Martin Truex Jr.: 'This is what you dream about as a kid'

Martin Truex Jr. is the 3/1 long shot to win the title this week.

DENVER, Colo. (Nov. 18, 2015) – Martin Truex Jr. couldn’t be happier about the race venue that will determine the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

Homestead-Miami Speedway, site of Sunday’s final Chase race, has been Truex’s best performing track in NASCAR’s elite series. In 10 starts at the 1.5-mile oval, he has achieved three top fives, seven top 10s and an average finish of 10.0. His best finishes include a runner-up, third and fourth.

He also enters Sunday’s Ford 400 with the best driver rating at Homestead among the four finalists. The driver ratings for the four finalists at Homestead, tabulated by a NASCAR formula, are as follows: Truex (106.6), Kevin Harvick (102.5), Jeff Gordon (100.7) and Kyle Busch (91.5).

“Homestead is for all the marbles and I can’t think of a better place I would want to compete at for the overall title,” said Truex, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet. “Not only has Homestead-Miami Speedway been my best track over the past 10 years, but the 1.5-mile tracks have also been strong for our team.”

The highest finishing driver among the four finalists in the 400-lap race will win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

“This is what you dream about as a kid — the opportunity to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship,” said the 35-year-old Truex. “It’s been an incredible year and I am so proud of all of our guys back at the shop in Denver and to our road crew for giving me fast cars week in and week out.”

Truex, who has been labeled the underdog because of Furniture Row Racing being a single car team feels the Denver, Colorado-based team has what it takes to bring the Sprint Cup trophy to the Mile High City.

“We’re going into Homestead as the underdogs as we’ve been throughout the Chase,” noted Truex. “The competition is fierce and it’s going to take basically a mistake-free race to accomplish the ultimate goal. I know we can do it and the team, led by (rookie) crew chief Cole Pearn, feels the same way.”

The last time a driver won the NASCAR Cup title with a single-car team was Alan Kulwicki in 1992.

The only thing certain for Truex and Furniture Row Racing is that both will end the season with their best ranking. Truex, who can’t finish lower than fourth in the final standings, has never finished in the top 10. His best season finish was 11th in 2007 and 2012. The best season finish for Furniture Row Racing was 10th in 2013.

Facing the final-race pressure for a championship is nothing new for Truex. His second NASCAR Xfinity Series championship (2005) was captured at Homestead in the final race of the season.

“We’re confident that we can complete what has already been a successful season for our single-car team,” said Truex. “Going into the final race of the season with a shot of winning the championship is an awesome feeling.”

Truex’s average finish in the first nine Chase races is 9.44. He’s had one top five and five top 10s in those nine races.

Truex’s Career Record at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Year	Start	Finish	Status/Laps	Laps Led	Earnings
2004	35	32	Tire, 251/271	0	50,750
2006	20	2	Running, 268/268	27	260,458
2007	15	6	Running, 267/267	3	126,720
2008	10	10	Running, 267/267	0	107,158
2009	14	9	Running, 267/267	0	116,465
2010	25	11	Running, 267/267	62	79,250
2011	2	3	Running, 267/267	5	189,450
2012	7	6	Running, 267/267	11	131,199
2013	8	4	Running, 267/267	0	179,435
2014	10	17	Running, 267/267	0	107,873

Homestead-Miami Speedway Totals

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Laps Led	Laps Completed	AvgSt	AvgFn	DNF	Money
10	0	3	7	0	108	2655 of 2675 99.3%	14.6	10.0	1	$1,348,758

Truex’s 2015 Sprint Cup Series Results

No.	Date	Event	St	Fn	Laps	Led	Status	Money	Points	Standing
1	2/22	Daytona 500	10	8	203/203	1	Running	489,772	37	8
2	3/1	Atlanta	14	6	325/325	0	Running	150,615	38/75	5
3	3/8	Las Vegas	8	2	267/267	3	Running	268,950	43/118	4
4	3/15	Phoenix	15	7	312/312	0	Running	121,025	37/155	3
5	3/22	Fontana	12	8	209/209	5	Running	136,240	37/192	3
6	3/29	Martinsville	3	6	500/500	23	Running	118,665	39/231	3
7	4/11	Fort Worth	15	9	334/334	0	Running	163,380	35/266	3
8	4/19	Bristol	16	29	504/511	0	Running	120,120	15/281	3
9	4/26	Richmond	6	10	400/400	0	Running	114,710	34/315	3
10	5/3	Talladega	36	5	188/188	0	Running	159,600	39/354	2
11	5/9	Kansas	4	9	267/267	95	Running	122,060	37/391	2
12	5/24	Charlotte	9	5	600/600	131	Running	187,350	41/432	2
13	5/31	Dover	2	6	405/405	131	Running	148,815	40/472	2
14	6/7	Pocono	3	1	160/160	97	Running	201,810	48/520	2
15	6/14	Michigan	9	3	138/138	0	Running	137,580	41/561	2
16	6/28	Sonoma	12	42	31/110	0	Crash	88,195	2/563	2
17	7/5	Daytona	19	38	105/110	0	Crash	115,648	6/569	5
18	7/11	Kentucky	5	17	267/267	0	Running	111,035	27/596	5
19	7/19	Loudon	15	12	301/301	0	Running	117,485	32/628	5
20	7/26	Indianapolis	13	4	164/164	0	Running	283,170	40/668	5
21	8/2	Pocono	13	19	160/160	6	Running	106,015	26/694	5
22	8/9	Watkins Glen	2	25	90/90	5	Running	102,335	20/714	6
23	8/16	Michigan	22	3	200/200	0	Running	137,130	41/755	4
24	8/22	Bristol	23	28	495/500	0	Running	127,175	16/771	6
25	9/6	Darlington	7	9	367/367	0	Running	129,660	35/806	6
26	9/12	Richmond	16	32	394/400	0	Running	102,835	12/818	7
27	9/20	Chicagoland	4	13	267/267	39	Running	131,670	32/2035	11
28	9/27	Loudon	21	8	300/300	0	Running	121,210	36/2071	9
29	10/4	Dover	9	11	400/400	0	Running	116,285	33/2104	5
30	10/11	Charlotte	15	3	334/334	0	Running	172,320	41/3041	3
31	10/18	Kansas	7	15	269/269	0	Running	130,395	29/3019	8
32	10/25	Talladega	43	7	196/196	0	Running	123,665	37/3056	6
33	11/1	Martinsville	2	6	500/500	27	Running	121,985	39/4039	T2
34	11/8	Fort Worth	23	8	334/334	1	Running	160,910	37/4076	4
35	11/15	Phoenix	5	14	219/219	0	Running	111,360	30/4106	4

Top 5s: 8   Top 10s: 22   Laps Led: 564   Avg. St: 12.5  Avg. Fn: 12.2   Money: $5,251,175

Source: DMF Communications for Furniture Row Racing