ared ▁effort ▁between ▁Mart ins ▁and ▁AM ▁Racing . ▁That ▁relationship ▁last ed ▁through ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁season ▁except ▁for ▁Fa ith ▁and ▁Ted ▁Minor ▁running ▁a ▁Las ▁Veg as ▁shooting ▁paint ▁scheme ▁at ▁Texas . ▁ ▁Cl os ure ▁ ▁Following ▁reports ▁two ▁days ▁earlier ▁that ▁long time ▁crew ▁chief ▁Kevin ▁E agle ▁had ▁left ▁the ▁team , ▁primary ▁driver ▁and ▁owner ▁Tommy ▁Joe ▁Mart ins ▁took ▁to ▁Twitter , ▁Per is cope ▁and ▁the ▁media ▁to ▁announ ce ▁the ▁team ' s ▁closure . ▁The ▁team ▁had ▁plans ▁to ▁comp ete ▁in ▁a ▁full ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁NAS C AR ▁Camp ing ▁World ▁T ruck ▁Series ▁schedule ; ▁however , ▁two ▁drivers ▁signed ▁to ▁drive ▁on ▁hand sh ake ▁de als ▁failed ▁to ▁follow ▁through , ▁leaving ▁the ▁team ' s ▁financial ▁security ▁in ▁doubt . ▁Tommy ▁Joe , ▁comment ing ▁on ▁the ▁situation , ▁noted ▁the ▁ir ony ▁of ▁the ▁situation ▁that ▁the ▁team ▁had ▁been ▁founded ▁as ▁an ▁under dog , ▁family ▁team ▁and ▁now ▁had ▁to ▁rely ▁on ▁pay ▁drivers ▁to ▁surv ive , ▁the ▁ant ith esis ▁of ▁what ▁the ▁team ▁was ▁founded ▁on . ▁Once ▁those ▁drivers ▁with ▁spons ors ▁back ed ▁out , ▁Mart ins ▁said ▁that ▁his ▁family ▁was ▁unw illing ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁$ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁or ▁$ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁loss ▁that ▁the ▁team ▁took ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 7 . ▁At ▁different ▁points , ▁he ▁called ▁the ▁decision