Martin Truex Jr. is staring down elimination from NASCAR playoffs after winning regular-season title

Martin Truex Jr. has slumped into Bristol Motor Speedway fighting for his season.

Truex won the regular-season title but two bad races to open NASCAR’s playoffs has him on the brink of elimination headed into Saturday night’s race at Bristol, Tennessee. The bottom four drivers in the 16-driver field will be cut from the championship sprint and Truex, winner of three races this season, is 13th — below the cutline.

A cut tire three laps into last weekend’s race at Kansas — and an 18th-place finish in the playoff opener at Darlington — has…