Seven years ago, Martin Truex Jr. wrote his name into the history book as he won the Cup Series championship. On Sunday, he returns to the track where he realized his dream for the final time as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver.
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The veteran will run the paint scheme with which he became champion at Homestead in 2017 as a tribute to the arguably highest point of his motorsports career.
He has not won a race so far this season but is quite comfortable racing around the Homestead-Miami track. Truex has one win, seven top-five, and 12 top-10 finishes at the track.
The veteran believes it is a place where he can make things happen. The #19 car has run well there in the last two seasons. However, luck was not on the veteran’s side as engine failures and pit road issues prevented him from winning.
“It’s a track I feel good about,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said in a recent media interaction. “Definitely have a lot of confidence going there with our Bass Pro Shops Camry. I feel like we have a good notebook from the last couple of years to go off of. It’s a place where I think we can make something happen.”
He has every reason to feel confident about running at the Homestead-Miami track. After all, he has the best average finish there of all active drivers with 9.5.
He has led 387 laps there in his 19 starts but only one of them was a final lap. With three races left in his final full-time season, Truex would want to go out on a high at the track he became champion.
Truex explains why he loves racing at Homestead
Fond memories aren’t the only things that have made the JGR star fall in love with Homestead. How the track races has played an important part in it as well. It might be low grip but tire wear is a factor in the races there.
Qualifying well at this track is crucial as well since the strategy is pretty straightforward, get four new tires whenever you pit. A driver’s ability to stay in front is put to the test here.
“You really have to manage your car and your tires throughout runs, being able to move around the track and finding lines that work for you. It’s a big challenge and I enjoy tracks like that. I love South Florida and love going down there. A lot of great fans. It doesn’t feel like fall when you go down there, it feels like summer, so that’s an added bonus,” Truex added.
Winning his career’s final full-time Cup Series race at this track would mean the world to the 2017 champion. However, there are seven other drivers desperate to win and get into the championship four picture so it’s going to be a tricky task for the #19 driver.
