Martin Truex Jr. had his spot in the Sprint Cup championship taken away and lost his ride for next season after NASCAR determined his team manipulated the finish of a race to get him there. ''It was like getting punched in the face.'' Truex now has a new team, signing a multiyear deal to drive for Furniture Row Racing and fill the seat in the No. 78 Chevrolet being vacated by Kurt Busch at the end of this season. But in the aftermath of the Sept. 7 race at Richmond, where MWR driver Clint Bowyer spun his car with seven laps remaining as 10 drivers jockeyed for the five available spots in the Chase, NASCAR imposed harsh sanctions that included knocking Truex out of the Chase. In response, NAPA Auto Parts, citing its belief in ''fair play,'' said it would pull its multimillion-dollar sponsorship from MWR at the end of the year. More...