#56-Martin Truex Jr. knows it will take a trip to Victory Lane in order to keep sponsor NAPA and perhaps in order to keep his job at Michael Waltrip Racing. Truex enters the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season faced with increased pressure to perform, in perhaps a now-or-never situation with a contract that expires at the end of the year. ‘I ‘m not here to float along and hang around if I ‘m not competitive,’ Truex said Monday night. ‘I know what I can do in a race car. Michael knows what I can do in a race car, and everybody here knows what I can do in a race car. And that’s all that matters to me. This year is obviously very, very important with NAPA keeping them happy and hopefully keeping them here. For now, it’s just about getting it done. We can do it. There’s no doubt in my mind.’ Truex refused to call 2012 a ‘make-or-break season’ because, he said, every season is that way. There’s always pressure to perform, always expectations. But the 31-year-old driver acknowledged this season is crucial in deciding the future for both himself and MWR. ‘I mean, I want to be here next year,’ he said. ‘We both have to wait and see how all that goes. But I feel good about this year. I really do. Time will tell.’(SB Nation)(1-25-2012)
