CORNELIUS, N.C. — The “Monster Mile” of Dover International Speedway doesn’t scare nearby Mayetta, N.J. native Martin Truex Jr. who earned his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory as well as two Nationwide wins on the concrete oval. The No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver carries the momentum of four straight weeks of impressive runs with his new Michael Waltrip Racing team. Truex wouldn’t be surprised if this weekend produces another solid run bumping him up from 13th-place in the championship point standings.
QUOTES
Truex Jr. on Dover: “I have always enjoyed going to Dover. I usually run well and I love it. I have been fortunate enough to have visited victory lane there in the Cup and Nationwide Series. It is just a special place for me. I am hoping this weekend will be a great one. I think it’s one of the toughest tracks we race. I think that’s why there are so many mixed feelings from the drivers about Dover. It’s one of those places where if you have a bad day, it’s usually really, really, bad and difficult. At most tracks, if you are having a difficult time and are a little off, you can usually work through it. That’s not the case with Dover. It’s a place where if the car is just not right, it’s really, really difficult to fix it. When your stuff is right, it is a lot of fun and you can do a lot with it. It’s also one of those places where it is hard to get a feel for what you need, but at the same time, even when you know what you need, sometimes it is very hard to get it. Hopefully we will be able to get it because if we do, we’ll race for the win.”
Crew chief Pat Tryson on the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS team: “The biggest thing about this NAPA AUTO PARTS team is we continue to make progress. We had one of the fastest cars at Darlington and didn’t quite get the finish we deserved after having a transmission problem. But we left Darlington with enough points to continue to move up in the standings. If we keep running like we’ve been, I believe we will be in really good shape. Now we’re off to Dover, a track that both Martin and I enjoy. It’s a place where we both know how to win and I am expecting another good run from this NAPA AUTO PARTS team. I think we’ve got a real good shot at a win if everything falls into place.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
• The driver of the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota will be competing in his 164th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday at Dover. This will be Truex’s ninth race at the one-mile concrete oval. His best start is fifth (Sept. 23, 2007) and best finish is first (June 4, 2007). During his career, Truex has earned one top–five, three top-10 and seven top-25 finishes. His average start is 21st and his average finish is 15th. He has led 216 laps in competition.
• Truex has scored the ninth most points of all drivers in the last eight Dover Sprint Cup races.
• TRUEX BUYS DOVER TICKETS FOR KIDS: Truex and his foundation are hosting over 50 kids and family members on Sunday at Dover. The kids are from Ocean County, N.J. and are representing organizations such as Oceans of Love and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Truex will be meeting his guests prior to the Autism Speaks 400. They will be sitting together in the Family Section of the grandstands cheering Martin on to a victory!
• TUNE IN TO TRUEX: Martin will be a guest on Friday night’s edition of Trackside on SPEED. It airs at 7 p.m. and will be broadcasting live from the SPEED stage at Dover International Speedway.
• HELP MARTIN: The first annual Catwalk for a Cause: A Celebration of Fashion benefiting the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation takes place May 18 at River Run Country Club in Davidson, N.C.
For more information on Truex’s foundation: http://www.martintruexjrfoundation.org/
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