Pit Stop Radio News

• TRUEX AT DAYTONA: Martin Truex Jr. has earned a pair of top-five finishes – both being runner-up results – and four top-10s in 29 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway. Last season, Truex was collected in multi-car accidents in both Daytona races and finished 35th and 22nd, respectively. The Mayetta, New Jersey native claimed the pole for the DAYTONA 500 in 2009. Truex’s Daytona resume also includes a NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in 2005.
• CLASH RECAP: Truex finished 16th in Sunday’s Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway. After starting third, he grabbed the lead on Lap 3 and spent much of the non-points event running inside the top five. The No. 19 Camry was sent spinning on a late restart, resulting in terminal damage that ended Truex’s day early.
• 2019 SEASON RECAP: In addition to leading the NASCAR Cup Series in victories last season, Truex also ranked in the top three in multiple categories, including top-five finishes (third), top-10s (tied for third), laps led (second), average finish (third), average running position (third), driver rating (third), fastest drivers early in a run (third), fastest drivers late in a run (second), fastest laps run (second), green flag speed (first) and laps in the top 15 (third).
• OFFSEASON CHANGES: Following the departure of the No. 19 team’s former crew chief Cole Pearn, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that James Small had been promoted from the team’s lead engineer to the crew chief role. Small, a 36-year-old Australian, has worked with Truex in some capacity for the past three seasons dating back to their time at Furniture Row Racing. Last season, Small headed up the No. 19 team’s engineering efforts on the way to seven victories, 15 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s. Additionally, Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Jeff Curtis joined the No. 19 team in the lead engineer role.
• AUTOGRAPH SESSION: Truex will sign autographs for fans at the Bass Pro Shops location in Daytona Beach, Florida (1880 W Checkered Flag Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL 32114) Thursday at 1 p.m. local time.
• BASS PRO SHOPS: A longtime supporter of Truex and NASCAR, Bass Pro Shops will be featured as primary sponsor of the No. 19 Camry in 24 races this season, including the DAYTONA 500. Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri. Today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more.
• JGR AT DAYTONA: Joe Gibbs Racing owns seven NASCAR Cup Series victories at Daytona International Speedway, including three triumphs in the DAYTONA 500 (1993, 2016, 2019). Last season, Denny Hamlin led a 1-2-3 JGR sweep in the season-opening race. Overall, the organization has tallied 32 top-five finishes, 44 top-10s and 1,674 laps led in 139 combined starts at the track. Kyle Busch, Erik Jones and NASCAR Hall of Fame drivers Dale Jarrett and Tony Stewart join Hamlin as JGR drivers who have won at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
• DUEL QUALIFYING RACE INFO: By virtue of his 21st-fastest qualifying time, Truex will start 11th in the first 150-mile qualifying race. Coverage of the Duels begins Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR.
• TUNE IN: Coverage of the 62nd running of the DAYTONA 500 begins Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR.

Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry

Are Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota capable of having the same success they had last year?

“I think for us, our mindset is to try to do that again. I think we have confidence that we can do it. With that being said, it’s going to be difficult. Nineteen wins is a lot. We’ll just have to wait and see, but I think we’re all excited about the season and looking forward to the low-downforce package on the short tracks and road courses. I think that’ll be good for us. You’ve got to try and continue to evolve and push things forward and I think that’s what the company is good at. I think we’ll have a great season and I am looking forward to it.”

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Stats at Daytona International Speedway

Truex 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Season Stats

Truex NASCAR Cup Series Career Stats

About Bass Pro Shops®

Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”

JGR PR