Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
WATKINS GLEN, NY (September 14, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International.
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
You have someone local on your team – Jaik Halpainy. Can you talk about his impact on the team?
“Jaik (Halpainy) is a great guy. He’s been great to work with. He gets along with James (Small, crew chief) and the crew. He has been a great addition. Nice guy and does a good job.”
Do you feel like you are in a must win?
“I really don’t know. We will just have to see. It is obviously a bit of a hole to dig out of, so it is unfortunate last week that we got caught up in that and got some damage. I don’t know. We will just have to wait and see. We are going to try to win, but I think we will know more after this weekend is over.”
Are there any different feelings knowing that you are done after this year?
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t say pissed off – just a little bit frustrated with how things have gone lately. No matter what we do – it is wrong, and we can’t catch a break. It has been frustrating, but the guys are working hard and a big weekend here. This is a good place for me, and I love coming up here. We put a lot of effort in, so we will see how it turns out this weekend.”
Have you studied what happened in Bristol in the Spring and have a good plan for next week?
“We will see. I think everyone understands that it was a lot different than expected going into the race. I’m sure that everyone will make changes and adapt. The tire conservation will be at the top of the list. I don’t foresee it being like it was, but there will still be some people that will have tire issues. We will just have to wait and see. It is going to be different weather, so we will see. Bristol is an interesting place – it can change a lot based on how the rubber gets laid down and the temperature is very critical. It could be warmer, and there could be less tire wear as well.”
For a veteran, does that play into your hand?
“I don’t think it hurts that we’ve had experience in doing stuff like that before and not everyone has. In the recent years, tires have never been an issue there – it has always been hammer down as hard as you can every lap, so we’ve always seen track position outweigh tires at Bristol, and that is something that we didn’t have in the Spring.”
Do you expect for Ryan to have a little more on his plate next year?
“As of now, he really has nothing. He is really working hard to try and figure some things out. It really boils down to sponsorship and what can you bring to the table. He is really working hard at that and is still doing his sim work and everything he does behind the scenes for his real job, and trying to put something together for Xfinity. We’ve got a few people that he is talking too, but nothing is done yet so we will see how it plays out.”
How do you feel about these next two weeks?
“I feel really good about it, honestly. We should be able to perform well here, and I’m excited for today. It is going to be interesting this weekend with tires that they’ve brought and the fall off that everyone is taking about. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Can we pass – say we don’t qualify great – but we have a good long run car, can we make our way though the field? It is not something that we’ve been able to do with these cars on the road courses in a while. I’m excited about it and I’m looking forward to having the opportunity this weekend and going to have some fun at a place I like.”
What do you feel like has led to the recent struggles, because it doesn’t feel like it is a lack of speed?
“It is not a lack of speed. It is a lot of different things. You call it a slump – great players get in slumps in other sports, and that is what I feel like it is. I feel like we are doing a lot of good things – we have lot of speed and put ourselves in position, we just have to put it all together. Some days I make mistakes, some days the team makes mistakes, some days – last week we got caught up in an accident. There has been a lot of that. Just have to put it together on one day and hopefully that is this weekend.”
How does having so many solid road course racers in the field with nothing to lose?
“That is the hard part when you race with those kind of guys. For the most part, everyone is respectful of the situation and those guys have enough experience to know not to run someone over that is maybe fighting for a Playoff spot or a championship or so. They all have a lot of experience – they are great drivers, and it is not like they are new to this. You play it a little safe around them, and don’t put yourself in a bad situation because they are going to be aggressive for sure.”
Would Watkins Glen possibly be on your part-time schedule next season?
“I’m not sure. I would like to. I really do enjoy it. We will just see. I haven’t looked into my schedule yet – Xfinity and things like that. One step at a time. We’ve got nine really big races coming up to worry about, and that is the first thing on the list.”
What is it like to have Juan Pablo back at the track this weekend?
“I haven’t talked to him yet, but I’m excited that he is here. I think it is really cool. He must have gotten really bored or something (laughter) – to come back after that many years of being in a stock car, and these things are so different. He’s an exceptional talent. It was teammates with him for a while, and just raced with him a lot. Unbelievably talented at road racing, and I’m sure he will adapt quickly – but these things are a lot different, so it will be cool to see what he can do.”
What was the turning point for you in your career when you started enjoying road courses?
“Honestly, I always enjoyed them. My first racing as a kid was on road courses, and felt like I always enjoyed them and looked forward to it – even coming up here in the Busch North Series back in the day. I always had success on road courses throughout – it was kind of hard to find it in the Cup car, it took a little bit longer, but there is so much talent from the regulars to the ringers to whoever comes to the road courses. Been able to win a handful of road course races throughout my career and that has been fun.”
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