Tough weekend on and off the track for Martin Truex, Jr.

The summer of 2014 will go down as not being “Michigan Nice” to Martin Truex Jr. and the single-car Furniture Row Racing team.

In the June race at Michigan International Speedway, located in the Irish Hills, Truex was involved in a Lap 8 multicar wreck and went on to finish 37th.

Sunday at the ultra-fast 2-mile oval Truex was once again a victim of an early multicar melee. The Lap 22 of 200 incident caused heavy damage to the right-side of Truex’s No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet.

Following the nine-car accident, Truex came down pit road where the crew made repairs. When Truex returned to action he was eight laps down and went on to post a 36th-place finish.  

“These two Michigan races turned out to be very long days,” said Truex. “It was hard to learn anything about this place back in June and it was the same story today. We don’t have a lot of good Michigan data right now.”

Truex started the Pure Michigan 400 Sprint Cup Series race at the rear of the field. He wasn’t at Michigan for Friday’s qualifying – he stayed home to be with his girlfriend Sherry Pollex, who had cancer surgery.

Moved up early

Truex quickly gained a number of spots in the 200-lap, 400-mile race– going from 43rd to 24th when the competition yellow flew on Lap 20.

“I just wish we could have finished one of these Michigan races with a clean car,” stated Truex. “You’re always curious to see how things would have played out and where you could have potentially finished.”