Truex Jr. To Drive For JR Motorsports at Bristol

Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Martin Truex Jr. will compete in the No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet for JR Motorsports next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, joining a list of top-tier drivers who have driven or will drive the car this year.

A 13-time race winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Truex earned consecutive titles in 2004 and 2005 for Chance2, a team co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Teresa Earnhardt. Truex’s first victory came in the very race in which he’ll compete for JR Motorsports next weekend, the 2004 spring event at Bristol. In 94 Nationwide Series starts, Truex has earned 37 top-five finishes, 57 top-10s and 10 pole positions.

This will mark the fourth time Truex will drive a JR Motorsports entry He scored a pair of top-10 finishes in three starts for JRM in 2006.

“We are extremely happy to have Martin in the No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet at Bristol, and we want to thank DEI for allowing him to drive for us,” said Kelley Elledge, vice president and general manager at JR Motorsports. “Martin is a great friend to Dale Jr., and he is a tremendous talent. Every time he climbs in a race car, he has a chance to win.”

The No. 5 Chevrolet already has found Victory Lane this year with Mark Martin winning the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last Saturday. The victory was JR Motorsports’ first in the Nationwide Series. Earnhardt Jr. drove the No. 5 to finishes of third and seventh at Daytona and California, respectively, and again will pilot the car this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jimmie Johnson, Ron Fellows, Adrian Fernandez, and Landon Cassill also are scheduled to drive the No. 5 Chevrolets this year. .

“I have to thank JR Motorsports, DEI, and the National Guard for letting me drive this race car,” Truex said. “With track time so important, driving the National Guard car on Saturday can only help me in the Bass Pro Shops car on Sunday, so this is a deal that hopefully will benefit everyone. Obviously Bristol is a special place for me. I won my first race there, and it would be really cool to win again.”

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS: Established in 1999, JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for professional stock car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. JRM competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series, in which it fields two full-time teams. Earnhardt Jr.'s organization is based out of a 60,000-square foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., and includes the JR Nation retail store and Dale Jr. Fan Experience. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.dalejr.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL GUARD: The National Guard is the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States and one of the nation's longest enduring institutions. The National Guard operates in all 50 states, three territories (Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands) and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit the National Guard’s Web site at www.1-800-GO-GUARD.com.