Martin Truex Jr. will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet at Watkins Glen. Credit: Autostock

McFarland released as driver of No. 88 car

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Mark McFarland has been released by JR Motorsports and will be replaced by Martin Truex Jr. at Watkins Glen, the team announced Thursday.

McFarland had made 21 Busch Series starts in the No. 88 Chevrolet this season, with a best finish of seventh at Talladega, his only top-10. He finished 17th in the series' most recent race, at O'Reilly Raceway Park in suburban Indianapolis.

Mark McFarland

"Mark was instrumental in getting our Busch program off the ground and he will always have a role in the history of JR Motorsports. But the reality is that as a business we have the responsibility of delivering a level of performance for our sponsors," team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "This change is being made to address that concern."

McFarland made his Busch Series debut in 1998, driving in four races under family ownership. After signing a contract for the 2006 season, the Virginia native finished 20th in the 2005 season finale at Homestead in his first race for JR Motorsports.

Winner of nearly 200 go-kart features, McFarland came up through the Late Model ladder, winning the 2003 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series national championship.