The following 12 Furniture Row Racing members served in the U.S. Military
Air Force – Craig Phillips, Army — Barney Visser, Henry Benfield, Army National Guard – Joe Fiorelli, Marine Corps — John Parks, Gregg Huls, Chris Taylor, David Chenot, Carmen Jaquez, Adrian Valenzuela, Navy — Chuck Lemay, Barry Huston
Martin Truex Jr. 2017 Quick Facts
…second in driver points
…tied for most wins (2 – Las Vegas, Kansas)
…leader in stage wins (5)
…leader in playoff bonus points (15)
…leader in laps led (536)
…second in stage points (131)
Coca-Cola 600 Win a Cherished Memory, But Focus on Present
DENVER, Colo. (May 23, 2017) – It was a classic win in a classic race and the adjectives flowed – dominating, annihilating, convincing, blistering, crushing, overpowering – to explain Martin Truex Jr.’s performance in last year’s Coca-Cola 600 victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
While the adjectives might have appeared at first glance to be an embellishment, they were indeed accurate descriptions of Truex’s record win.
He started from the pole in NASCAR’s longest race and went on to lead 392 of 400 laps for 588 miles at the 1.5-mile oval. The laps led was an event record and the miles led was a NASCAR record.
The Furniture Row Racing driver, who will pilot the No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Toyota in Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600, feels last year’s win was a once-in-a-lifetime performance.
“I don’t think anybody can do that again,” said Truex about his dominating victory. “Look how long it took. It’s pretty amazing to think about what we did, really. All the years that NASCAR has been around and the great drivers and the stories, and to do that in this day and age was incredible. Going to be tough to top that one for sure.”
Though Truex will always savor the Coca-Cola 600 win, one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races, his 100 percent focus is on the present.
“Things change rather quickly in this business and you can’t live in the past,” stated the 36-year-old Truex. “You know the old saying, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ ”
Actually “lately” hasn’t been that bad for Truex. He is coming off a victory at Kansas Speedway. He is tied in race wins (2 – Las Vegas, Kansas), is the sole leader in stage wins (5), playoff bonus points (15), laps led (536) and is second in overall driver points.
“It’s been incredible, have to pinch myself every once in a while because things are going so well,” noted Truex. “I’m such a lucky person right now. It’s such a great situation. I’m not taking that for granted, I’m enjoying every moment, having fun with the team. Just trying to keep the momentum going, keep working hard, see what is around the next corner.”
Based on last year’s victory coupled with wins this season at two of the four 1.5-mile tracks, Truex is frequently mentioned as one of the favorites for the Coca-Cola 600 win.
“I think with our success on the mile‑and‑a‑half’s, we certainly should be one of the teams to beat,” said Truex. “I think we feel good about what we’re doing and the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats Toyota we’re bringing.
“Charlotte typically changes quite a bit day to day let alone year to year. It’s definitely still going to be a challenge. This place is tough. But so many things you have to do right to win these races. We’re certainly putting the pressure on ourselves to make sure we get it all done. Hopefully we’ll be able to put ourselves in that position. But there’s no guarantees, that’s for sure.”
No. 78 Over-the-Wall Crew, 2017
Front-tire changer
Chris Taylor, West Plains, Mo.
Front-tire carrier
Chris Hall, Springfield, Mo.
Rear-tire changer
Lee Cunningham, Lake River, IL
Rear-tire carrier
Adam Mosher, Fort Mill, S.C.
Jackman
Bailey Walker, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Gasman
Brian Dheel, Norton, Ohio
No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Road Crew, 2017
President
Joe Garone, Denver, Colo.
Crew Chief
Cole Pearn, London, Ontario, Canada
Car Chief
Blake Harris, Maypearl, Texas
Ass’t Car Chief
Greg Emmer, Allenton, Wis.
Race Engineers
Jeff Curtis, Fairfax Station, Va.
Pete Craik, Melbourne, Australia
Engine Tuner
Gregg Huls, Beatrice, Neb.
Engine Engineer
Jon Grove, Mandurah, Australia
Engine Builder
Toyota Racing Development (TRD)
Spotter
Clayton Hughes, Thomasville, N.C.
Shock Specialist
Nick Kerlin, Old Fort, Ohio
Tire Specialist
Tommy DiBlasi, Annapolis, Md.
Front-End Mechanic
Nino Venezia, Philadelphia
Rear-End Mechanic
Rob Fairweather, Westbrookville, N.Y.
IT Support
Eric Cragun, Pleasant View, Utah
Pit Support
Ed Watkins, Richmond, Va.
Transportation
Chuck Lemay, DeKalb, IL, Barry Huston, Bloomingdale, Mich., Roy Miller, Elkridge, Md., Roger Pritchard, Hutchinson, Kan. Henry Benfield, Statesville, N.C.
