NAPA AUTO PARTS Team Scores Top-20 Finish at Bristol

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17th-Place Finish Keeps Truex 20th in the Championship Points Standings

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Martin Truex Jr. and the NAPA AUTO PARTS team posted their 16th top-20 of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night after recording a 17th-place finish.

The team was somewhat disappointed with the result after running in the top 10 for the first 200 laps. Unfortunately, the NAPA Toyota became very temperamental and an inopportune caution with 100 laps to go put the team a lap down. Truex persevered to get the solid finish and remains 20th in the championship points standings.

“Our car was so unpredictable tonight for some reason,” said Truex who qualified ninth for the 500-lap event. “I had a really good feeling going into the race tonight especially after how well our car was in practice yesterday. But for some reason, it all went away and the NAPA Toyota would bounce so bad that I didn't know what it was going to do. It was just confusing. It went wrong for us somewhere after such a strong start. We'll figure it out and keep working on it.”

The first 150 laps saw the NAPA Know How team bust off two pit stops (laps 57 and 127) under caution in less than 13 seconds. Both stops enabled Truex to return to the track two positions higher than he entered. Truex climbed to fifth on lap 132 running lap times as fast as the leader Jimmie Johnson.

The No. 56 raced in the sixth position, but shortly after the green flag waved on lap 200, the NAPA Toyota had a tough time keeping pace. By lap 241, Truex fell to 18th battling a tight-handling car.

“It was crazy how bad our car got on that run,” remarked Truex over the team’s radio.

The NAPA Toyota raced 13th when Truex made a routine stop under green on lap 401 for air pressure, four tires and fuel. Eight laps later a caution came out dropping ‘Truex down a lap to the leaders. Truex could never make up the lap and finished the race in 17th.

Kyle Busch became the first driver to sweep a Camping World Truck, Nationwide and Sprint Cup race in the same weekend. The Michael Waltrip Racing team returns to action in two weeks at NAPA’s home track, the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 5.