NAPA Racing/Martin Truex Jr. Richmond Preview

No. 56 NAPA BRAKES Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. is the hottest driver in NASCAR. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver has scored more points than any driver in the last 10 races and Sunday he led 173 laps at Kansas before finishing 0.7 seconds behind race winner Denny Hamlin. Truex is second in the points standings, just 15 markers behind leader Greg Biffle. The Sprint Cup Series visits Richmond International Raceway Saturday night, where Truex led 12 laps last year and expects to be one of the favorites on the .75-mile, D-shaped oval.

POINTS IN LAST 10 RACES:

1. Truex                 363

2. Hamlin               356

3. Stewart              355

4. Biffle                  353

5. Harvick             349

Martin Truex Jr. on Performance: “Everyone continues to do such a great job at Michael Waltrip Racing. It’s been a lot of fun and I really enjoy going to the track each weekend especially when we are running like this. We just need to keep this thing going. We’ve been on one heck of a roll over the last 12 or so races. I realize it is early in the season, but we are right where we want to be. I feel like we are still getting better as a team so I am really proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish. It is so nice to be a part of Michael Waltrip Racing. I feel like I am contributing to MWR and help building it. This whole experience has really been good for me not only as a driver, but as a person so I owe a lot to Michael Waltrip, Rob Kauffman and my sponsor NAPA AUTO PARTS.”

Richmond: “We’re running the NAPA Brakes paint scheme at Richmond. It looks great. I expect to drive a lot of traffic into the NAPA AUTO PARTS stores and AutoCare centers as I am sure we’ll get some TV time this weekend. Last spring, we had the car to beat until we experienced some problems. The same held true in the fall. Our NAPA cars have been so strong — not only on the big tracks but on the short tracks like Bristol, Martinsville and Phoenix. I look forward to driving the NAPA Brakes Toyota and finally getting us a win. I keep saying that we are getting close. I think this past weekend showed it. The NAPA crew is ready to make that trip to victory lane and I am too.”

MWR