Information By: BILL JANITZ / JOE GIBBS RACING – HUNTERSVILLE, NC
Martin Truex Jr.
Las Vegas Advance
No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing
Event Overview
● Event: Las Vegas 400 (Round 3 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 3
● Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1.5-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 267 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 80 laps / Stage 2: 85 laps / Final Stage: 102 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Notes of Interest
● Truex has two wins, seven top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and has led a total of 313 laps in 24 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas. Truex’s average Las Vegas finish is a strong 10.0. Truex’s average finish is tied for second among active drivers with Joey Logano. Kyle Busch is the leader among active drivers with a 9.4 average.
● Truex notched his most recent Las Vegas victory in September 2019, when he led 32 laps. It was his second win on the 1.5-mile oval and first at Las Vegas since joining Joe Gibbs Racing.
● After two superspeedway races to start the season, Truex certainly is looking forward to getting to the first downforce track of 2024 in the 1.5-mile oval at Las Vegas – a place that has treated him well over the years. At similar tracks last year, Truex posted five top-10 finishes – at Las Vegas, Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
● Family owned and operated, Reser’s has been a proud sponsor of good times at racetracks, picnics, and barbecues since 1950 with a family of brands that includes Reser’s American Classics, Main St. Bistro, and more. Reser’s operates 14 facilities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada and actively supports the communities it serves. Visit resers.com to learn more.
● With his 12th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend, Truex heads to Las Vegas 10th in the standings with 60 points, 17 points out of the lead, as the Cup Series heads to Las Vegas to begin this year’s abbreviated two-race Western Swing. The series heads to Phoenix Raceway next week.
Martin Truex Jr., Driver of the No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry XSE
What are you expecting at Las Vegas this weekend with your No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods Camry XSE?
“I expect it to be a great race out in Vegas. I love going out there and it’s a great racetrack. Vegas is a great track that’s wide and you can run all over. We saw a lot of guys run high there the last couple of years and we’ve also gotten better as a team at being able to get through the bumps and move around. Looking forward to having Reser’s Fine Foods on our car for the first time at Vegas. I’ve won there before and I’m always confident we can go out there and run up front and have a shot to get Reser’s to victory lane.”
Does “Sin City” still live up to its name when you race out there?
“Not really. Honestly, for us on a two-day weekend, it’s all business. I don’t even leave the track when we go there. It’s not like the banquet – that was fun. When we go to racetracks, it’s all business for everyone. It’s just too serious. There is too much on the line and the commitment level and the focus it takes is higher than it has ever been.”
How has the level of parity changed in the Cup Series?
“I think it has changed a lot since I’ve been here. I think the last few years with the NextGen car has been the biggest change, I would say. It has constantly evolved since I’ve come into the sport as far as trying to tighten things up, but the NextGen car just has taken it to a new level. You are talking about everybody having the same parts and pieces – that’s never been a part of this sport. That’s definitely been the game changer.”
Talk about tire strategy at Las Vegas, and how late-race cautions affect your strategy.
“It’s an interesting place, it’s fast and high-speed and has tire falloff but, for whatever reason, it’s a place that has unique asphalt, and when the tires cool off, you can fire off and run one or two fast laps. These days, with these cars, if you can get that clean air and get those two to three car lengths out in front of guys who are on better tires behind you, and guys in between you and the four-tire guys, you have a huge advantage for a few laps. It’s all about what the other guy does. You can be the only guy on two tires and you are a sitting duck, but if you have four to five guys behind you on two tires, you have a bit of a buffer and so it just depends on what goes on around you.”