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Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. expects a bittersweet race at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. The Auto Club Speedway is set to undergo renovations as it hosts the Pala Casino 400 on its 2-mile layout for the final time.
The #19 driver has previously won at the Auto Club Speedway in 2018. Truex Jr. will get his final chance to win at Superspeedway on February 27, adding another surfboard to his collection.
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Martin Truex Jr. said in a press release from JGR:
“I love the racetrack, it’s one of my favorites and I’m not one to pick favorites, It will be a bit bittersweet going out there for the last time with the two-mile oval. I’m going to miss it and hopefully, we have a good last showing out there, it’s been good for us.”
The D-shaped oval at Fontana has produced exciting races since its inaugural NASCAR race in 1997. The 2-mile circuit allows drivers to make moves all over the track. The track also challenges the driver's ability to maintain tires and air pressure.
The track at Auto Club Speedway is very abrasive, wearing out the tires after a few laps. With less grip available, drivers need to have better control over their cars. Goodyear is set to debut a new set of tires at the Auto Club Speedway to combat tire wear. The new tires have undergone construction changes.
Martin Truex Jr. spoke about the challenges the track throws at the drivers:
“Between the bumps and the tire wear, there are a lot of challenges, You start the run, you feel like Superman and you have a ton of grip and the car is really hooked up into the track."
"After 10 laps, then 15 laps, then 20 laps, it just gets worse and worse and you are sliding around a lot and wearing the tires out.”
Martin Truex Jr. returns with longtime partner
The #19 Toyota Camry will have Reser’s Fine Foods as the primary partner for the upcoming race. Reser’s Fine Foods enters its 11th season with JGR while Martin Truex Jr. reunites with the company for a third time.
Truex Jr. will run the Reser’s Fine Foods scheme at several races this year, including weekends at Watkins Glen International, Auto Club Speedway, Dover Motor Speedway, and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The #19 driver said in a press release:
“All I’m going to do is go out there and think about how we can win and have a great weekend with our Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota, Reser’s is the sponsor of our team and of good times, so I can’t think of a better time than winning, and that’s what we will work toward this weekend.”
Martin Truex Jr. has failed to take Reser Fine Foods to the victory lane. The JGR driver hopes to win the race at Auto Club Speedway as NASCAR returns to the track for the final time.
