Qualifying Report - Dover International Speedway

Martin Truex Jr. — No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota — qualified fourth.

Friday Recap

• Jimmie Johnson won his second Coors Light Pole Award of 2010 with a time of 23.116 sec/155.736 mph
• Non-Chase drivers AJ Allmendinger and Mark Martin rounded out top three.
• Point leader Denny Hamlin will start fifth
• JTG-Daugherty’s Marcos Ambrose will start 24th
• Sunday’s race begins at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern) on ESPN-TV, MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio channel 128.

MARTIN TRUEX JR. — “It was a decent lap. You can always do better. You can always find more wrong with your lap versus what you did right. Today it’s been a decent practice day. Our last run ended up being our best we had been all day. It wasn’t quite good enough and we needed to make a few more changes. It was a good pick up for us. That might end up being one of the biggest pickups of the day when considering making adjustments and going back out running. All and all, it was a good pick up for us. It was perfect and we’ll still try and make it better yet. It was a good lap for the NAPA Toyota. It’s been awhile since I’ve been in victory lane, but the last time was here. I love coming up here to Dover. It’s been a great week we had two Martin Truex Jr. Foundation events that included my third annual golf tournament. It’s been a really good week and I would like to top it off with a win.”

Martin Truex Jr. Dover 2 Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 56 NAPA Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. kicks off a week-long fundraising initiative in his home state of New Jersey before Sunday’s AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway. Truex won the pole at Dover in May and the mile-oval is the scene of his lone Sprint Cup victory in June 2007. It’s a busy week of events before Dover:

On Tuesday fans are invited to the Martin Truex Jr. Fan Event at the Holiday Inn in Manahawkin, N.J. for an autograph session, dinner with Truex along with entertainment, raffle prizes and auction items.

Wednesday is the day for the third annual Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Golf Tournament presented by NAPA. This year’s tournament at the Sea Oaks Country Club in Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J. will feature 144 golfers including NAPA Racing’s crew chief Pat Tryson. The event will be followed by the 19th Hole Dinner Celebration presented Sea Watch International. The highlight of the dinner will be the unveiling of the first Martin Truex Jr. Foundation “Humanitarian of the Year Award.” Proceeds finance the Martin Truex Jr. Pediatric Unit at Southern Ocean County Hospital in N.J. and fund the Iredell County (N.C.) Backpack program at Troutman Elementary School.

QUOTES

MARTIN TRUEX JR. ON HIS FUNDRAISING EFFORTS: “I’m really proud of what my foundation has accomplished since Sherry and I launched it back in 2007. So far, we’ve raised more than $400,000 for a bunch of community programs. We’re getting ready to build a children’s wing at Southern Ocean County Hospital. It’s the local hospital where I was born. It’s going to be a really cool place where kids can go and get treated. This month, we’ve launched a backpack program for kids who go to the Troutman Elementary School in Troutman, N.C. We chose that school because it’s not far from where I live. Each Friday, kids who participate, will get a backpack filled with food. We heard stories about some of the kids coming into school saying they were hungry and didn’t have much to eat on the weekends.”

ON RETURNING TO DOVER: “It’s a track that has been very good to me and my family. I won races there in both the Nationwide and Cup Series events. Back in May, I won the pole with my NAPA AUTO PARTS team and that was pretty cool. Now we want to get our first win there as a new team.

“Since the first time I took a lap on it, I have loved the place. When you find a track like that it usually makes it easier to be good there. I like the fact that the concrete is very unforgiving. The speeds are high and the banking makes it intimidating. It’s pretty fast. I find it to be a track that you really have to attack, but at the same time, respect that it is very unforgiving. You have to be willing to put it right there on the edge and have the discipline not to cross over it.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

Sunday marks Truex’s 181st NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Truex owns nine starts at the 1.058-mile concrete oval. He’s earned one top-five, three top-10 and eight top-25 finishes. His average start is 19th and average finish is 15th.

Truex made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Dover driving for his father in 2001. He went on to win two more Nationwide races at the “Monster Mile” in 2004 and 2005.

Join the 23,000 fans who signed up for NAPA’s free Track Pass offer and listen to Truex’s in-car audio during the race. Register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or www.NAPAonline.com. The offer is good through the remainder of the season.

Martin Truex Jr. New Hampshire Race Report

Martin Truex Jr. Race Summary: The No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. earned a 20th-place finish Sunday in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Truex saw his Toyota come to life at the halfway mark and nearly climb into the top 10, but late-race cautions and handling issued slowed his charge to the front. Truex remains 20th in points as the series visits Dover International Speedway on Sunday. Only nine races remain in the 2010 season.




Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota

Started 16th and finished 20th.

Ran in the top 20 in first half of race. Struggled with chattering tires and not turning well.

By halfway, car started turning good lap times and by lap 194, it started running times similar to the leader’s.

Dodged wreck on lap 222 when Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton made contact.

Raced in 12th, telling crew car was loose in top groove.

Late race handling issues kept him from climbing higher in the closing laps.



TRUEX QUOTE: "We got pretty darn good there for awhile. I don't know what happened at the end on the restarts. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. We were extremely loose on the restarts and the tires chattered. Then on the final green-flag run, it ended up plowing. We took a chance by staying out and it didn't quite work out like we needed it to. Glad to see it worked out for David though."



RACE NOTES:

Clint Bowyer won the first race of the 2010 Chase for the Championship and is now second in points.

Denny Hamlin finished second and Jamie McMurray third. Tony Stewart and Jeff Burton were racing in the top-five, but ran out of gas in the closing laps.

Denny Hamlin now leads Clint Bowyer by 35 points

The race last 2 hours and 58 minutes. Cautions slowed race slowed race eight times for 34 laps.

Twenty-one lead changes among eight drivers.

NASCAR estimated attendance at 95,000.

Martin Truex Jr. New Hampshire Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the site of several firsts for Martin Truex Jr. and the Truex family. The No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut on Oct. 31, 2004 as relief driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr. In June, younger brother Ryan won his first race at NHMS and become the third Truex to score a K&N Pro Series East victory on the “Magic Mile.” NHMS is also the site of Martin Truex Sr.’s lone East Series victory in 1994. This weekend the Truex family returns to the mile oval with the potential of adding two more NASCAR victories to the Truex resume as Martin Jr. races in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race while Ryan seeks to clinch a second-straight K&N Pro Series East championship on Friday.

QUOTES

MARTIN TRUEX JR. ON HIS SPRINT CUP DEBUT AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: “It wasn’t the way I wanted to make my first start obviously, but it was a big deal for me to drive Dale Jr.’s car. Everybody was going crazy. I had to wear his fire suit and all that. It was kind of wild. I had a good weekend. I practiced the car and qualified it in third position. New Hampshire was a cool place to get my Cup start. It’s my home track because my family has raced there forever.”

ON WATCHING RYAN SCORE HIS FIRST NHMS WIN IN JUNE: “It was awesome. I was so proud of him. When I stand up on that trailer and watch him race, it really brings me back to my younger days of going to the track with my dad. And to see how happy my dad was when Ryan won made me appreciate the times I had with my father doing the same thing. At times it feels like Ryan is my son because he is so much younger than me. We have never actually raced together except on computers. Even then it gets pretty competitive. Believe it or not, I will be more nervous this weekend watching him try to win and clinch the championship than racing against him in the future.”

ON RACING AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: “The pressure is off of us now because we didn't make the Chase. But what we do have is the opportunity to still win races in the NAPA Toyota. This weekend we can take a few more chances and try a few more things. New Hampshire is like my home track and to be honest, I just want to get back to victory lane. It’s been way too long and we’re trying really, really hard. We just need to make it happen and put it all together. I love that place and know how to win there.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

• Martin Truex Jr. is 11 years, 8 months and 19 days older than Ryan Truex.

• Truex competes in his 180th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Truex has nine starts at the 1.058-mile oval. His best start is second (Sept. 16, 2007) and best finish is third (July 1, 2007). He’s earned three top-five, four top-10 and eight top-25 finishes. His average start is 12th and average finish is 15th.

• The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation will host its third annual MTJF Golf Tournament presented by NAPA AUTO PARTS on Sept. 22 at Sea Oaks Country Club in Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J. The 19th Hole Dinner Celebration presented by Sea Watch International will be immediately following the tournament: www.martintruexjrfoundation.org.

• Time is running out to sign up for the NAPA Belden Spark Plug Wire “Take the Lead” Sweepstakes. Ten lucky winners will ride with Truex at Charlotte Motor Speedway. To enter, visit NAPABELDEN.com or NAPAonline.com now through Sept. 20.

• Over 19,600 fans signed up for NAPA’s free Track Pass offer and you can too. To listen to Truex’s in-car audio, register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or www.NAPAonline.com. The offer is good through the remainder of the season.

Martin Truex Richmond Post Race Report

Martin Truex Jr. Race Summary: No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. and his Michael Waltrip Racing team finished 22nd Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. Truex crashed just minutes after Friday’s practice started. The accident forced him to use a backup car during qualifying and Saturday’s race. Truex suffered bad luck during the race when a caution came out on lap 145 seconds after he made a green flag stop dropping him two laps behind the leaders. With only three cautions there were no chances to regain the lost laps. Truex and the Sprint Cup Series returns to action Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota

Started 29th and finished 22nd.

Fell down a lap to leaders on lap 137.

Pitted around lap 145— seconds before caution flag flew dropping him two laps behind leaders.

Took wave around before lap 153 restart.

Lap 225 caution enabled him to make up one of the two laps.

Fell down a second lap with 81 laps remaining.

Truex crashed early in Friday practice forcing him to qualify and race the backup car.

TRUEX QUOTE: "This was an all-around rough weekend for the NAPA AUTO PARTS team. We wrecked a car in practice and we never seemed to get the handling during the race. I am really proud of my guys for the job they did all weekend. Hopefully the next 10 races we can use to make our cars better for next year."

RACE NOTES:

Denny Hamlin won Saturday night’s race at Richmond.

Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano and Marcos Ambrose rounded out top five.

Race took 2 hours and 54 minutes with three cautions for 28 laps and none after lap 242.

Six leaders exchanged the lead 14 times with only 14 cars on the lead lap when checkered flag fell.

Richmond concluded regular season. Ten-race “Chase for Championship” among a dozen drivers begins Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Qualifying Report - Richmond International Raceway

Richmond International Raceway Qualifying Results


Martin Truex Jr. — No. 56 NAPA BRAKES Toyota — qualified 29th.

Friday Recap
Carl Edwards won the Coors Light Pole Award
Juan Pablo Montoya and AJ Allmendinger rounded out top three.
Point leader Kevin Harvick will start 20th
MWR's David Reutimann starts fifth
JTG-Daugherty’s Marcos Ambrose will start 12nd
Saturday’s race begins at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern) on ABC-TV, MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio channel 128.

MARTIN TRUEX JR. — How was your qualifying lap?
“It was not very good.  We were pretty decent in that second practice there in race trim.  Our car just doesn’t have good speed on new tires right out of the gate.  It takes a few laps for it to come around and pretty much what it did right there.  Just the front tires just never hooked up.  I’m disappointed in the lap, but I’m proud of the guys and the job that they did after the problem we had in the first practice.”

What happened to force you to go to a backup car?
“The throttle stuck wide open going into turn one.  It was unfortunate and a bit of an error on our part back at the shop as far as getting the car prepared.  It had a little trouble with the throttle pedal assembly in the car.  A bit of a mistake that set us back, but they recovered well -- the guys did on the NAPA Toyota.  I’m just real disappointed on that lap right now.”

Martin Truex Jr. Richmond Race Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Martin Truex Jr. reminded NASCAR fans how good he and his Michael Waltrip Racing team are Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he raced in the top five throughout the 500-mile race before finishing 12th. His pit crew came within a tenth of a second of winning its third Tissot Pit Crew award. Truex expects that momentum to carry into Saturday night’s race at Richmond International Raceway where he finished seventh in April. Truex’s No. 56 will have a silver look for Saturday’s race. The NAPA Brakes paint scheme adorns Truex’s ride to help kick off NAPA’s Great Breaks on Great Brakes promotion. Customers can receive up to a $50 mail-in rebate with purchase of qualifying NAPA Brakes products at any participating NAPA AUTO PARTS store or AutoCare Center through Sept. 30.

QUOTES

MARTIN TRUEX JR. ON RETURNING TO RICHMOND: “Richmond has been one of those tracks that’s been up and down for me. I’ve had great runs and some disappointing deals. It’s short-track racing where a lot of stuff happens. It’s a fun place to race and for the NAPA team, we had a good run during the spring race. We finished seventh. We didn’t qualify very well, but we were able to drive our way up through the field for a top-10 finish.”

ON RACING AGAINST DRIVERS TRYING TO MAKE THE CHASE: “A few weeks back I was one of those guys. I was a contender. I won’t race them any differently or cut them any slack because they don’t cut me any breaks. I race them clean anyway so my focus is on winning races in the NAPA Toyota. And to be honest, it’s Clint Bowyer’s deal to lose. He’s been running well and Richmond is a good track for him. I don’t see him dropping out unless something really crazy happens.”

ON NEW NAPA BRAKES PROMOTION: “The NAPA Brakes Toyota is an awesome looking car. I am looking forward to driving the scheme this weekend. NAPA knows how to create great promotions for customers and this one is no exception. I hope fans will go to www.napaonline.com and take advantage of the offer. I’m hoping this new look with change up our luck a little bit. Maybe we’ll get a good break too in the last few laps on Saturday night to end up in victory lane.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

Truex will appear on SPEED-TV’s Trackside Friday at 11 p.m. EDT

The No. 56 team tested at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia on Tuesday in preparation for Saturday’s race.

Saturday marks Truex’s 179th Sprint Cup start and 10th at Richmond. His best start is second (Sept. 12, 2009) and best finish is fifth (May 3, 2008). He owns one top–five and two top-10 finishes at Richmond with and average start of 14th and average finish of 24th.

The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation will host its third annual MTJF Golf Tournament presented by NAPA AUTO PARTS on Sept. 22 at Sea Oaks Country Club in Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J. The 19th Hole Dinner Celebration presented by Sea Watch International will be immediately following the tournament: www.martintruexjrfoundation.org.

Sign up for the NAPA Belden Spark Plug Wire “Take the Lead” Sweepstakes. Ten lucky winners will be chosen to ride with Truex at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They’ll also get to drive a few laps with the Richard Petty Driving Experience and take a behind-the-scenes tour of Michael Waltrip Racing. To enter, visit NAPABELDEN.com or NAPAonline.com now through Sept. 20.

Take advantage of NAPA’s free Track Pass offer. To listen in to Truex’s in-car audio, register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or www.NAPAonline.com. The offer is good through the remainder of the season.

Truex Atlanta Race Report

Martin Truex Jr. Race Summary: No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. and his Michael Waltrip Racing team finished 12th Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Truex started sixth and ran in the top 10 throughout the 500-mile race running as high as second-place late in the race. The team’s 17th top-20 finish in 2010 keeps Truex 20th in the points race with 11 races remaining in the season. The Sprint Cup Series returns to action Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.

 

Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota

• Started sixth and finished 12th.
• Like most drivers battled a loose condition on long runs during the 325-lap race.
• Quick pit stops during the race gained Truex several spots.
• Ran in the top 10 throughout the race and climbed to second with 61 laps to go.
• Restarted race in ninth with 25 laps remaining and moved to 8th with 18 laps to go.
• Fell to 12th fighting a tight handling condition on the final green flag run.

 

TRUEX QUOTE: "The NAPA Toyota ran half the race in the top five so to finish in 12th is a little disappointing. We battled a tight condition on the short run and that hurt us on the final restart. On the long runs, we were loose. The NAPA Know How crew did a great job for me tonight; I just wish we would have gotten a better finish."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Qualifying Report - Atlanta Motor Speedway

Atlanta Motor Speedway Qualifying Results

Martin Truex Jr. — No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota — qualified sixth.

Friday Recap

• Denny Hamlin won the Coors Light Pole Award—his first of the season and first at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Ryan Newman and Kyle Busch rounded out top three.
• Point leader Kevin Harvick will start 29th
• JTG-Daugherty’s Marcos Ambrose will start 32nd
• Saturday’s race begins at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern) on ESPN-TV, PRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio channel 128.

MARTIN TRUEX JR. — “It was a good pickup from practice. We had a long day. Two hours and 45 minutes was a long day. We made a lot of changes from practice. We struggled off the trailer and we continued to work on the NAPA Toyota all day. It was a really good lap for us. At the end of the second practice we felt good. We did some race runs to start it and a couple qualifying runs at the end of it. We had a good lap and we should be in good shape for the race tomorrow.”

Martin Truex Jr. Atlanta Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — In the NASCAR world, Labor Day weekend means it’s time for the Sunday night Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but to families across the country, the holiday signifies the start of a new school year. No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. wants to help out about 200 of those school kids near his North Carolina home.

Truex will host the third annual Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Golf Tournament presented by NAPA on Sept. 22 at the Sea Oaks Country Club in Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J. Proceeds from the golf tournament will help build the Martin Truex Jr. Pediatric Unit at Southern Ocean County Hospital in N.J. as well as assist Troutman (N.C.) Elementary School students. Through the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina’s Backpack Program, Truex plans to pass out backpacks to the children stuffed with food.

QUOTES

MARTIN TRUEX JR. ON MTJ FOUNDATION AND BACKPACK PROGRAM: “A few years ago, Sherry and I wanted to start a foundation because as kids, we knew we were lucky and there were a lot of kids out there that weren’t has fortunate. In 2007, we were able to launch the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. Over the years we have been introduced to a lot of great organizations and one that has become important to us is the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. We wanted to help after hearing how children who participated in its Backpack program said if it wasn’t for their backpack food, they wouldn’t have had anything to eat. Hearing that harsh reality, we wanted to get involved. This year we’ll be assisting students at Troutman Elementary.”

ON RETURNING TO ATLANTA: “I absolutely love racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It’s one of my favorites and that’s a good thing considering the track is in NAPA Headquarters backyard. Both Pat Tryson and I have had good runs there. Pat won there last year with Kurt Busch. I’ve come close to winning several times including this past spring. We simply got caught up in the wreck on that green-white-checkered finish. I feel like you can really drive the car hard there. The track is really wide and you’ll see guys running up top, in the middle and down low. I like the fact that we won’t be fighting for one lane. If you are faster than a guy, you can find a way to get around him. I like my chances this weekend in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota. We’ve got a lot of NAPA folks joining us so it would be great to end up in victory lane.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

Sunday is Truex’s 178th Sprint Cup Series race and 12th at the 1.533-mile track. His best start is first (Sept. 6, 2009) and best finish is eighth (Oct. 30 , 2005). During his career, Truex has earned two top-10 and five top-25 finishes at AMS. His average start is 18th and his average finish is 24th. He has led 204 laps in competition.

In just two years, the MTJ Foundation has raised more than $400,000 for various community programs and initiatives such as the Backpack Program and building the Martin Truex Jr. Pediatric Unit at Southern Ocean County Hospital in N.J. To find out more, visit www.martintruexjrfoundation.org.

Sign up for the NAPA Belden Spark Plug Wire “Take the Lead” Sweepstakes. Ten lucky winners will be chosen to ride with Truex at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They’ll also get to drive a few laps with the Richard Petty Driving Experience and take a behind-the-scenes tour of Michael Waltrip Racing. To enter, visit NAPABELDEN.com or NAPAonline.com now through Sept. 20.

Don’t be left out. Over 10,000 fans have taken advantage of NAPA’s free Track Pass offer. To listen in to Truex’s in-car audio, register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or www.NAPAonline.com. The offer is good through the remainder of the season.

Martin Truex Bristol Race Report

Martin Truex Jr. Race Summary: No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. and his Michael Waltrip Racing team recorded its 16th top-20 finish of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Truex started ninth and finished 17th. Truex raced in the top 10 for the first 200 laps but handling issues midway through the race halted progress. An inopportune caution put the team a lap down. Truex is now 20th in points. The Sprint Cup Series enjoys an off weekend before traveling to Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sept. 5.

Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota

Started ninth and finished 17th.

Climbed as high as fifth on lap 132.

Reported difficulty turning and dropped to 18th after the lap 200 restart.

Raced 17th at the lap 300 mark.

Pitted under green on lap 401, but nine laps later the caution came out dropping him down a lap.

Marked his 16th top-20 finish in 2010.

TRUEX QUOTE: "Our car was so unpredictable tonight for some reason. It would bounce so bad that I didn't know what it was going to do. It was just confusing. It went wrong for us somewhere after such a strong start. We'll figure it out and keep working on it."

AAA MID-ATLANTIC & MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP ON MARTIN TRUEX’S NO. 56 TOYOTA

AAA MID-ATLANTIC & MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP ON MARTIN TRUEX’S NO. 56 TOYOTA

DOVER, Del. – Michael Waltrip Racing announced today AAA Mid-Atlantic will join Martin Truex Jr. ’s No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota as an associate sponsor at the Sept. 26 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway.

The company’s decal will adorn the No. 56 Toyota’s lower quarter panels during the AAA 400 at the Monster Mile.

In addition, AAA will be conducting the AAA Ultimate Monster Mile Sweepstakes which will include heavy involvement from Michael Waltrip Racing, especially Truex. The winner of the month-long sweepstakes will receive four tickets to the AAA 400, a meet and greet with Truex along with garage access passes, a pre-race tour of the No. 56 hauler, a pre-race meal with the Michael Waltrip Racing Team and participation in the pre-race driver introductions. Truex will record radio spots and AAA plans to feature the No. 56 Toyota in promotional collateral.

AAA Mid-Atlantic is based in Wilmington, Delaware, and serves nearly four million members in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia, with personal insurance, financial, automotive and travel services through 53 retail branches, regional operations centers and the Internet, at aaa.com/community

Company officials said it is no coincidence Truex, a Mayetta, N.J. native, will carry the AAA Mid-Atlantic decals.

“Our area of the country is very passionate about racing particularly NASCAR,” said Matthew Haas, Director, Partnership & Event Marketing, AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Sunday’s race in Dover is one of the biggest sporting events of the year and we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to add to the excitement of the AAA 400 by supporting one of our own in Martin Truex Jr. We have a lot of AAA members in the area who are big supporters of the Truex family.”

Truex said he appreciated the support.

“A lot of people don’t realize the amount of interest in racing in this area,” said the 30-year-old Truex whose father Martin raced and whose younger brother Ryan is a champion driver for MWR. “Dover is as close (about 150 miles) to my hometown in New Jersey as we get so it’s always a special weekend for me when we go there.”

MWR fields fulltime NASCAR Sprint Cup teams for Truex and David Reutimann as well as a K&N Pro Series entry for Ryan Truex. MWR along with Gary and Blake Bechtel co-own Diamond-Waltrip Racing that fields a fulltime Nationwide entry for Trevor Bayne.

ESPN will broadcast the race at 1 p.m.

Contact: Eric Goldscher, Aquarius Sports & Entertainment 240-547-3483

Contact: Matthew Haas, AAA Mid-Atlantic 302-299-4434

Martin Truex Jr. Bristol Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Martin Truex Jr. and the NAPA Know How team visit Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday night for one of the most exciting races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The No. 56 Michael Waltrip Racing team’s string of recent success includes scoring the 12th-most points in the last five races including two top-10 finishes in the last three events. Truex said nearly every driver and all fans enjoy races on the half-mile track that celebrates its 100th Sprint Cup race this weekend.

 

Truex is busy off the track as well this week. Today, he launched the Martin Truex Jr. Authentics website www.mtjauthentics.com for NASCAR fans and outdoor enthusiasts. The website includes hunting and fishing tips from Truex plus recommended products.

 

QUOTES

 

TRUEX ON RACING AT BRISTOL: “Bristol is one of those tracks that I think all of us like no matter where we grew up racing. The NAPA team had a good run there back in March and in 2004, I won my first Nationwide Series race there. I’ve always enjoyed racing there especially after they redid the concrete and the banking. It’s a lot of fun to race on because you can go two, three wide. You can also run the top groove now so it’s a lot more fun to drive. I just enjoy having options. If your car isn’t working right on the bottom, you can try going high and maybe pick up three or four-tenths a lap. Who wouldn’t like to be able to do that? It also creates great racing for the fans.”

CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON ON BRISTOL: “Bristol is a little harder on crew chiefs because we don’t have as much time to think about things. My job is to watch and base decisions on what is right for the team and what most teams will do. Lately, Bristol has seen a lot of long, green-flag runs. It has changed a lot as far as how the race is run. Our NAPA team has been really running well starting in May. We should have more points, but there were some races where something happened that was out of our control. Our goal for this race is to win, obviously, or at least leave with another top-10.”

 

ON MTJAUTHENTICS.COM: "I'm really excited to create a place for people like me who enjoy NASCAR, hunting and fishing. It should be a good place to interact online. I'll be visiting the site a lot to upload my personal hunting and fishing pictures, give fans a few tips and feature products that work for me."

 

NOTES OF INTEREST

 

Saturday night is Truex’s 177th Sprint Cup Series race and 10th at the 0.533-mile track. His best start (March 16, 2008) and finish (Aug. 25, 2007) is 11th. During his Cup career, Truex has earned three top–15 and five top-25 finishes at BMS. His average start is 19th and his average finish is 24th. In Nationwide Series competition, Truex has one victory, one top-five and four top-10 finishes.

 

Crew Chief Pat Tryson called the winning race at Bristol back on March 25, 2001 with driver Elliott Sadler.

 

Sign up for the NAPA Belden Spark Plug Wire “Take the Lead” Sweepstakes. Ten lucky winners will be chosen to ride with Truex at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They’ll also get to drive a few laps with the Richard Petty Driving Experience and take a behind-the-scenes tour of Michael Waltrip Racing. To enter, visit NAPABELDEN.com or NAPAonline.com now through Sept. 20.

 

Don’t be left out. Over 10,000 fans have taken advantage of NAPA’s free Track Pass offer. To listen in to Truex’s in-car audio, register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or www.NAPAonline.com. The offer is good through the remainder of the season.

Martin Truex Jr. Michigan Race Report

Martin Truex Jr. Race Summary: Martin Truex Jr. and the NAPA racing team finished eighth in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway marking the sixth top-10 finish in 2010 for the Michael Waltrip Racing team. The Mayetta, N.J., native started ninth and raced in the top 12 for most of the race. During a caution with about 45 laps to go, Crew chief Pat Tryson kept Truex on the track while most of the frontrunners pitted. The NAPA Toyota restarted second then quickly took the lead on the restart and stayed at the front of the field for five laps. Truex pitted during the following caution and battled his way to eighth when the checkered flag waved. Truex remains 20th in the point standings. The Sprint Cup series returns to action Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway.




MARTIN TRUEX JR.: "Overall it was a good day for the NAPA Toyota. Pat (Tryson, crew chief) did a really good job calling the race. We stayed out that one time and got track position and then were able to get our four tires and we were able to stay up there. We had a really good car on the long run. It took us a while to get going on the short run and that hurt us. We were as good as anyone on the long run. It just took us too long. It's something to work with. We were a lot better than we were here last time. The guys are working good and making the cars better and we feel good about that."



Truex Notes:

Truex started ninth and finished eighth—now 20th in points.

The No. 56 climbed from ninth to fifth in the early going.

On lap 83 the No. 56 dropped from ninth to 20th due to a loose handling condition.

The NAPA team tried several adjustments over the next 75 laps to tighten the car.

On lap 154 Truex stayed out under caution and restarted second.

Truex grabbed the lead on the restart then led laps 160-164— upping his total to 13 for the 2010 season.

Owns six top-10 finishes in 23 starts completing 96 percent of the laps.

Martin Truex Jr. Michigan 2 Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — NAPA Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. visits Michigan International Speedway after enjoying three days of smallmouth bass and salmon fishing at one of his favorite fishing holes in Grand Traverse Bay in Traverse City, Mich. The welcomed break comes after last weekend’s 15th-place finish at Watkins Glen International, his 10th top-15 of the season, and a trip to Philadelphia to throw out the first pitch at the Phillies-Mets game.


The 30-year-old Mayetta, N.J. native likes his chances this weekend and expects to improve upon his 17th-place finish at MIS on June 13. He and Crew Chief Pat Tryson should excel as the pair visit tracks for the second time together this season. Twelve of the final 14 races are at venues that have hosted a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 2010.

QUOTES

TRUEX ON FISHING IN MICHIGAN: “This is the second time this season that I have come up here to take a break from it all and just fish. I absolutely love it because I enjoy the challenge of catching fish. Since I was a little kid I loved to fish. For me, it’s all about the catch and the challenge of finding the fish and making them bite when they don’t want to bite.”

ON ATTENDING SATURDAY’S PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES GAME: “I have thrown out a pitch before, but I did it along with five or six other guys. This time it was just me and it was a real honor to do it. It was a packed house at the Citizens Bank Park. I did not realize it, but it was Toyota Phillies Alumni Night! I literally walked out onto the field with 40 players from the Phillies past and it included Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Jim Bunning! It was such an added bonus for me to experience that.”

ON RETURNING TO MICHIGAN: “I absolutely expect the NAPA team to be even better now that we are returning to tracks for a second time. We’ve learned a lot as a new team and are bringing back even better NAPA Toyotas. Sometimes it’s not a matter of what to do but what not to do based on what we’ve learned. I expect nothing but good things because with this being me and Pat’s first year together, we finally have a book of notes to work off of so it will be an advantage for us.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

• Sunday is Truex’s 176th Sprint Cup Series race and 10th at Michigan International Speedway. His best start of fifth came last season (Aug. 16). In 2007, he recorded back-to-back second-place finishes at the two-mile oval. He’s earned two top-five, two-top 10 and seven top-25 finishes. His average start is 14th and average finish is 17th. He has run 1,726 of 1,735 laps of competition (99.5%) and has led a total of 54 laps in competition.

• In his first race at MIS driving the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota, Truex started 13th and finished 17th.


• Sign up for the NAPA Belden Spark Plug Wire “Take the Lead” Sweepstakes. Ten lucky winners will be chosen to ride with Truex at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They’ll also get to drive a few laps with the Richard Petty Driving Experience and take a behind-the-scenes tour of Michael Waltrip Racing. To enter, visit NAPABELDEN.com or NAPAonline.com now through Sept. 20.

• Don’t be left out. Over 10,000 fans have taken advantage of NAPA’s free Track Pass offer. To listen in to Truex’s in-car audio, register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or www.NAPAonline.com. The offer is good through the remainder of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

• Check out Martin’s trip to the Philadelphia Phillies game: http://tiny.cc/l526n

Martin Truex Watkins Glen Report

Martin Truex Jr. Race Summary: No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. overcame a mid-race spin to post a 15th-place finish Sunday at Watkins Glen International in the second and final road course race of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Truex started 25th and worked his way into the top 15 by lap 23 of the 90-lap race. He raced midpack through the race’s middle stages but spun on lap 48 dropping to 33rd place. Truex charged from the back moving into the top 20 on lap 69. Truex kept moving up the scoring chart and ended the race with a top-15 finish—his 10th of the season. The Michael Waltrip Racing team returns to action Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.

Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota

Truex started 25th and finished 15th.

Broke into top 15 by lap 23.

Truex told team he was loose off in the right-hand corners.

Spun on lap 48 and fell to 33rd.

Charged from back of the field climbing into the top 15 on lap 69.

Owns 10 top-15 finishes in 2010.

Truex threw out the first pitch at the Philadelphia Phillies game Saturday night.

TRUEX QUOTE: "It was okay. We battled hard. Obviously, we struggled in qualifying on Friday and made a lot of changes for the race. It wasn't bad once we got started. I could only run about five or six laps before we had a lot of fade in the front brakes. That made it really hard to pass. We fought our way up there once and spun out because the brakes went away. I was inside the 77 (Sam Hornish) trying to pass him, and instead of spinning him out, I just spun myself out because I didn't want to take him out. The car wasn't where we needed it, but we battled and got a decent finish with it."

Martin Truex Jr. Watkins Glen Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — As a youngster, Martin Truex Jr. dreamed of two professions— race car driving and playing baseball. He’ll live both dreams this weekend. The No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver plans to take batting practice and throw out the first pitch before the Saturday’s Philadelphia Phillies-New York Mets baseball game. The 30-year-old Mayetta, N.J. native is an avid Philadelphia sports fan supporting the Eagles, Flyers and Phillies. Truex attended Games 3, 4 and 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals as well as the Flyers’ conference final against Montreal hours after the May Dover race.

The Michael Waltrip Racing driver also has plenty of racing business to take care of this weekend. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits the historic road course of Watkins Glen International where Truex owns two top-six finishes in his four career starts. Last week at Pocono, Truex finished ninth—his fifth top-10 of the 2010 season.

QUOTES

TRUEX ON ATTENDING SATURDAY’S PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES GAME: “It’s going to be a lot of fun and I am looking forward to throwing out the first pitch. I’ve got a good arm so I’m not really nervous and as of right now, I’m not going to practice. I’m willing to take the risk. I’m very aware that if I don't throw it across the plate or in the strike zone, I’m going to get booed. It’s just part of the deal. I also really can’t wait to see the Philly Phanatic. He’s hilarious! I’ve been to a lot of Philadelphia Phillies games over the years and two years ago I got to attend Game 5 of the World Series. It was rained out so I didn’t get to see them finish the deal off, but I still had a great time.”

ON RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: “I’ve had some great runs at Watkins Glen in the past. Of the two road courses we go to, Watkins Glen has produced better results for me. Earlier this year, the NAPA team ran really well at Infineon Raceway. We had a top-three going until we got wrecked so we didn’t get the finish we wanted or deserved. But we had a very strong car and I think Michael Waltrip Racing’s road course program is really strong. I think a lot of that credit goes to Marcos Ambrose. He’s done a lot of testing and the experience he has brought to the table with the setups and feedback have been great. I am really looking forward to the race. I think our NAPA Toyota will be good. I really love the track so hopefully it will be a really great weekend. I think we have a good chance at being up front and challenge for the win.”

ON THE NAPA TEAM’S TOP-10 FINISH AT POCONO: “It is so nice to get a top-10 under us because the last few weeks we have had really strong cars, but haven’t delivered the good finishes. If we can continue to do this and take advantage of having really good cars then this NAPA team will be in good shape.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

Sunday is Truex’s 175th Sprint Cup Series race and fifth at Watkins Glen International. His best start is 12th (2007) and finish is fifth (2008). He’s earned one top-five and two top-10 finishes. His average start is 22nd and finish is 28th. He has run all 308 laps in competition.

Sign up for the NAPA Belden Spark Plug Wire “Take the Lead” Sweepstakes. Ten lucky winners will be chosen to ride with Truex at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They’ll also get to drive a few laps with the Richard Petty Driving Experience and take a behind-the-scenes tour of Michael Waltrip Racing. To enter, visit NAPABELDEN.com or NAPAonline.com now through Sept. 20. The enhanced spark plug wires give customers the perfect fit and patented technology to guarantee advanced protection and ultimate power.

Don’t be left out. Over 10,000 fans have taken advantage of NAPA’s free Track Pass offer. To listen in to Truex’s in-car audio, register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or www.NAPAonline.com. The offer is good through the remainder of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Martin Truex Jr. Watkins Glen Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — As a youngster, Martin Truex Jr. dreamed of two professions— race car driving and playing baseball. He’ll live both dreams this weekend. The No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver plans to take batting practice and throw out the first pitch before the Saturday’s Philadelphia Phillies-New York Mets baseball game. The 30-year-old Mayetta, N.J. native is an avid Philadelphia sports fan supporting the Eagles, Flyers and Phillies. Truex attended Games 3, 4 and 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals as well as the Flyers’ conference final against Montreal hours after the May Dover race.

The Michael Waltrip Racing driver also has plenty of racing business to take care of this weekend. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits the historic road course of Watkins Glen International where Truex owns two top-six finishes in his four career starts. Last week at Pocono, Truex finished ninth—his fifth top-10 of the 2010 season.

QUOTES

TRUEX ON ATTENDING SATURDAY’S PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES GAME: “It’s going to be a lot of fun and I am looking forward to throwing out the first pitch. I’ve got a good arm so I’m not really nervous and as of right now, I’m not going to practice. I’m willing to take the risk. I’m very aware that if I don't throw it across the plate or in the strike zone, I’m going to get booed. It’s just part of the deal. I also really can’t wait to see the Philly Phanatic. He’s hilarious! I’ve been to a lot of Philadelphia Phillies games over the years and two years ago I got to attend Game 5 of the World Series. It was rained out so I didn’t get to see them finish the deal off, but I still had a great time.”

ON RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: “I’ve had some great runs at Watkins Glen in the past. Of the two road courses we go to, Watkins Glen has produced better results for me. Earlier this year, the NAPA team ran really well at Infineon Raceway. We had a top-three going until we got wrecked so we didn’t get the finish we wanted or deserved. But we had a very strong car and I think Michael Waltrip Racing’s road course program is really strong. I think a lot of that credit goes to Marcos Ambrose. He’s done a lot of testing and the experience he has brought to the table with the setups and feedback have been great. I am really looking forward to the race. I think our NAPA Toyota will be good. I really love the track so hopefully it will be a really great weekend. I think we have a good chance at being up front and challenge for the win.”

ON THE NAPA TEAM’S TOP-10 FINISH AT POCONO: “It is so nice to get a top-10 under us because the last few weeks we have had really strong cars, but haven’t delivered the good finishes. If we can continue to do this and take advantage of having really good cars then this NAPA team will be in good shape.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

• Sunday is Truex’s 175th Sprint Cup Series race and fifth at Watkins Glen International. His best start is 12th (2007) and finish is fifth (2008). He’s earned one top-five and two top-10 finishes. His average start is 22nd and finish is 28th. He has run all 308 laps in competition.

• Sign up for the NAPA Belden Spark Plug Wire “Take the Lead” Sweepstakes. Ten lucky winners will be chosen to ride with Truex at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They’ll also get to drive a few laps with the Richard Petty Driving Experience and take a behind-the-scenes tour of Michael Waltrip Racing. To enter, visit NAPABELDEN.com or NAPAonline.com now through Sept. 20. The enhanced spark plug wires give customers the perfect fit and patented technology to guarantee advanced protection and ultimate power.

• Don’t be left out. Over 10,000 fans have taken advantage of NAPA’s free Track Pass offer. To listen in to Truex’s in-car audio, register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or www.NAPAonline.com. The offer is good through the remainder of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Truex Jr. Previews His Return To Pocono

CORNELIUS, N.C. — For the second time this month, NAPA is offering race fans a chance to get closer to Martin Truex Jr. and the NAPA Know How Crew. Fans are taking advantage of NAPA’s free Track Pass offer to listen to the No. 56 team radio during the race. Now, NAPA is giving fans the chance to take a ride with Truex in the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota. It’s part of the NAPA Belden Spark Plug Wire “Take the Lead” Sweepstakes. Ten lucky winners will be chosen to ride with Truex at Charlotte Motor Speedway. They’ll also get to drive a few laps with the

Richard Petty Driving Experience and take a behind-the-scenes tour of Michael Waltrip Racing. To enter, visit NAPABELDEN.com or  NAPAonline.com now through September 20.

Truex and the NAPA team return to Pocono Raceway where earlier this season, a top-10 run ended during a last-lap crash. The 30-year-old from Mayetta, N.J. believes his team in on the verge of a breakthrough and the 2.5-mile tricky triangle is the perfect place to accomplish it.

QUOTES

TRUEX ON NAPA PROMOTIONS: “I have never been associated with a sponsor who really activates its NASCAR promotions like NAPA. I think it’s great that NAPA gives fans as much access as possible. We’ve had fun with the Track Pass promotion. Dave Moody put me up to a bet to sing the NAPA Know How jingle on a warm-up lap if 1,000 fans registered. After doing some research, we found out the team radio doesn’t go live until the green flag drops so the bet couldn’t be totally pulled off. We’ve got another plan so tune in to Sirius Speedway next Monday at 3:40 p.m. As of Chicagoland, over 8,500 fans have signed up. That’s impressive. I thought 1,000 was a safe number because here’s the honest truth, I am not much of a singer. I’m not the most outgoing guy or even a big talker for that matter. I have no idea why anyone would want to hear me sing NAPA Know How. If that many people signed up to hear me sing, I cannot image how many people will register for the “Take the Lead” Sweepstakes. I expect big numbers as I look forward to driving with the race fans and not scaring them by singing NAPA Know How.”

ON RETURNING TO POCONO RACEWAY: “We had a really good run at Pocono earlier this year.

Unfortunately it came to an end on the last lap when we got caught up in a wreck. That’s been pretty

much the story for this team this year or at least the past two months. We had a strong car there and

we plan to go back with a similar setup, but the summertime race at Pocono is a lot different than the

June race. This time when we go back, we’ll be searching for more grip and since the track changes,

we’ll have to go there with an open mind. We’ll fine tune our NAPA Toyota. Pocono is one of those

places where we get plenty of practice so we’ll be ready to work on the car like we do every weekend.

I feel like our TRD engine program and the way our engine performed at Chicagoland and Indy, will

be a big help too when we hit the track this go around. I really look forward to going to this race.

“We are really close to breaking through and getting that first win for the NAPA AUTO PARTS team. For our first year together, I think we forget just how new we are together as a group. Pat and I are new together as well as our entire crew. We’ve never worked together before. I feel like we are doing

a great job, but are still coming into our own as a team. We’ve had really good performances and I feel like we are getting close to getting our first win. Hopefully, it will happen for us this weekend.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

· Sunday  is Truex’s 174th Sprint Cup Series race and 10th at Pocono Raceway. His best start and finish is third (June 10, 2007). He’s earned one top-five, and six top-20 finishes. His

average start and finish is 17th. He has run 1,709 of 1,710 laps of competition (99.9%) and has led a total of four laps in competition.

· NAPA Belden enhanced spark plug wires give customers the perfect fit and patented

technology to guarantee advanced protection and ultimate power.

· NAPA continues to make the Michael Waltrip Racing team’s in-car audio available free o
charge to fans who register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or www.NAPAonline.com. The offer is good through the remainder of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Martin Truex Brickyard 400 Report

Martin Truex Jr. Race Summary: No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. saw a sure top-10 finish spoiled in the final quarter of Sunday’s Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver suffered front end damage on a restart that took him out of contention for the victory. A late race pit stop for a loose wheel dropped him off the lead lap. Until then, the No. 56 looked to be the strongest Toyota and one of the strongest of all cars in the race never venturing outside the top 10 except during pit stop cycles. The 26th-place finish keeps Truex 20th in points. The Sprint Cup series returns to action Sunday at Pocono International Raceway.




Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota

Truex Jr. started 12th and finished 26th.

Truex raced in the top 10 throughout the race as the highest running Toyota.

Raced in seventh when caution fell with 42 laps remaining.

Restarted the race in 13th after a problem with the jack during the pit stop.

Truex fell back to 22nd after making contact with another car on the restart causing extensive front end damage.

After repairs, a loose wheel forced Truex to pit in the final five laps dropping him off the lead lap.



TRUEX QUOTE: “It's a shame. We had a top-five Toyota and got back in traffic after a jack problem on our pit stop with about 40 to go. The restart bit us again when the cars started getting bunched up. We got damage to the nose and right side. The NAPA Know How crew did all they could. It just didn't handle competitively after that and then we had to pit late in the race for a vibration (loose right front wheel). I just hate it that our good runs are being taken away like this. I'm so disappointed.”
RACE NOTES:


Jamie McMurray won the Brickyard 400 (17th Running), his fifth victory in 278 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart rounded out the top five.

There were 14 lead changes among 10 leaders and six cautions for 25 laps. Twenty five cars finished on lead lap.

Kevin Harvick leads the point standings by 184 points over Jeff Gordon.

Chip Ganassi became the first owner to win the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and the Indy 500 in the same year

Martin Truex Jr. Indy Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Crew Chief Pat Tryson and driver Martin Truex Jr. hope to replicate what teammate David Reutimann did two weeks ago in Chicagoland and make it two wins in a row for Michael Waltrip Racing. Sunday’s running of the Brickyard 400 is one of the most prestigious races on the schedule. For the 30-year-old from Mayetta, N.J., kissing the bricks would rank up there with winning a Daytona 500.

Truex spent the off weekend around his home in North Carolina and tuned in to ESPN2 to watch little brother Ryan make his Nationwide debut Saturday night at Gateway International Raceway. The younger Truex raced from mid-pack to eighth before an accident ended his race about 20 laps before the finish.

QUOTES

Martin Truex Jr. on Running at Indy: “The Brickyard 400 is a big deal. You really feel the history when you walk in there and think about all of the Indy 500s and Brickyard 400s and all of the great finishes and great drivers winning. It’s one of those key races of the year where everybody wants to go there and win it. It reminds me of the Daytona 500. Obviously we’re coming off a big weekend with David winning and we had a great night so things are going well at Michael Waltrip Racing. I’m looking forward to running the NAPA Toyota again. It’s funny. You get these weekends off and you think, ‘Oh yeah, a weekend off is coming up.’ Then you get to the weekend and you feel like you should be doing something. I can’t wait to get back to the track. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Truex on NAPA Team’s Indy Preparations: “Our team preparation for this big race is not that much different than what we do all year long. It’s not like we have to build a special car to go there like we do at Daytona and Talladega. It’s a flat track with long straight-aways. It’s somewhat similar to Pocono. I think a lot of guys look back at Pocono and judge from that race as to what they need to work on and prepare for Indy. I feel confident that we can use some of what we learned from Pocono for this event. Obviously we also want to take our best engine and TRD gave us something to work with at Chicago for sure.”

On Watching Brother Ryan’s Debut at Gateway Last Weekend: “I stayed home because I get really nervous watching him. I was still a little bit nervous following practice on the computer. I obviously watched qualifying and the race. He ended up doing probably better than I thought. He did a great job, and I think I’ll be OK to go to the next one. I just didn’t want to go there and put any extra pressure on him. I know he had a lot of people watching him and he had a lot of pressure on him, so I didn’t want to add to that. He did a great job and what impressed me was his ability to stay pretty calm both on and off the track. He did good with it. He ran a really good race all but the last 20 laps. I think he learned a lot and I think he earned respect from the other drivers and had a good first outing. I’m proud of him.”

Crew Chief Pat Tryson on Indy Challenges: “Qualifying can influence how well you run there. If you get a bad draw, it can get you behind because it is so tough to pass there unless you have a really, really good car. If you go back to last year, Juan Pablo Montoya had the best car there and was driving away with it until he got a pit road penalty. He came out 12th and could only pick up one spot on the track. It’s a tough track because it is so hard to pass. To have a chance at the win, you need a good motor and a car that can really turn well.”

NOTES

NAPA AUTO PARTS continues to bring Martin Truex Jr. fans a little bit closer to the action. On Sunday at Indy and lasting through the remainder of the season, NAPA is making the Michael Waltrip Racing team’s in-car audio available free of charge to fans who register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or http://www.napaonline.com/. Tune in and enjoy the race!

Sunday’s race is Truex’s 172nd Sprint Cup Series start and sixth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His best start of 13th came last year and in 2007, he recorded his best finish of 12th. During his career, he has two top-15 and four top-25 finishes. His average start and finish is 22nd. He has led three laps in competition.

Truex Chicagoland Race Report

• Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry - 11th finished – 20th in points.

Martin Truex Jr. Race Summary: It was all about finding the right air pressure combination during tonight's 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Chicagoland Speedway for NAPA Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. The early stages saw the 30-year-old from Mayetta, N.J. run as high as second. Approaching the halfway mark, Truex remained comfortably in the top-10, but needed a few tweaks to climb back into winning contention. Unfortunately a problem with an air gun socket during the team's stop on lap 183 dropped the NAPA Toyota from ninth to 13th position. Truex was able to climb back to 11th place before his teammate Reutimann scored the victory. This coming weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is off, but will return the following week to the hallowed grounds of Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 25.


Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota

• Truex Jr. started eighth

• Truex and Johnson raced for second place when Johnson spun and brought out the third caution of the night

• On the Lap 22 pit stop, the NAPA Know How Pit Crew picked up three spots on pit road

• Truex fought a extremely loose-handling race car in the closing laps and finished the race 11th

• Truex remains 20th in the NASCAR championship point standings, 226 out of the top 12

TRUEX QUOTE: "I am so happy for David. We should have been up there with him. At night our car just got really loose off. We could have been better than that but we may have missed it a little on air pressure. Regardless, we got a decent finish and our teammate got the win. I hope he enjoys the celebration tonight. He deserves it."

RACE NOTES:

• David Reutimann won the LIFELOCK.COM 400 at Chicagoland Speedway

• Carl Edwards (second) posted his second top-10 finish in six races at Chicagoland Speedway

• Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurrary rounded out the top-five

• The race lasted two hours 45 minutes and 34 seconds and featured 10 lead changes among seven drivers

• The race was slowed by four cautions for at total of 21 laps

• The next race is July 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Martin Truex Jr. Chicagoland Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — NAPA AUTO PARTS wants to bring Martin Truex Jr. fans a little bit closer to the action Saturday night at Chicagoland Speedway as well as the remaining 18 races in 2010 season —and you won’t even have to leave your couch. To honor the one-year anniversary of signing Truex to drive the No. 56, NAPA will make the Michael Waltrip Racing team’s in-car audio available free of charge to fans who register at www.nascar.com/napatruexscanner or www.NAPAonline.com As an added bonus, Truex has vowed to sing the popular “NAPA Know How” jingle during a pace lap if 1,000 fans sign up.

QUOTES

 

Martin Truex Jr. on NAPA’s in-race scanner offer: “I think it’s cool that NAPA is doing this for our fans because when they watch a race, they don’t always understand what is going on or the emotion that goes in it. If they listen to the in-car scanner of the NAPA Know How Crew, they’ll get a real sense of what we are doing and why it is happening. They’ll hear why we gained or lost a position during a pit stop. Why we took four tires versus two. They’ll hear the excitement when we do a fast stop. They’ll hear how mad I can get when things go bad. Now, they’ll get a sense of the passion of this team over the course of a race and now, the entire second half of our season.”

 

Truex on the one year anniversary of the NAPA announcement: “Time flies when you are having fun. Things have been really going well if we could just get rid of the bad luck. I am really happy with my decision to join Michael Waltrip Racing and am excited about the future. Just a few weeks ago, we were in the top 12 in points. To be in that position and contending for a Chase spot is pretty good with an entirely new team. We continue to get better all the time and this past weekend was the first time we have revisited a track. What a difference it made for us. We went out with a set up we knew was going to work and after 15 minutes of practice, I felt like we could park the car and prepare for the race. We have learned a lot and it’s great to see how far we have come as a group and to now understand what these MWR Toyotas need to go fast.”

Truex on racing at Chicagoland Speedway: “I really enjoy racing there. It’s been a good track for me over the years. It’s really unique because the front and back straightaways are curved. The track has also been weathered a bit so it has some bumps. It’s real wide and has multiple grooves. I like Chicago because you can race from the yellow line to the wall and go fast. It’s also a tough place to set up a car especially during long green flag runs because the track changes. It is not uncommon for you to have a good practice run, but when you go to race, your car won’t be that good any more. It makes for an interesting challenge for us to figure out that balance on set up and how it will change with the track. Some guys will run well with fresh tires and some will run better on older tires. You just have to be able to do both to have a chance on Saturday night.”

Notes

Watch Truex on this week’s edition of Showtime’s Inside NASCAR: http://tiny.cc/5v5tu

 

Saturday’s race is Truex’s 171st Sprint Cup Series race and fifth at Chicagoland. His best start is second (July 15, 2007) and best finish is ninth. (July 12, 2008). During his career, he has one top-10 and three top-20 finishes. His average start is 18th and his average finish is 20th. He has led 14 laps.