Martin Truex Jr. to attempt to make Daytona 500 field with Tricon Garage

Tricon Garage, which competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will field a Daytona 500 entry for former Cup champion Martin Truex Jr.

This is the first Cup event for the Toyota team.

Truex will also be reunited with former crew chief Cole Pearn for this effort. Bass Pro will be the no. 56-car sponsor. Joe Gibbs Racing will provide technical support.

“It’s going to be a really good deal to be able to work with Cole and have the No. 56 again,” Truex said in a team statement. “I really appreciate everyone at Bass Pro Shops, TRICON and Toyota who help put this together to have fun, and I can’t think of a better time to go and win the thing for Johnny Morris.”

Truex had previously announced that last year would be his last full-time season race in the Cup. He plans to race select events during this season, but has not announced anything beyond the Daytona 500.

Truex has 34 career Cup wins and won the 2017 series championship. He won 24 of those races and that championship with Pearn as his crew chief.

Truex has made 20 Daytona 500 starts. He has never won that race. Truex lost the 2016 Daytona 500 to Denny Hamlin by 0.010 seconds.

Since the team does not have a charter, Truex will have to qualify for a spot in the Daytona 500 field.

Thursday’s announcement is the sixth open team to announce plans to enter the Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 entry list will be released closer to the February 16 event.

The open teams entering the Daytona 500 are:

JR Motorsports with Justin Allgaier

Beard Motorsports with Anthony Alfredo

Live fast motorsport with BJ McLeod

MBM Motorsports (driver to be announced later NASCAR did not approve of Mike Wallace)

NY Racing with JJ Yeley

Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 with Helio Castroneves.

More open team entries are expected. There are expected to be four open spots for the Daytona 500. Castroneves is guaranteed at least a provisional as part of a new rule NASCAR announced this month it guarantees a starting place for what the sanctioning body declares are world-class drivers competing in a Cup race.

The Daytona 500 is scheduled for February 16.