Martin Truex, Jr. dominates in Southern California with win at Fontana
Truex drives the No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/5-hour Energy Toyota to victory in the Auto Club 400
Defending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. proved his fondness for rough track surfaces as he piloted the No. 78 Bass Pro Shops/5-hour Energy Toyota Camry to victory at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Truex not only conquered the 2-mile track to win Sunday’s Auto Club 400, he dominated the race by becoming the first driver to win the pole and sweep every stage. In addition, Truex led the most laps at 125.
“We just kept fighting hard. Just never gave up on it,” said Truex in Victory Lane. “I knew we had a really good race car, honestly, after the first adjustment we made on the car it just came alive. It’s unbelievable to be able to come out here and do what you love.”
After three straight top-five finishes—Atlanta, Las Vegas and Phoenix—Truex entered the Fontana race tied for second in the driver standings. The Auto Club 400 is Truex’s first win of the season and the 16th of his career. He now leads in driver points.
Truex celebrated his 12th year in 2017 in NASCAR’s premier circuit leading the Cup series in a number of statistical categories, including eight wins, 19 top fives, 26 top 10s, 2,253 laps led and 19 stage wins. The 37-year-old driver from Mayetta, N.J. went on to win the season championship
Bass Pro Shops will be prominently featured on the hood of the No. 78 Toyota Camry for 16 races during the 2018 campaign as part of an orange-hued paint scheme while the remaining 14 races of the 30-race partnership will showcase Bass Pro Shops prominently on the side panels.
Bass Pro Shops previously sponsored Truex from 2004 and 2009 while part of Dale Earnhardt Inc. This stretch included two Xfinity Series championships for Truex – 2004 and 2005.
Bass Pro Shops, which was founded in 1972 by avid outdoorsman and conservationist Johnny Morris, is a leading retailer of equipment for hunting, fishing, camping, boating and other outdoor pursuits. The outdoor retail leader has 102 stores throughout the United States and Canada, serving more than 120 million sportsmen a year. Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/.
About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”
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