By: Dave Thompson

When the announcement was made in early July that Martin Truex Jr would be leaving Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing (EGR) for Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR), my initial reaction, like most fans to the news, what is Truex thinking? Several months prior to Truex’s decision to move on, EGR had parked the No. 8 car due to lack of sponsorship. This left EGR with just two drivers, Truex and Juan Pablo Montoya and an organization continuing to spiral downward. Most would agree that Truex made the right choice in leaving EGR but was MWR the best choice. Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) seemed like a better fit for Truex. Joining SHR would have kept Truex in a Chevrolet, plus become part of a team on the rise. Even a move to Joe Gibbs Racing would logically be a step-up but MWR seemed a lateral move at best.

The question now is, how will Truex perform with his new team and crew chief? Just a few years ago Truex was a rising star in NASCAR having won back-to-back Championships in the Busch (now Nationwide) series and a Chase driver in 2007. The last two seasons Truex has failed to win a race and finished 15th and 23rd in points, respectively. He will have a lot to prove this year with growing speculation of his talent on the track. Does Truex have the talent? I am convinced he does but the question is his consistency throughout the grueling 36 race season. He will need to improve on tracks like Bristol and Martinsville if he wants to contend for a spot in the 2010 Chase.

Another factor to consider is how long will it take Truex adjust to new crew chief, Pat Tryson. Truex has spent his entire Cup career with Kevin Manion atop the pitbox. Manion was also part of the team that brought Truex his championships in 2004 and 2005. Tryson steps in as crew chief for the No. 56 after parting ways with Penske Racing and the No. 2 team of Kurt Busch. Tryson was successful since joining Penske in June of 2007 having won four races as crew chief for Kurt Busch. His resume may not be in the same league as Chad Knaus but has proven he does have what it takes to win.

In my opinion, Truex is quite capable of being a Chase contender but one has to question whether all the drama and turmoil at EGR over the past couple of seasons had any impact on his confidence. The Tryson and Truex combination will improve over last year’s performance and be more competitive each week but I still believe they fall short of making the Chase in 2010.

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