NAPA Racing/Mar​tin Truex Jr. Talladega 2 Preview

No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. says Sunday’s restrictor-plate race at Talladega Superspeedway could be the most pivotal race in the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Last week’s sixth-place finish at Dover moved Truex to eighth place, 42 points out of first, after three of 10 Chase races. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver and his 11 Chase competitors know the high-speed, pack racing at Talladega is an easy way to quickly gain or lose points.

Martin Truex Jr. Heading Into Talladega:“Our top-10 finish at Dover moved us up two spots in the standings to eighth, but we lost some ground to the leaders. We are now 42 points out. It just shows you how tough it is to win this year’s Chase. But anything can happen. Talladega is next and it really is the wild card of all the Chase races. I think the points race will be interesting after Talladega.”

On Racing At Talladega:“I honestly don’t know what to expect come Sunday. All of us in the Chase are going to take a car that we think is fast and capable of winning. After that, it is simply a crap shoot. MWR has had pretty good cars and led laps. Our finishes haven’t been all that impressive. We either have been caught up in a crash or have made a run at the end a little too soon and lost steam. In my opinion, it is time for us to get a good finish in the books. I love racing there. I’ve even won there in the Nationwide Series. Anything can happen. I have seen it all and I’ve been in it all. I’ve been wrecked going for the lead. I’ve been wrecked riding in the back in 30th trying to stay out of trouble. In my opinion, I think the best strategy is to run up front and hope it all happens behind you. I believe that is what I am going to do this weekend and hopefully it will pay off with a much-needed win!”

MWR PR