MARTIN TRUEX JR.
No. 56 NAPA Shocks Toyota
Atlanta Motor Speedway
CORNELIUS, N.C. — Atlanta is a big weekend for Martin Truex Jr.
On Friday, he’ll join Michael Waltrip Racing executives and NASCAR President Mike Helton in the media center for a 1 p.m. news conference to discuss the 2013 season and beyond.
On Saturday, he’ll entertain customers and executives from NAPA— his longtime sponsor headquartered in Atlanta. Truex will race a special NAPA Shocks paint scheme on the 1.5-mile high speed oval this weekend to launch NAPA’s September promotion.
Then on Sunday, Truex will attempt to clinch MWR and NAPA its first berth in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. Truex will earn that place if he finishes 14th or better with no laps led, or 15th with at least one lap led or 16th with most laps led.
Martin Truex Jr. On Atlanta: “Atlanta has been a good track for us. I feel good going there and it’s one of my favorite tracks. If we can have a decent night, it has the potential of being a really big night for the entire Michael Waltrip Racing organization and my sponsor NAPA AUTO PARTS. I sure would love to go down and win the thing with NAPA Headquarters based not too far away. We have a bunch of NAPA folks coming down for the weekend. It’s a very big deal for us and Atlanta Motor Speedway is a place where I believe we can get it done with a win.”
On Clinching Chase Berth This Weekend: “I think we are in a good position to get in this weekend as long as we can keep anything catastrophic from happening. If we can go there and do what we’ve been doing all season long, this NAPA team should be able to make it happen. I am pretty excited about it, but at the same time, I don’t want to jinx anything either.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· TRUEX ON THE TUBE: On Sunday, Truex is slated to be on SPEED’s NASCAR RaceDay at 5:10 p.m. Plus, he’ll be ESPN’s In-Race Reporter at 6:30 p.m.
· TRUEX JR. AT ATLANTA: Has two top-10s and one pole. Average Running Position is 12th, fifth-best. Competed 2,922 laps in the top 15 (74.4%), seventh-most.
· MWR LAST FOUR RACES: Truex Jr. and teammate Clint Bowyer have scored the second and fourth most points of all drivers.
POINTS IN LAST 4 RACES
Ambrose 160
Bowyer 151
Kahne 151
Truex Jr. 144
· MWR IN 2012: MWR’s five Cup Series drivers have scored a combined record of one win (Bowyer at Sonoma), 15 top-five and 36 top-10 finishes through the 24 races of the season. Four of the five drivers have recorded two or more top-five finishes – Truex Jr. and Bowyer each have five, Brian Vickers has three and Mark Martin has two. All five drivers, including Michael Waltrip, have recorded a top-10.
· LEADING THE WAY: MWR’s Toyotas have led 753 laps in the 24 Sprint Cup Series races of 2012. Martin Truex Jr. leads the MWR charge with 376 laps, followed by Mark Martin with 133, Brian Vickers with 126, Bowyer with 97 and Waltrip with 21.
· SHOCKS & STRUTS IN SEPTEMBER: Buy four shocks or struts for the price of three with mail-in rebate at participating NAPA AUTO PARTS Stores and AutoCare Centers. Plus with every rebate, get a NAPA Car Care Repair card good for $25 off future qualifying services at a participating NAPA AutoCare Center.
· NOW OPEN: MWR announces its new team store www.MWRTeamStore.com. It’s a one-stop shop for all MWR driver and team merchandise.
· CHECK THIS OUT: Visit NAPA Reserve Online at napaonline.com to make shopping for an auto part easier. Order online and pick up at your favorite NAPA AUTO PARTS store.
