Martin Truex, Jr. will be driving for the #78 team in the 2014 season.
That was confirmed in a press conference Friday morning held by Furniture Row Racing in the Samsung Media Center at Texas Motor Speedway. Joe Garone, General Manager of Furniture Row Racing, officially welcomed Truex as the driver of the Furniture Row Chevrolet for the 2014 season. He has signed a multi-year contract with the team.
Truex said that this is a very big opportunity for him. Truex was left without a ride after NAPA Auto Parts announced recently that they would no longer be a sponsor of Truex’s #56 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing MWR). Truex was left wondering what his future consisted of in NASCAR.
The #78 machine is currently piloted by Kurt Busch who announced his intentions to move to Stewart-Haas Racing in the 2014 season. That left the seat open for a driver of Truex’s ability and talent. Busch was able to drive the team into this season’s Chase and Truex noted in the press conference that the people in the garage are impressed with the team’s capability and he feels that he will be a good fit with the Denver-based operation.
Truex has been with MWR for the last four years and this is only the second time he’s switched race teams in his Sprint Cup career. Truex did not make it into NASCAR’s playoffs due to an incident instigated by teammates. That action allowed Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon to race for a championship and bumping Truex out of the Chase.
MWR will only field two teams at the Sprint Cup level in 2014.
