MORE: FRR owner Barney Visser has successful surgery following heart attack
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Barney Visser, founder and owner of the two-car Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series organization Furniture Row Racing, will not be at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend to watch his driver Martin Truex Jr. attempt to win his first series title.
“He’ll be at home,” team president Joe Garone said Friday during a news conference featuring principals from the four organizations competing for the series title there this weekend. “I don’t think he’s left his house yet. I’m sure he’ll be in front of his TV. Honestly, I can’t tell you what he’s going to do.”
Visser, who started the No. 78 Toyota team as a part-time entity in 2005, suffered a heart attack Saturday, Nov. 4 and underwent bypass surgery Nov. 6. Feeling ill, he drove himself to the local hospital near his Denver, Colo., home.
“For the last couple of weekends I am linked together with text messages with (Visser),” Garone said. “He’s certainly paying attention to everything that’s going on.”
Truex and the No. 78 team, led by crew chief Cole Pearn, were the winningest team in the series this season, collecting seven victories prior to advancing to the Championship 4 round here this weekend.
Also competing for the title in Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 (3 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR) are Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota), Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing) and Brad Keselowski (Team Penske Ford).
Busch (2015), Harvick (’14) and Keselowski (’12) have previously won the series title. Truex, who also qualified for the Championship 4 in ’15, is seeking his first championship in the series.
Visser has grown his racing operation from a small part-time outfit struggling to compete into an organization that now finds itself contending for championships.
Visser was hospitalized during last week’s race at Phoenix in which Truex finished third. He had already secured a spot in the final based on points earned.
“I know I am connected to him text messaging the whole race long,” Garone said. “I’m giving him what is going on on top of the box that he’s not getting on the radio, keeping him engaged.
“I don’t know how much stress he’ll actually go through, to be honest. He’s a pretty calm guy, anybody that knows him. We’ll see. It’s going to be interesting.”