TRUEX GOES BACK-TO-BACK AT MARTINSVILLE
Martin Truex Jr. drives to his first win of the season
RIDGEWAY, Virginia (June 10, 2020) – Martin Truex Jr. won the Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Wednesday evening. It was Truex’s first win of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, second consecutive at Martinsville and 25th NASCAR Cup Series win driving at Toyota Camry. This is the third win of the season for Toyota following Denny Hamlin’s victories at Daytona International Speedway in February and Darlington Raceway in May.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Martinsville Speedway
Race 11 of 36 – 263 miles, 500 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
2nd, Ryan Blaney*
3rd, Brad Keselowski*
4th, Joey Logano*
5th, Chase Elliott*
19th, KYLE BUSCH
20th, ERIK JONES
24th, DENNY HAMLIN
27th, DANIEL SUÁREZ
28th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
39th, TIMMY HILL
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 SiriusXM Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
What is it about you, this team and Martinsville Speedway?
“We’ve been working a long time at trying to figure this place out and just chipping away at it. The last couple years we’ve been really strong. 2018 was a heartbreaker at the end of the race there. Last year to get the win and this year, just hats off to the guys. We started the first run and it pushed the right-front tire off and we were terrible. Really good adjustments from the guys, just want to thank all of them. SiriusXM, Bass Pro, Auto Owners and everybody that makes this possible – TRD. Congrats to James (Small, crew chief) on his first win. He’s doing an awesome job and really proud of him. It’s a big day for us. I want to say hi to all the fans at home, we definitely misss you. This just doesn’t feel right, but exciting to win for sure.”
How hot was it during the race?
“It was really hot. I don’t know if it’s just going back to this aero package, but this car felt a lot hotter than I expected it to. It’s not that hot outside, but all in all, we did what we had to do and I’m just really proud of my team. Thanks to everybody back at JGR for working through all these tough times and everything else. I don’t even know what else to say, kind of speechless. It feels a little strange out here to be honest.”
How much does it mean for James Small to get his first win as a crew chief?
“It’s huge for his confidence. I knew we would get one soon. The last couple weeks at the end of the race, we have a group text and I would say, ‘Our win’s coming soon guys, keep it up.’ Just so proud of them, we have an awesome team. Really proud of those guys. Nice to get another win early in the season and hopefully now we can get on a roll.”
How much did you work on the car from the beginning of the race to get a race-winning car?
“We never quit on it, we never gave up on it and we worked hard. The first run of the race when the track was green, we pushed the right-front tire off in 30 laps and I was like, ‘oh man, this is going to be a long night.’ From there on we just kept making adjustments. We got up towards the front and then we had a pit road penalty and had to go to the back. It was really, really difficult to get through the field. Once we got near the front, I was like, okay we got something. Then we made one more adjustment and the thing took off. Just happy for all the guys. To have SiriusXM come on board for five races this year, proud of that and Bass Pro, Auto Owners, TRD, True Timber, Beechcraft – everybody that supports us and makes this car go around the track, I have to thank them. Obviously everybody at JGR working through a lot of weird things with the social distancing and the Coronavirus and all that stuff going on. Really proud of the effort. I knew we were knocking on the door the last month, we just had to get things to go our way and tonight we made the right calls.”
What does it mean to have James Small get his first win tonight in this role after being with you so long?
“It’s huge for him and his confidence and for the way people look at him. I think it’s huge. I knew all along that he was capable, I know he’s going to be an amazing crew chief for a long time to come. I’m proud to have him on our team and he’s a great leader, great guy, great friend and really proud of him for his effort.”
What has made you such a good short track racer?
“Just team belief. We started on a path five years ago at Furniture Row with a team that believed in me and they were going to make the cars do what I wanted them to do, the way I needed to drive them. They were going to make them handle the way I needed them to handle. We just continue year after year to continue to work on those things. Martinsville is a perfect example. We had a heartbreaker in ’18 and should have won. Last year, we come back and we finally do win and then tonight to come from the back of the field mid-race. We keep working on the things that make us successful and that’s what’s so good about keeping such a great team together like we have.”
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