NASCAR’s Defending Championship Team Dismantled, Main Sponsor is Out

As they say, all good things must come to an end and for Martin Truex Junior along with crew chief Cole Pearn, it just so happens that their good thing is coming to an end maybe a little bit more prematurely than they would have anticipated.

Recently, it has been confirmed via FOX News that the Furniture Row Racing team will no longer be competing in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series. It’s kind of surprising news coming on the heels of a Martin Truex Junior 2017 championship and a strong running this year in 2018 that appears to have some merit in what many could see to be another competitive push in the soon to come playoffs with a potential championship yet again in 2018. So, what gives?

Regardless of the success that the team has been achieving, team owner, Barney Visser has been quoted saying that the painful decision to make has been one that’s finally inked, all because the numbers aren’t really adding up in terms of making a profit. He also has said that he would have to borrow money in order to remain competitive after 5-Hour Energy’s July announcement that they’ll no longer be supporting the team and that’s not something that he’s going to do in order to keep the team afloat. We can’t say that we blame him because, at the end of the day, NASCAR, like every other sport, comes down to a bottom line and if you aren’t making a profit, you simply can’t continue to compete. Nobody is going to do their job for free.

With the news coming down just recently, it will leave Truex and Pern to seek new employment for the 10-race playoff that’s coming up with the opening round taking place on September 30. It’s pretty wild this think that even with a winning team, these guys are going to have to shut the doors.

Rumors have been circulating around the water cooler and it seems like a lot of folks with an ear close to the industry think that the duo will end up racing for Joe Gibbs Racing before long.