Martin Truex bumps into Brad Keselowski during practice

Joliet, IL, United States (4E Sports) – A communication error with track official resulted in Martin Truex Jr. of Michael Waltrip Racing bumping into Brad Keselowski’s car during Friday’s second practice Friday at Chicagoland.

While exiting the garage, Truex said he thought the track official was waving his hand telling him to go but the latter was actually asking him to stop.

“I got a little confused,” Truex said. “I’m looking at him like, ‘I think I should stop.’ I looked up and Keselowski just slammed the brakes and I just hit him. My bad. Totally my fault.”

“You get in a hurry getting in and out of the garage, and it was just kind of hard to see what the guy was doing,” he added.

The accident resulted in just minimal damage to both cars and the drivers completed their practice runs.

“I got a little nervous. I could see a little crack under the hood and it bent the hood hinge a little. But it scared the crap out of me,” said Truex, who finished 25th fastest in the last practice after topping the charts in the first practice.

The slight damage to the rear of his Penske Dodge did not deter Keselowski from finishing with the 16th best lap during the final practice.

“Brad said the official was waving at him,” crew chief Paul Wolfe said. “He thought he was waving at him to stop so he stopped, and the 56 just ran right into the back of us.

“It didn’t affect us other than losing a few minutes of practice.”

Non-Chase driver Kyle Busch led the final practice while the fastest Chase driver was Denny Hamlin in fifth. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick were the slowest Chase drivers at 31st and 41st, respectively.

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