Martin Truex Jr. looking to avenge March's heartbreaking Richmond loss

Martin Truex Jr. may have been the most heartbroken man in America on March 31.

The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion led 228-of-400 laps in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on Easter Sunday, but fell victim to a late-race restart and a blatant penalty on Denny Hamlin that wasn't called. While Truex has almost sewn up a spot in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, he's got all the motivation in the world to win at Richmond and take what could be his final Cup Series victory.

With 2024 being Truex's final season of full-time Cup Series competition, any win comes with the possibility that it could be his last. With Truex looking to close his career with his second Cup Series championship, a win wouldn't only be emotional, but it would also give him five all-important playoff points to help him advance through the rounds of the postseason.

With next Sunday's race starting at 6 p.m. ET time, the conditions will be similar to Richmond's first race of the season, which plays right into Truex's hands.

While Truex was clearly frustrated after the close loss earlier in the year at Richmond, Sunday's race will be the perfect opportunity for him to use that anger as a driving force. If Truex does break through and grab his first victory of the season, expect to see an emotional celebration.

The Cook Out 400 will go green shortly after 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 11, with coverage on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.