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Truex Finally Wins A Cup Pole

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 3, 2007

FORT WORTH, Texas - Earlier this year, Martin Truex Jr. got his first NASCAR Nextel Cup win. Now he has his first pole, too.

The 27-year-old Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver turned a lap of 193.105 mph Friday at the Texas Motor Speedway to grab the top spot for the Dickies 500. The pole came in the 79th race of Truex's Cup career and it came in a Chevrolet that had to undergo major repairs after a crash Sunday at Atlanta.

"I've got to hand it to all the guys on this team," Truex said. "They rebuilt this car from last week. It's my favorite car and it has been for a good part of the season. They made it as good as new.

"This car here, for some reason, we haven't been able to duplicate it. We've tried a few times. For some reason, we can't get a body like this one. I don't know what it is about this car. I love the feel of it, the way the seat's in it, just everything about it when I get in it. I've got a lot of confidence I can drive really hard in it and it's fast."

Having the car ready for this weekend hardly looked possible after Denny Hamlin bogged down on a late restart with what was later diagnosed as water in his fuel line, and Truex rammed him from behind - hard.

The crew of Truex's No. 1 Chevy never hesitated, starting to work immediately after getting the battered car back to the garage.

"I grilled out for all the guys in the coach lot after the race last Sunday night and they were about an hour and a half late for supper," said Truex, whose win came in June at Dover. "Not only did they get it done in time, they did a great job."

His pole wasn't assured until series leader Jeff Gordon, the second to last of 48 drivers to make a qualifying attempt on the 1.5-mile oval, came up short at 192.424.

Gordon was followed by Juan Pablo Montoya at 192.417, Kevin Harvick and A.J. Allmendinger, both at 192.239, Kurt Busch at 192.164 and Hamlin at 192.130.

SMITH ACQUIRING TRACK: New Hampshire International Speedway will have a new owner, and still have both of its Nextel Cup dates - for now.

Speedway Motorsports chairman Bruton Smith confirmed that he has agreed to buy the New Hampshire track for $340 million from 80-year-old independent owner Bob Bahre in a deal that should be completed early next year.

Smith was much less direct about how the purchase could affect his long-standing desire to add a second Cup race at Las Vegas, one of the other six tracks Smith already owns.

"We don't plan to make any changes at this time," Smith said. "We're new in this. We've just done this. It's going to take us some time to develop all of our plans."

NEMECHEK SIGNS: Joe Nemechek has signed a three-year contract to drive for Furniture Row Racing.

Lakeland's Nemechek, 44, will be behind the wheel of the No. 78 Chevrolet for the Denver-based racing team starting next season, team manager Joe Garone said in a statement. Nemechek had been driving the car on a temporary basis after losing his ride at Ginn Racing when that team merged with Dale Earnhardt Inc. in July.

STAYING FOCUSED: Zephyrhills' Brian Pattie was on duty Friday as crew chief for Dario Franchitti's Busch team despite the fact his father, Paul, died unexpectedly on Tuesday. A memorial service for Paul is planned for Monday in Zephyrhills.

Tribune staff, wires

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