Reser’s Fine Foods Racing: Martin Truex Jr. Watkins Glen Advance

“It seems that way (flipping the stage) and can be a good thing for me, personally. And it’d be a good thing for passing. Watkins Glen is so fast, and we’ve gone there the last few years with no tire fall off, so you can’t get close enough to a guy to make a pass. It’s simple as physics, right? You go up through the esses and lose five-to-six car lengths, it’s over. So, it’s going to help us be able to make passes if our car is good and that’s what we need at those kinds of places with our Reser’s Fine Foods Camry this weekend.”

What is your perspective on the overall first round of the Playoffs?

“I mean, as crazy as it can be certain places and has been in the past, whatever you do, just race one at a time. Take one at a time and hopefully, you have a good race and go home and say you made it through one and let’s focus on the next one. That’s all you can really do. We obviously weren’t able to do that at Atlanta, but you have to now look forward to Watkins Glen and get the most out of what we can there this weekend and then focus on Bristol after that. You just can’t look back or forward too far.”

Hendrick Motorsports has won the last five races at Watkins Glen. How do you stop them?

“We’ve been fast (there, Watkins Glen) for sure. Not as much in the Next Gen car. But it’s going to be a lot different this time around, so open minded and we’ll prepare as hard as we can and see what shakes out.”

How much do you lean on being a past champion?

“Yeah, quite a lot, I guess. It’s easier to deal with the emotions when you’ve been through it before and you’re not scared to death thinking your career is going to be over you’re not going to win a championship, as you already have. It helps keeping you calm and focused and hopefully it’ll help us.”

How important is getting the corner right in turn one heading up into the esses to set up the rest of your lap at Watkins Glen?

“It’s a tough corner. It’s downhill and bumpy and heaving-braking, it sets up the whole run through the esses. The esses are really fast and you have to come out of (turn) one up to speed. If you bleed time off of turn one, your whole lap is over, so it’s very critical. It’s a high-speed track and a momentum track so they are all critical spots, but that’s what starts the lap, so it’s the first most important part there. And, if you make it through there, you have to navigate the bus stop and that’s probably the biggest challenge at the track.”