LONG POND, Pa. – Everyone knew it was a matter of time before Martin Truex Jr., Cole Pearn and the Denver, Colorado-based Furniture Row Racing team would win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race this season.
On Sunday, they ended a Hendrick Motorsports dominant streak at the 2.5-mile triangle winning the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400. But, more importantly, the team scanned their ticket into the Chase for the Sprint Cup. It’s the second time that the single-car team has been able to do so in the past three years.
“You know, I wanted to win for this team because I knew how good they were, how much they deserved it, the job they’ve been doing, and I’ve just honestly been so proud of their outlook on the way this year has gone,” said Truex. “It would be easy the last three weeks to get down and to hang your head and to make excuses and honestly just be disappointed, but they weren’t.
“They were excited. They knew we were going to get this win, and they knew we were going to get it soon, and they worked hard. They didn’t lose focus of how we got to where we’re at, and honestly, that’s what pushed us over the edge and was able to make the difference today.”
Pearn brought a brand new car for Truex this weekend at “The Tricky Triangle.” While many were surprised that after racing the same piece that led 357 laps in the last three races and a worse
finish of ninth, the team would bring a new chassis to one of the most unique tracks on the circuit.
Obviously, they knew something everyone else didn’t.
Entering the 14th race of the season, Hendrick Motorsports had been painted the favorite since capturing the checkered flag for every race back dating to summer 2012. On Sunday, the HMS brigade was a non-factor, leading just three of the event’s 160 laps.
That was fine by the 78 team.
Of course the win wasn’t just a monumental moment for the Barney Visser-owned team, but a welcomed victory by many in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage. Truex received accolades from his peers in victory lane, including Jimmie Johnson, who overcame his troubles for third and 11th place finishers and last year’s winner Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“It means a lot, it really does, because there’s going to come a time when racing and where you finish in races doesn’t matter,” sounded Truex. “What’s going to matter is kind of the legacy you leave and how people look at the person that you are. So that means a ton to me to have that respect, and honestly, it’s kind of humbling.
“It’s really cool, especially after the last the way the last year and a half or so has gone for me, up until this year, I think that people kind of got a little bit of an insight into what I’m made of and what kind of person I am, which is cool. Sucks I had to show it sometimes, but you know, just definitely a humbling feeling to have the respect of those guys because there’s a lot of great people in this garage area.”
It’s been four years since the team’s first victory at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway with driver Regan Smith and while that win didn’t count as entry into the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sunday’s dominating performance does and clearly circles the No. 78 team as one of the obvious championship favorites.
“Right now they’re as good as anyone’s out there,” Truex said. “I mean, we’ve been look what we’ve done the last four weeks. We’ve went head to head with the big guys, the 48 and the 4, who have been the guys to beat for a year and a half. The 48 has been the guy to beat for seven, eight years. We’ve been right there with them, toe to toe.”
After all, Truex Jr. joins Kevin Harvick as the only driver to finish inside the top-10 in all but one race this season. In fact, both drivers finished outside the top-10 together at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in April.
“I think we’re still growing,” he said. “We’re still getting better. I’m just excited to be a part of it, to see what we can do. I know we’re going to work hard, as hard or harder than anybody out there. It’s pretty cool to see what a single car team from Denver is doing, and it’s awesome to be a part of that.”
Pearn will bring a new car for his driver next weekend at Michigan International Speedway and despite their mastery on Sunday, the team isn’t worried about what the new car may bring.
“Yeah, we always bring our best piece to the racetrack, and that’s what was so cool about the past three weeks is just the amount of effort that got put into making sure that we had our best car at the racetrack,” Truex added.
“I documented last week going to Dover that the guys had the car went from Charlotte to Denver after the 600, and the work started on it at 2:00 a.m. Monday night and worked until midnight Tuesday night which was when they had to get in the trailer and go to Dover. That type of commitment, that’s just what this team is made of, that’s what this team is all about.”
There doesn’t seem to be any end in sight for Truex’s momentum. And right now, there isn’t anyone in the garage that doesn’t seem to be alright with that.
Follow Chris Knight @Knighter01.
