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[/media-credit]MARTIN TRUEX JR.
No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS/NASCAR Unites Toyota
Charlotte Motor Speedway
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. understands the importance of this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His team, led by crew chief Chad Johnston, is tied for fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship standings. Every point is crucial when contending for the NAPA team’s first berth into the Chase.
Truex’s Toyota will sport a red, white and blue paint scheme this weekend to kick off NASCAR Unites – a six-week patriotic initiative uniting the NASCAR industry and fans to celebrate America and support U.S. military families.
Martin Truex Jr. on Coca-Cola 600: “We had a solid NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota in the Sprint Showdown. We simply got beat on tires. The first half of the event went off without a hitch. We were right where we wanted to be. Some guys chose to pit during the competition caution and we stayed out. We got beat by the two guys who took tires. In the past, everyone stayed out in favor of track position. This time, a different strategy was played out and we saw what happened. The track has changed quite a bit since last year. For me, it was unexpected. The track is starting to get a lot of bumps in it and the grip is going away. The tires fell off more than we anticipated so it was nice to have a practice race so to speak. When you only do five or six laps in regular practice, you don’t really see what happens to the tire wear. It was good to see. Now, we are going to get tires whenever we can. Plus, we practice during the day and race at night. Charlotte changes a ton so the Coca-Cola 600 is going to be a real challenge.”
Truex on the Paint Scheme: “Man, does our NAPA Toyota look sharp for this race. It’s red, white and blue. It’s our way of saying thanks to all the men and women who have fought for our country. It’s a neat looking car and I can’t wait to take it out on the track. I am so proud to drive that car. The stars reflect so it will really stand out under the Charlotte lights and especially if I am out front like I am expecting. I have only driven a red, white and blue car one other time and it was special. I really do look forward to this weekend.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· MEDIA: Truex will be available Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in the media center.
· NAPA KNOW HOW!: The No. 56 pit crew won the first-quarter Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award. It is determined by a vote of each team’s crew chief and given quarterly to the top-performing pit crew in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
On Monday, William “Stump” Lewis, NAPA Racing truck driver, placed first in the second segment of the Pilot Truck Driver Challenge. Out of 28 drivers, Lewis scored the only perfect score of no penalty points. Two more rounds at the Bristol and Charlotte fall events will determine the championship.
· STOP. GO. SAVE.: Fans can receive up to a $50 Visa rebate card by mail with a qualifying brake parts purchase at participating NAPA AUTO PARTS stores and AutoCare centers when they upgrade to a premium or better during May.
· TRUEX DIECASTS: Visit: http://tiny.cc/99krew to pick up Truex collectables.
