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Analysis

Analysis: Truex has made Furniture Row a better team and vice versa

Sure, there were reasons for Martin Truex Jr. to look around when it was time for his latest contract extension, but there was little doubt re-signing with Furniture Row Racing was in his own best interest.

Race winner Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota

Race winner Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota

Action Sports Photography

Kenny Wallace
Regan Smith, Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
Regan Smith, Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota
Race winner Regan Smith, Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet celebrates
Victory lane: race winner Regan Smith, Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet celebrates
Winner: Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
Winner: Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
Winner: Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota leads a restart
Martin Truex Jr., Furniture Row Racing Toyota race winner

Why?

In a sport that can often times become very nuanced and complicated, the reason was quite simple: Truex’s addition to FRR has brought out the best in the organization and vice versa.

The Denver-based team was founded by Barney Visser in 2005 but struggled to make races in the Sprint Cup Series, scaled back to part-time and returned to fulltime competition in 2010. In 2011, it won its first race with driver Regan Smith.

After Kurt Busch lost his ride with Team Penske, he moved to FRR in late in the 2012 season and helped the No. 78 team qualify for its first Chase in 2013.

The "only option" for Truex turned into the best option

With Busch moving on to Stewart-Haas Racing and Truex losing his ride with Michael Waltrip Racing when his team was shut down at the end of the 2013 season, circumstances brought Truex and FRR together in 2014.

“When I first went there I was like, ‘Hey, this is a pretty good option. It’s my only option, but it’s a pretty good one.’ We kind of got brought together by fate really,” Truex, 36, said Friday at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

“It’s interesting that it worked out that way, but obviously I’m very thankful. Barney has continued to deliver, continued to give us the tools that we need to be successful. It’s just been I feel like a continuing trend of getting better and better and better.

“Honestly, I think we’re one of the best teams in the garage. I feel that way. Certainly we’ve had the speed and consistency this year to be considered one of those guys and honestly I still feel like we’re growing.”

Stronger than ever before

The same can be said for FRR. Since winning its first Cup race in 2012, the organization itself has also improved and changed. It added talented crew chief Cole Pearn to lead Truex’s team last year and this season moved to the Toyota camp with a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing that has produced excellent results.

Truex won a race last season and qualified for the Chase, advancing all the way to the championship round at Homestead. He’s already won a race this season to qualify again and has nearly doubled his number of laps led over last season with 15 races still remaining.

With Truex now signed for an additional two seasons, plus the expected addition next season of a second fulltime team with upstart Erik Jones, the future only seems brighter.

“I still feel like we’re growing, I still feel like we’re learning each other and getting better and learning new things,” Truex said. “So, to think that it all came together the way it did is kind of weird but it’s definitely something I’m really thankful for.

“I’ve been in the series 10 years and it’s taken me that long to get here to where I want to be. I’ve put a lot of effort in, I’ve busted my butt to get in this position where I can win consistently and be a championship contender.

“Yeah, to throw that away would obviously be silly unless it was something that you just couldn’t do for some crazy reason.”

Team general manager Joe Garone said the organization feels much the same toward its driver.

“When you have a driver look at you and talk to you and tell you that we can win races, win championships with this race team that pretty much says it all,” he said. “We want to be together, we want to accomplish those goals and you don’t get that opportunity often.

“You can spend a whole career in this series and not be in that environment and you just have got to capitalize on it while you can and that’s what we’re doing.”

Right now in the Cup series, the Truex-FRR combination is clearly hitting its stride.

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