Despite coming up short in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 3, Martin Truex Jr. had reason to celebrate after wrapping up the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular-season points championship. At Darlington, Truex led five times for 76 of the 376 laps, but with four laps to go his right-front tire blew, allowing Denny Hamlin to drive by for the victory.