NASCAR: Five Drivers Who Need To Show Improvement in 2015

Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

No. 3- Martin Truex, Jr: No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet

Truex struggled badly in his first season at Furniture Row Racing. After a season that saw him narrowly miss the Chase in 2013, his 2014 season was a disaster and a change was inevitable.

The change occurred when crew chief Todd Berrier was replaced by engineer Cole Pearn. Barrier had been with the team since 2012. It appeared that Berrier and Truex never saw eye to eye and that resulted in a tough year for the team.

The team had high expectations coming into the 2014 season. Furniture Row Racing made the 12 car Chase field in 2013 with driver Kurt Busch and it seemed like with an expanded Chase field that the team would be poised to make the Chase again. That didn’t happen.

Truex recorded just one top five finish and five top ten finishes in the 2014 season and finished a disappointing 24th in the final series point standings.

Truex will be entering his second year of a three year contract with Furniture Row Racing and if he wants to prevent himself from becoming a lame duck driver in 2016, a rebound in 2015 is needed.