Martin Truex, Jr. Sonoma Accident Quotes

Truex Jr. races hard before he crashes

Involved in an on-track accident on lap 29

YOU JUST MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE THE CAR BETTER. WHAT HAPPENED?

“We were going to be okay. It’s just a product of restarts here. When you are in mid-pack, it’s not a good place to be. It’s just really congested. We were a lot faster than a couple of guys around us. You’re trying not to get run over. You’ve got to make moves. Every time I passed the No. 55 (David Ragan), he would just stay on the side of me and not give me three or four inches to get clear, so we can all kind of get going. After the fourth time of doing that, it’s just, we both ran out of room and I guess he turned me on purpose. I ran into the side of him first, so I kind of had it coming. But that was an accident. I thought I gave him enough room there, coming out of the esses, and I felt like he probably just turned me on purpose where it happened and how it happened. But, it’s just a product of the racing here and we’ll go on and do our thing."

HOW DID THAT DEVELOP?
“Just a Sonoma restart, mid-pack, just a lot of congestion. Cars being desperate trying to get some track position. We were just kind of in the wrong place at the wrong time. I kind of had the No. 55 (David Ragan) passed about four times and every time he just didn’t really give an inch. I hit him down there in Turn 7 on accident and kind of doored him and I think he got pissed off and turned me on purpose. It’s just unfortunate that happened, but that is part of the restarts here and part of the craziness that happens. You have to be up front. We had a decent car. We made some adjustments there and felt like it made a big improvement just didn’t get to show it."

WHAT HAPPENED OUT THERE?
“We got wrecked bottom line. Definitely a tough day. I felt like we had a decent car all weekend. We were off a little bit that first run, made some adjustments, felt like it helped. When you start around 20^th on those restarts it is just a recipe for disaster. I was trying to be aggressive, made some moves. I had a couple of cars passed and then the lane I was in jammed up and the guys I had passed got back by me. You just get frustrated, you lose patience and I got into the No. 55 (David Ragan) doors a little bit in Turn 7 and I guess he didn’t like it and he figured he would just dump me. He probably has one coming, but other than that it’s just part of the restart deal. I hate that I got my guys car tore up."

HOW AGGRESSIVE HAS THIS RACE BEEN FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE RACE?
“It was fine in the beginning. I started in a decent position. I didn’t make contact with anyone. Got passed a few times, passed a few guys and you get back there in the 20’s and some of those guys’ heads come unscrewed. It is just the way it works here."