Ryan Truex Gresham Motorsports Park Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Ryan Truex continues his chase for the K&N Pro Series East championship Saturday at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. The 18-year-old Mayetta, N.J. native has three races left to achieve his back-to-back championship quest as well as garner his second title for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Truex is the son of race car driver Martin Truex Sr. and the younger brother of Martin Truex Jr. who drives the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Truex tested his East Series car with crew chief Mike Greci at Gresham on Aug. 19.

QUOTES

Truex on racing at Gresham Motorsports Park: "Gresham is a fast track. I really like running there a lot. This will be my first time actually racing there, and I’m confident that my NAPA team can go there and do well. It’s a track that I feel comfortable on. I’ve heard a lot of guys compare it to Bristol, but with less banking so I’ll have to stay on my toes. I think our main strategy will be to make sure the car rotates in the center, and to qualify well for the track position. I’m definitely looking forward to getting on the track Saturday.”

Truex on his chase for the East Series Championship: "We are just trying to take this one race at a time right now. The championship is our long term goal, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We have Gresham to focus on this weekend and two more races after that. Greci and I have both just been focusing on one race at a time and I think that has worked out well for us.”

Truex on testing at Gresham: “Our test went really well. Greci and my guys put a great car together for this track. We unloaded and were immediately fast, that’s always a fun way to start a testing session. We worked making minor changes and picked up time towards the end of the test. I think this was a great confidence boost for my whole team and really got us all excited to go back and race on Saturday night.”

Greci on working with Ryan at Gresham: “He did an exceptional job at the test on Thursday. We were fast when we unloaded off of the trailer and he continued to get better as we continued. He really likes the track and is comfortable there. I think that all of the testing he has done in the Cup cars there has been a huge help to him.”

Notes

Veteran Mike Greci, who once served as Martin Truex Jr.’s crew chief, has been working with Truex throughout his career in the East Series beginning in 2008.

Truex is the first driver to earn a championship for Michael Waltrip Racing when he won the K&N Pro Series East Championship in 2009. He leads the 2010 standings by 33 points over Darrell Wallace Jr. with three races left in the championship.

Truex is the third member of his family to win in the K&N Pro Series East. His father, Martin Truex Sr. won at New Hampshire in 1994 and his brother Martin Truex Jr. won five times.

Ryan Truex Michigan Report

Ryan Truex Race Summary: No. 00 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Ryan Truex qualified second and raced in the top 10 most of the race before finishing 12th in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway. The 18-year-old Michael Waltrip Racing driver ran in the top three the first 40 laps of the race outrunning Sprint Cup stars like Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch. A tight handling condition in the second half of the race prevented Truex from maintaining his pace, but he never ventured far outside the top 10. Truex makes his third Nationwide appearance at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 10.




• Truex qualified second in just his second NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

• Truex ran second for the first 45 laps of the race.

• Remained in the top ten through the first 100 laps as he battled a tight handling condition.

• Brother Martin Truex Jr. sat on Ryan’s pit box and gave advice over the team radio throughout the race.

• Saturday’s race marked Truex’s second of six scheduled 2010 Nationwide races.

• Truex’s next Nationwide appearance is at Richmond on Sept. 10.



RYAN TRUEX: “It was a lot of fun. We had a good car. We were running with the 22 (Brad Keselowski) there at the beginning. We made a pit stop and with this car being new and us never running it before we weren’t sure about adjustments. We made an adjustment and it just didn’t agree with the car. We learned for next time. At the end there we got it better and we were running up there. I had a lot of fun and have to thank NAPA and Tow Truck in a Box for helping me out this weekend and this team for giving me a good car. I think me and Trevor (Bayne) finished right in front of each other. It was a fun day and a lot of fun racing. I learned a lot for next time.”



How much did your brother help you this weekend? “He taught me pretty much everything I used in the race. He’s been a lot of help and he was talking to me during the race and telling me what to do. He’s definitely been a big help. It’s been a fun weekend and I’m just happy we got out of here in one piece.”



Did you have any nervous moments in the race? “That last restart when that car blew up in front of me, I thought that race was over. I was dead sideways and I thought I was plowing into the wall. Somehow got through it, but that cost us a couple spots. It is what it is and I had a lot of fun. Happy to have the car in one piece and have a decent run.”



RACE NOTES:

• Brad Keselowski won his fourth race of the season.

• Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch rounded out the top three.

• There were two cautions for nine laps.

• The 1 hour and 39 minute race saw 11 lead changes among seven drivers.

• NASCAR estimated 40,000 attended the race.

Ryan Truex Michigan International Speedway Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Ryan Truex makes his second NASCAR Nationwide Series start Saturday at Michigan International Speedway— the biggest and fastest track ever faced by the 18-year-old Mayetta, N.J. native.

In his Nationwide Series debut in St. Louis he started 19th and raced his way into the top 10 by lap 100 before a late-race accident left him with a 28th-place finish. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver competes fulltime in the K&N Pro Series East where he is the defending champion and 2010 points leader.

Truex is the son of race car driver Martin Truex Sr. and the younger brother of Martin Truex Jr. who drives the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. With the new car racing at MIS this weekend, the Nationwide series plans a day-long test session Thursday with practice Friday followed by qualifying and the race on Saturday.

QUOTES


Truex on racing at Michigan International Speedway: "Michigan is a wide, fast racetrack and will be the biggest track I’ve ever raced on. I want to go there and gain experience on a bigger track. I’ve been leaning on my brother a lot for advice and he said that it’s wide, very fast and with the higher speeds aerodynamics start to really come into play. I have a lot to learn on that side of things and I feel like having the extra day of testing on Thursday will be a huge benefit to us. This way I can get plenty of experience with the new car and how being around different cars affects my own car. I can learn what the cars do when you pull up on another car and all of those new experiences that come with running at a bigger track."

Truex on his first race with the new car: "I think they look awesome and it’s cool how they represent the street cars better. I have heard they are a lot of fun to drive and hopefully we can have a good run with it this weekend."

Truex on expectations for his second Nationwide Series race: “I feel like as a team we can go out and run good. (Diamond-Waltrip driver) Trevor (Bayne) has been running great and that just gives me more confidence in the racecars and how good of a job everyone at MWR is doing. I think with this race being the first race at an intermediate track with the new car we have more of a level playing field with the other teams. It’s just a matter of going into the weekend with confidence and learning as much as I can. Hopefully we have a great weekend with our NAPA Toyota.”


Martin Truex Jr. on Ryan’s Debut: “He did a great job and I was really proud of him. He’s good at staying pretty calm on and off the track. He did good with it. It all worked out good in the end. He ran a really good race—all but the last 20 laps—and I think he learned a lot. He earned a lot of respect from the drivers and had a good first outing.”


NOTES

Veteran Mike Greci, who once served as Martin Truex’s crew chief, will serve as Ryan Truex’s crew chief this weekend in Michigan.

Martin Truex Sr. competed in 15 Nationwide Series races 1989-1998. His best career finish of 12th came at Nazareth Speedway in 1994. He won an East Series race at New Hampshire in 1994. Martin Jr. is a two-time

Ryan is the first driver to earn a championship for Michael Waltrip Racing when he won the K&N Pro Series East Championship in 2009. He leads the 2010 standings by 33 points over Darrell Wallace Jr.

Truex is leading the East Series championship by 33 points over Darrell Wallace Jr. with three races left in the 2010 season.

Ryan Truex Lee USA Race Report

Ryan Truex, No. 00 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry - finished second – leads in points.


LEE, N.H. - No. 00 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota driver Ryan Truex raced through the field to finish second Friday night in the K&N Pro Series East race at Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire. The 18-year-old started 16th and moved into the top five in the first 50 laps then battled for the lead on lap 90 of the 125-lap race. A late-race caution bunched the field with three laps remaining. Truex led on the restart before he and Darrell Wallace Jr. made contact racing for the victory. Wallace crossed the start/finish line a few feet ahead of Truex who finished second. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver continues to lead the East championship by 33 points. The series returns to action Aug. 28 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia.



RYAN TRUEX, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota

• Truex led laps 100-102 and 115-122 of the 125 lap race.

• He earned the Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award.

• The margin of victory between Truex and the No. 6 of Darrell Wallace Jr. was only .175 seconds.

• Darrell Wallace Jr. won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series 125, his 2nd victory of the season.

• The fastest qualifier was Kevin Swindell at 15.562 seconds.

• This is Truex’s sixth top-five finish this season.

• The race was slowed by seven yellow flag periods totaling 38 laps.

• Truex is the third member of his family to win in the K&N Pro Series East. His father, Martin Truex Sr. won at New Hampshire in 1994 and his brother Martin Truex Jr. won five times.

• The 18-year-old is the first driver to earn a championship for Michael Waltrip Racing when he won the K&N Pro Series East Championship in 2009.

• •There are only three races left in the 2010 East Series Championship.

• Truex will resume his NASCAR Nationwide schedule August 14 in Michigan.

CREW CHIEF MIKE GRECI QUOTES:

“We didn’t qualify where we needed to be. We were 16th, but we stayed positive. We were third fastest in the final practice and we just needed our driver to stay confident for the race. We started in the back and worked our way through the field. Around lap-50 we were already in the top-five and Ryan was battling for the lead at lap 90. They battled hard back and forth for the next 25-30 laps. Then at the final restart with three to go the No. 6 went low and they were three wide. It was just hard racing; unfortunately that’s who we are battling for the lead. We finished second and it was a good battle for the team.”

Ryan Truex - Lee USA Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Michael Waltrip Racing development driver Ryan Truex will pilot the No. 00 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota in the K&N Pro Series East race Friday night at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, N.H. Truex is the East Series’ defending champion and leads Darrell Wallace Jr. by 43 points with four races remaining in the 2010 championship. The 18-year-old made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut July 17 at Gateway International Raceway where an accident with 22 laps remaining ended a top-10 run. The Mayetta N.J. native said experience gained in the East Series prepared him well for his race at Gateway, but on transitioning back to the East Series his focus is on clinching a second consecutive championship.

QUOTES


Truex on racing at Lee USA Speedway: “Lee is a shorter track, not much grip. I’ve never been there, but (No. 00 crew chief) Mike Greci has been there, my brother and dad have both been there so I’ve heard about it. They say the surface of the track is a lot like Greenville there’s not much grip so the biggest thing is getting your car to drive off of the corners. I think we’ll be able to do that. We’re good at Greenville and we’ve had a good short track program this year so far, so I’m confident we can go there and run pretty good. The biggest thing is just going there, learning the track and figuring out what we need to do to go fast.”

Truex on how the East Series has helped his transition to Nationwide: “The K&N Pro Series East is probably the best place to start before jumping into the Nationwide Series just because the cars are so similar. The series is good because we go to a lot of bigger tracks like Loudon, Iowa and Dover to get experience. It’s a better place to step up than anywhere else just because of that and the way the cars drive. It has definitely made my transition easier being in the East Series for two years. Even with my partial Nationwide schedule, I’m still definitely looking forward to running the rest of the East Series this year too.”


Truex on added pressure upon returning to the East Series from the Nationwide Series: “I don’t feel like there is as much pressure going back from the Nationwide to the East Series. I feel like it will actually help me because I’ve raced with a higher level of competition. Now when I go to the East Series I’ll have more confidence going into the race. Hopefully that’s how it is, maybe we can go in there and win some more races and keep doing good in points. We’ve had great cars all year and I’m pretty confident that we can have good cars for the rest of the year and hopefully we can get another championship.”


Truex on NASCAR's 2010 Most Popular Driver competition: “It would be nice to be voted Most Popular Driver. We didn’t get it last year, but I’ve done a lot more this year to connect with fans. Hopefully I have more people who have gotten to know me this year that will go out and vote for me. It would be nice to know that I have a lot of fans out there who support my career, but the biggest thing for me is to win the championship.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST

Truex resumes his six-race NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule on Aug. 14 in Michigan.

Vote for Ryan Truex the 2010 Most Popular Driver at http://bit.ly/cmtPQi

Truex is the third member of his family to win in the K&N Pro Series East. His father, Martin Truex Sr. won at New Hampshire in 1994 and his brother Martin Truex Jr. won five times.

Ryan is the first driver to earn a championship for Michael Waltrip Racing when he won the K&N Pro Series East Championship in 2009.

The 18-year-old was the youngest competitor to make a start in any of NASCAR’s top-three series this season.

Truex Has A Strong Run In Nationwide Series Debut

‪

Ryan Truex Race Summary: It only took half a race for No. 00 Ryan Truex to claw his way into the top-10 in his first NASCAR Nationwide Series appearance. The 2009 K&N Pro Series East Champion and 2010 points leader impressed competitors and fans at Gateway International Raceway on Saturday night by driving like a veteran. The 18-year-old qualified 18th then stormed into the top 10 at the halfway mark and even climbed as high as eighth. With just 22 laps remaining, Truex lost control of his car and slapped the wall. He parked the car after the accident but drove the No. 20 Toyota in relief for Matt DiBenedetto who was involved in an earlier accident. Truex returns to Nationwide race at Michigan on Aug. 14.

‪·‬ Truex started his first NASCAR Nationwide Series race in 18th.

‪·‬ Truex moved into the top-10 at the halfway mark of the race.

‪·‬ He climbed as high as eighth late in the race.

‪·‬ Raced in 10th on lap 178 when he hit the wall and pulled into the garage.

‪·‬ Served a relief driver for Matt DiBenedetto who was in an accident earlier in the race.

TRUEX QUOTE: "Man that was a lot of fun until I spun out. I was really surprised how well we ran. I didn’t know if we would run that well. Napa and my crew made all this happen. I just drive. I have a lot to learn but that started tonight. I was having fun out there. Really, I was. Next time will be more about racing. This weekend was getting in the field and learning. I got hot out there, but I think everyone did. Sounds like it was a cool finish.”

RACE NOTES:

‪·‬ Carl Edwards and Brad Kesolowski made contact the front stretch coming to the checkered flag.

‪·‬ Edwards survived the contact and claimed the victory. Kesolowski hit and wall and was struck by another car and finished 14th.

‪·‬ Reed Sorenson finished second and Bayne finished third.

‪·‬ The next race is July 24 at Raceway Park in Indianapolis.

Trevor Bayne Race Summary:  No. 99 Out Pet Care Toyota driver Trevor Bayne earned his second career pole and posted a career-best third-place finish Saturday night at Gateway International Raceway. Bayne opted to stay on the race track while the leaders pitted with just under 30 laps remaining to take the lead.  Bayne relinquished two spots during the several restarts but was still able to hold off cars with fresher tires through the wild racing to hold on for the third-place finish.  Bayne led the race’s opening lap and never faded outside the top-five in the first half of the race. The Jerry Baxter-led team prepared a Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota that looked good in every practice, qualifying and in the race on the 1.25-mile oval. Bayne’s finished, kept him in 11th-place in the series points race. The Nationwide Series returns to action Saturday night in Indianapolis.

‪·‬ Bayne won his second career pole in just his 34th career race.
‪·‬ His third-place finish was the best of his brief career.
‪·‬ Bayne led the first lap and never fell outside the top five in the first half of the race.
‪·‬ Ran in the top-10 in second half of the race.
‪·‬ With 20 laps remaining, crew chief Jerry Baxter had Bayne stay on the track giving him the lead.
‪·‬ Carl Edwards and Brad Kesolowski passed Bayne before a red flag stopped the race.
‪·‬ Bayne restarted the with two laps to go in fourth and finished third after Kesolowski and Edwards made contact.

BAYNE QUOTE:  How do you feel after tonight’s race?

“It was just a really enduring race.  It was hard for the drivers, it was hard for the team, but Jerry Baxter (crew chief) did a great job with the call there to not pit and got us our track position back.  We had a strong enough car to be up there and that was the way it was for us in our Out! Pet Car Toyota all weekend.  We unloaded fast, in the top three, qualified on the pole and then finished top three so it’s a great weekend for us.  Can’t thank everyone enough for giving us this opportunity.  It was a great weekend for us and we’re happy to be in the top three.”

How important was the call by Jerry Baxter to not pit on the last caution?
“That was a crucial call for us and we had fallen back to eighth.  That wasn’t because of our car, that was just because of some coincidences that had happened when I got pinched down on the bottom by the 62 (Brendan Gaughan) and that cost us to lose a couple spots.  We were coming back, but track position is so important here because you don’t have the gear to get off the corners.  That was a really great call and it took a lot of guts for Jerry Baxter (crew chief) to do that, to leave us out when everybody was coming down pit road.  It paid off for us.  We got a top three out of it, we had a strong Out! Pet Care Toyota all weekend.  We unloaded top three, stayed top three all through practices, qualified on the pole and then finished top three.  Just a really strong weekend for us.”

What did you see on the final lap between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski?
“I had a front row view of it for sure.  I was just hoping I could get by the 32 (Reed Sorenson) because I figured for sure I would win the race if I got by him because I figured the 60 (Carl Edwards) and 22 (Brad Keselowski) would kind of take care of themselves just by the way turn one and two looked.  It was insane from the very beginning of the restart.  They went into one and two -- Keselowski overdrove it and slid up the track and it looked like the 22 just overdrove it a couple times and slid up the track and tried to run the 60 up and then the 60 just came down there at the end and got the 22 from what I saw.  I was kind of focused on chasing my car through three and four because I overdrove it as well on the last lap.  Fortunately, it helped us and we got our first top three.  It doesn’t really matter how we got it, as long as we got it.  I hate it for those guys because they were so dominant all day, but it was just a great run for us.”



Results
1           Carl Edwards
2           Reed Sorenson
3           Trevor Bayne
4           Paul Menard
5           Steve Wallace
6           Brian Scott *
7           Colin Braun *
8           Josh Wise
9           Ricky Stenhouse Jr. *
10         Tony Raines
11         Michael Annett
12         Shelby Howard
13         Steve Arpin
14         Brad Keselowski
15         Willie Allen
16         Kevin Harvick
17         Brendan Gaughan
18         Tayler Malsam
19         Mike Bliss
20         Kenny Wallace
21         Morgan Shepherd
22         Mike Wallace
23         Jason Leffler
24         Alex Kennedy
25         Justin Allgaier
26         Eric McClure
27         Joe Nemechek
28         Ryan Truex
29         Matt DiBenedetto
30         Brad Coleman
31         Landon Cassill
32         Kelly Bires
33         Brad Baker
34         Jason Keller
35         Kevin Lepage
36         Chase Miller
37         Danny O'Quinn Jr.
38         Brian Keselowski
39         Kevin Swindell
40         Johnny Chapman
41         Johnny Sauter
42         Dennis Setzer
‪43‬        Mark Green

Points
1           Brad Keselowski          Leader
2           Carl Edwards                -168
3           Justin Allgaier                -497
4           Kyle Busch                    -556
5           Kevin Harvick                -608
6           Paul Menard                  -675
7           Steve Wallace               -838
8           Brendan Gaughan       -915
9           Joey Logano                 -934
10         Jason Leffler                 -954
11         Trevor Bayne                -1002
12         Brian Scott*                   -1051
13         Michael Annett             -1069
14         Reed Sorenson            -1085
15         Tony Raines                  -1110
16         Kenny Wallace             -1296
17         Mike Wallace                 -1323
18         Mike Bliss                      -1341
19         Eric McClure                 -1483
20         Ricky Stenhouse Jr.*   -1494
21         Joe Nemechek             -1499
22         Michael McDowell        -1563
23         Jason Keller                  -1608
24         Colin Braun*                  -1633
25         Greg Biffle                     -1674
26         Scott Lagasse Jr.         -1714
27         Josh Wise                     -1847
28         Willie Allen                    -1962
29         Shelby Howard            -1972
30         Robert Richardson Jr.  -1983
31         Jamie McMurray          -1998
32         Morgan Shepherd        -2014
33         Brian Keselowski         -2068
34         James Buescher*         -2139
35         Mark Green                   -2156
36         Clint Bowyer                  -2187

Ryan Truex Race Preview - NNS debut at Gateway

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Defending K&N Pro Series East champion and 2010 points leader Ryan Truex makes his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Saturday night at Gateway International Raceway. Truex will pilot the No. 00 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota in the 200-lap race on the 1.25-mile oval near St. Louis. When the 18-year-old Mayetta, N.J. native takes the green flag, he’ll be the youngest of any driver racing in NASCAR’s top-three series. Truex is the son of race car driver Martin Truex Sr. and the younger brother of Martin Truex Jr. who drives the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Michael Waltrip Racing.

QUOTES

 

Truex on racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series: “It is a really big opportunity and I’m just excited to get started. I can’t wait to get the first race started. I just can’t thank everyone enough at MWR for giving me this opportunity. Three years ago I remember racing a Legend car at Wall Stadium in New Jersey and now I’m here. It’s hard to believe how fast it’s come, but I’m excited, ready to get started and make the most of my opportunity.”

 

Truex on following in brother Martin’s footsteps: “It’s pretty big shoes to fill. I don’t expect to go out and set the world on fire. I know it’s not going to happen. I’m just going to get my feet wet and just try to get as much experience as I can. I’m not going to go in and think I can run top-10 or top-five or anything like that. It’s a tough series. It took him a lot of starts to figure it out. It’s going to be tough. I put more pressure on myself than anything just to run as good as him just because of the last name and everything. I’m just going to go and try to do the best that I can.”

Truex on racing at Gateway: “I’ve never been there before so I’ll get some advice from my brother. He’s always helped me out in the K&N Pro Series cars so this series won’t be any different in that respect. It’s a tough series, they have a lot of the cup series guys competing each week, but the cars aren’t that much different than what I have been running in. I’m just going to go to the track and get as much practice time as I can on Saturday. I’m not there to set the world on fire, I’m just there to learn, gain respect and show them that I deserve to be there.”

 

Martin Jr. on coaching Ryan: “It’s been fun to watch Ryan progress. Like he said, he hasn’t been doing this very long and he’s come a long way as a driver. He’s been impressive on the race track and behind the wheel. All the things that he’s done has led to this point. I’ll coach if he needs help, but he’s done a great job so far and he’s got a great team behind him. I look forward to watching him make his first start in the Nationwide Series.”

 

Martin Sr. on his son’s Gateway debut: “I am very proud of him. In the early days I wasn’t sure this is what he wanted to do and I really never coaxed him to do it. When he was about 14 years old, he decided he wanted to race. I wasn’t real happy about it, but we’re proud of what he’s doing and he’s really come a long way in a short time. I think he’s really got some true talent. As we progress up the ladder, we’ll see what he has.”

 

Notes

 

• Ryan Truex will be available in the Gateway media center at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

 

• Veteran Mike Greci, who once served as Martin Truex’s crew chief, will serve as Ryan Truex’s crew chief this weekend at Gateway.

 

• Martin Truex Sr. competed in 15 Nationwide Series races 1989-1998. His best career finish of 12th came at Nazareth Speedway in 1994. He won an East Series race at New Hampshire in 1994.

 

• Ryan is the first driver to earn a championship for Michael Waltrip Racing when he won the K&N Pro Series East Championship in 2009. He leads the 2010 standings by 43 points over Darrell Wallace Jr.