MARTIN TRUEX JR.
No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS TOYOTA
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. makes his final start driving for Michael Waltrip Racing Sunday at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Since joining MWR in 2010, the 32-year-old Mayetta, N.J. native made 143 starts driving the blue and gold No. 56 NAPA Toyota posting a victory at Sonoma this year, a pole, 17 top-five and 52 top-10 finishes.
Truex and crew chief Chad Johnston expect to add to those totals this weekend at Homestead. Truex owns eleventh-, third- and six-place finishes in the last three events at the 1.5-mile speedway — scoring the fifth most points of any driver. All three MWR teams tested at Homestead on Oct. 29-30.
TRUEX THOUGHTS HEADING INTO HOMESTEAD: “I believe this NAPA team has nothing to prove. All we want to do is end on a high note and this track can certainly be the place that we can win. My guys have worked so hard for me over the last four years and I know they really want to close out our time together with a victory. To be honest, it’s been sad to see it end this way. We had such high expectations for all of us. If you really think about it, this year is only our second full season as a team for this group of guys and that’s impressive. We are really just getting started and moving in the direction that we always wanted to go. This NAPA team is such a great group of guys. It’s just unfortunate that we are not going to realize the full potential of this amazing team. All we want to do is go down swinging at Homestead. We want to use this race as a way to show everyone just how good we are and to thank NAPA AUTO PARTS for supporting and believing in this team. They deserve another visit to victory lane and it’s our plan to get them there on Sunday.”
NOTES:
MWR in 2013: MWR cars have combined for two wins (Truex Jr. – Sonoma; Vickers – Loudon-1), 20 top-five and 44 top-10 finishes. The three-car team has led 834 laps and won one pole award (M. Martin – Phoenix-1). Bowyer is eighth in points heading into the finale.
MARTIN TRUEX JR. FOUNDATION (MTJF): Founded in 2007, MTJF has raised more than $1.5 million for community programs. Key initiatives include the MTJF Backpack Program in Iredell Co., N.C. with the Second Harvest Food Bank, the special needs fund and the Ryan Seacrest Studio at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., the MTJF Relief Assistance Fund to help families affected by Hurricane Sandy and the Martin Truex Jr. Pediatric Care Center at Southern Ocean Medical Center in N.J. For more information, visit: martintruexjrfoundation.org.
