Martin Truex Jr. 2014 Fantasy NASCAR Preview
2013 Stats: Points Finish 16th, 0 Poles, 1 Win, 7 Top Fives, 15 Top Tens, Average Running Position 13.3, Average Finish 15.1, Laps Led 353, Driver Rating 92.33
Strengths- Martin Truex Jr. is very good on intermediate tracks. They form the bulk of the schedule and during his time at MWR they were consistently his best tracks. Truex Jr. also performs well on road courses and shorter flat tracks.
Weaknesses- Consistency has never been a strong suite for Truex Jr. For whatever reason he has some sort of bad luck intangible that is always a present risk.
NASCAR Printable 2014 Schedule
Intermediate Track Grade- A-, Martin Truex Jr. will have a new employer in 2014 but I think his drop off in performance will be minimal on this track type. I think his driving style isn’t that dissimilar from Kurt Busch’s. They both perform well at these venues and often have their best days at tracks where the high-line comes into play. Last season on high-speed intermediate tracks pre-Chase Martin Truex Jr. was a phenomenal performer. At those venues pre-Chase he had a 9.1 average finish (4th best). When the Chase started his performances weren’t as good. Last season on this track type Martin Truex Jr. had the spring Texas race won but couldn’t seal the deal at the end.
Flat Track Grade- B, Last year at big flat tracks Martin Truex Jr. scored the 17th most points, had a 16.3 average finish and a 19.0 average running position. Those stats are far from impressive. Kurt Busch performed well at those venues last season in the 78 car but I consider him more talented on those tracks.
On small flat tracks Truex Jr. is capable of performing well but he hasn’t done so on a consistent basis. Last fall at New Hampshire he had a very strong showing. He led 98 laps but faded back to a 10th place finish. In the summer race he finished 16th. At Phoenix in the fall he finished 8th. In the two Phoenix races prior to that event he had problems very early.
Short Track Grade- B+, Bristol is Martin Truex Jr.’s best short track. He’s a strong performer there and has thrived at running the high-line. In the Bristol night race last season he was involved in an accident and broke his wrist. In the four races prior to that he had a 7.0 average finish, that ranked as the best in series over that span of races.
Last season at Richmond Truex Jr. performed well both races. In the spring he finished 17th but it’s important to note he got spun from the top five late in the event. In the fall Richmond race he finished 7th. From a career perspective Richmond has been a tough venue for him. His RIR average finish is 22.6.
I wouldn’t recommend Truex Jr. on my team at Martinsville. I think his inconsistent factor could very well strike at that venue. His Martinsville average finish is 22.3.
Restrictor Plate Track Grade- B, Truex Jr. performed well at Talladega last season. In 2013 he swept the top ten and had a 7.5 average finish. Since 2010 he’s been one of the more consistent drivers there. Over the last 8 races his 12.1 average finish ranks as the 2nd best in the series among drivers who completed in all of those events.
His fortunes at Daytona haven’t been similar. In seventeen races there he has 1 top ten and has had a result in the top fifteen less than a quarter of the time. His Daytona average finish is 22.5.
Road Course Track Grade- B+, Last season on road courses no driver scored more points than Martin Truex Jr. Prior to last year I viewed him as an underrated road course driver. Now everybody knows how good he’s at these venues so his fantasy value drops in my eyes. Another factor that drops his fantasy value is his change of employer. MWR cars have been extremely strong at these venues. Although Busch performed well on road courses last season I think that can largely be attributed to his talent. Last season at Infineon Truex Jr. went to victory lane and at Watkins Glen he finished 9th.
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