MARTIN TRUEX JR.
No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota
Talladega Superspeedway
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. says Sunday’s restrictor-plate race at Talladega Superspeedway could be the most pivotal race in the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Last week’s sixth-place finish at Dover moved Truex to eighth place, 42 points out of first, after three of 10 Chase races. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver and his 11 Chase competitors know the high-speed, pack racing at Talladega is an easy way to quickly gain or lose points.
Martin Truex Jr. Heading Into Talladega: “Our top-10 finish at Dover moved us up two spots in the standings to eighth, but we lost some ground to the leaders. We are now 42 points out. It just shows you how tough it is to win this year’s Chase. But anything can happen. Talladega is next and it really is the wild card of all the Chase races. I think the points race will be interesting after Talladega.”
On Racing At Talladega: “I honestly don’t know what to expect come Sunday. All of us in the Chase are going to take a car that we think is fast and capable of winning. After that, it is simply a crap shoot. MWR has had pretty good cars and led laps. Our finishes haven’t been all that impressive. We either have been caught up in a crash or have made a run at the end a little too soon and lost steam. In my opinion, it is time for us to get a good finish in the books. I love racing there. I’ve even won there in the Nationwide Series. Anything can happen. I have seen it all and I’ve been in it all. I’ve been wrecked going for the lead. I’ve been wrecked riding in the back in 30th trying to stay out of trouble. In my opinion, I think the best strategy is to run up front and hope it all happens behind you. I believe that is what I am going to do this weekend and hopefully it will pay off with a much-needed win!”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· TRUEX TALLADEGA NUMBERS: In 15 races, he has one top-five, four top-10s and one pole. His average running position is 19.5 (19th-best) and average finish is 23.5.
· MWR THROUGH 29 RACES
Years Wins Top-Five Top-10 Pole Laps Led
2007-2011 2 17 52 7 641
2012 2 20 47 5 900
· EAGLES FAN: Truex served as co-captain at Sunday’s Eagles/Giants game after the Dover race and celebrated the retirement of jersey No. 20 with former safety Brian Dawkins. According to Truex, “We surprised Brian by putting his name on my NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota and recognized him as one of my Honorary Pit Crew Members for the race. It was pretty darn cool to hear him give the command to start the engines. After the race, I went to the game to see his jersey get retired. It was pretty special and I am glad that I can now call him a friend. He is so cool and so humble and his passion for football is unmatched.”
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