DOVER, Del. –If there’s a “home game” for Martin Truex Jr., Dover is it.
The Monster Mile is close to Truex’s native New Jersey, and the high-banked concrete oval has always been one of his personal favorites.
When he takes the green flag for Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks, Truex will be driving equipment that’s almost as familiar as the track is.
Interestingly, Truex will be behind the wheel of the same No. 78 Furniture Row Racing chassis he used at Kansas on May 9 and in last Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The unusual move of racing the same chassis three weeks in a row required a quick turnaround at the shop earlier this week.
Though he didn’t win at Kansas or Charlotte, Truex led the most laps in both races, and he comes to Dover riding a wave of confidence.
“This is one of my favorite tracks—that’s usually a good sign to start off with,” Truex said on Friday. “I have so much confidence in my team and the cars we have and the job that my team is doing. It’s just fun to come to the track with the confidence and with optimism about what we’re going to do.
“I’m looking forward to the weekend. It should be a good one.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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