited the race while Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet slammed hard into the outside wall, and he was forced directly to the garage.

Bowyer escaped significant damage.

In all, Stage 2 featured four cautions.

Stage 2 results

STAGE 1

Martin Truex Jr. took the lead on Lap 68 and held on for the final 12 laps of Stage 1 to capture his 12th stage win of the season.

Truex has three times as many stage wins as his closest competitor, Kyle Busch, who has four. Truex earns a playoff point and 10 race points for the stage win.

Busch, who started on the pole, led for all but one of the first 67 laps before yielding the lead to Truex. Busch finished second.

Kyle Larson, who started 40th in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet after failing to make a qualifying lap, worked his way all the way up to third.

Stage 1 had just one caution, a competition caution at Lap 30, and just two leaders.

See below for stage points earned in Stage 1 at Kentucky.

Stage 1 results