MARTIN TRUEX JR.
No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota
Charlotte Motor Speedway
CORNELIUS, N.C. – No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. said last weekend’s announcement that Clint Bowyer will join the 2012 MWR driver lineup will make the organization stronger next season. But before thinking about next year, the Mayetta, N.J. native is still focused on visiting victory lane in 2011. This weekend the No. 56 team visits Charlotte Motor Speedway where Truex hopes he’ll show the same speed that propelled him into the top three at Kansas before mechanical issues ruined his race.
Truex On Bowyer to MWR in 2012: “I think the addition of Clint and a third car to our organization are good. Having another car on the track gives us more information and more chances for us to learn. Obviously Clint is a good driver and knows what it takes to win races and make the Chase. It will be good to have someone of his caliber to bounce ideas off of and really work together. We have a lot of good things going on and that includes having Scott Miller joins us to lead the competition department. We’ve seen a lot of ups and downs this season for sure. Our performance definitely needs some improving and to know the direction we are taking with the addition of Miller will certainly help. Clint and Scott can definitely make a huge impact on our team.”
Truex on Charlotte: “You always want to run well in Charlotte. That’s a home race for just about everyone. I’ve run well there in the past and even went to victory lane in the Sprint Showdown in 2010. Our NAPA Toyota has been solid the past couple of months and Chad (Johnston) has done well calling the shots. If we can get away from the bad luck, I honestly believe we can contend for a win Saturday night. We have the speed, we just need to finish. We’ll be fine.”
NOTES
. Saturday’s race marks Truex’s 220th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start. In 12 Cup starts at CMS, he has two top-10 and six top-20 finishes. His average start is 21st and finish is 20th.
TRUEX: “I helped give away a car on Sunday morning with Michael. The day before, he handed out 17 keys to military families in Joplin, Mo. through NAPA’s partnership with the Cars 4 Heroes program. It was nice to meet Brenda and Robert Richards from Joplin. Both Robert as well as Brenda’s father served in the military so the Richards qualified for the Cars 4 Heroes program. They were in desperate need of a good working car to get back on their feet after losing their home in the tornado. It was a great project to be a part of and to see the look on their faces – they were so thankful. The people we are helping deserve breaks like this. It’s been so much fun for me to be involved in programs like this with NAPA and all the things they do. It’s a pleasure to be associated with their company and give back like this.”
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