In 2017, Joey Logano missed the playoffs altogether. A year later, he won the first of his two NASCAR Cup Series titles. In that same 2017 season, Martin Truex Jr. hoisted his first career Cup championship trophy. Last year, he missed the playoffs. Can he do what Logano did and win the title a year after missing the postseason?

Truex enters this year’s edition as the No. 2 seed as he took home his second career regular season title. The other time that he won it?

2017.

Truex Jr. has 34 career NASCAR Cup Series victories to his credit and the former champion is sitting in a great spot heading into Darlington this weekend, the site to kickstart this year’s playoffs.

The second-place driver in playoff points made the final round in 4 of the 6 years too and all but one has at least made it to the Round of 8.

Enter Martin Truex Jr.

Truex has had a stellar season and hopeful to finish it off with a walk off championship this Fall in Phoenix.

“We’re excited,” Truex said earlier this month. “Every week we feel like we have a shot to win. That’s all I can ask for. Exciting coming to the track every weekend knowing what these guys are going to bring me.

“Hopefully we can keep it up.”

Truex has amassed 15 top 10 finishes on the season including scoring 10 Top-7 finishes in the last 13 weeks.

That has shifted the New Jersey native into high gear late in the regular season and is leaving his competitors in the dust. 

First up is Darlington. He led 145 laps there this past May and had a race winning car but crashed while defending the top spot too hard.

Then it’s to Kansas. He finished 8th in the spring race. Bristol isn’t a strong suit but he should have enough in the bank to get by the opening round.

The Round of 12 could be scary for him. Talladega is one of his worst tracks and the Charlotte ROVAL he’s finished 7th, 7th, 29th, 17th. But maybe Texas will help get him by and into the Round of 8.

He has 5 Championship 4 appearances in the last 8 seasons and if he can make it to Phoenix, watch out.