Furniture Row Racing has picked up Martin Truex Jr.‘s contract option for 2016 and officially announced it will switch from fielding Chevrolets to Toyotas next season.
Furniture Row Racing switches to Toyota for 2016
The team also extended Martin Truex Jr.’s contract.
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Coinciding with its manufacturer change, the single-car team will enter into a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota’s top organization that fields cars for Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin. Furniture Row had been in an alliance with Richard Childress Racing since 2010.
Based in Denver, Colorado, Furniture Row is the only prominent Sprint Cup Series team not located within the Carolinas.
“The added resources and technical support that Toyota will provide, along with having a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, definitely increases the growth potential for our team,” Furniture Row general manager Joe Garone said. “The track record of Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing speaks for itself.”
Truex is in his second year with Furniture Row and after an underwhelming 2014, rebounded to win a race, record seven top-fives, 17 top-10s and 536 laps led and earn a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff. The 35-year-old driver previously drove for Michael Waltrip Racing, a Toyota-affiliated team.
“I know the folks from Toyota and I am looking forward to being part of their team again,” Truex said. “They build fast engines and having a technical alliance with the highly-successful Joe Gibbs Racing is an added bonus to our program. While our primary focus right now is on the Chase, I am eagerly looking forward to what is in store for our Furniture Row Racing team.”
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