Understanding MTJ
Martin Truex Jr was born in Mayetta in New Jersey son of Martin Truex who himself used to race, Martin Truex Jr spent his childhood working on his dads clamming boat docked in Atlantic City. While loving to fish, he’s quoted it as “ being boring and just stuck out there” till starting racing in go carts and at the local short track. He worked his way up the ranks till landing at then the 2nd tier series in NASCAR called “ the Busch series” now called the Xfinity series with shortly being picked up by Dale Earnhardt Jr for chance 2 motorsport.
Early NASCAR lower series career
After 2003 split between his father team and Chance 2 motorsport which saw his best result being 2 2nd places, he ran full time for Chance 2 motorsport with a first win at Bristol with 3 more wins including Talladega and Nazareth which lead the championship battling with Kyle Busch before clenching the 2004 Busch championship including a debut in the Cup series at Atlanta as a relief driver for team boss Dale Earnhardt Jr following a corvette crash racing in Sports car in which Dale suffered burns. Truex would defend his title in 2005 with becoming the winner of the first NASCAR race in Mexico. He’d win the 2005 championship winning it in back to back seasons.
Joining NASCAR/ DEI days
2006 would be his first full time season in NASCAR Cup series with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated also known as DEI, the team founded by 7 time champion Dale Earnhardt Sr and ran by his widow Theresa Earnhardt. Truex ran the number 1 Chevrolet Monte Carlo which he took to 2 top 5 championships. He took his first win in 2007 at the Autism speaks 400 at Dover securing him a spot in the inaugural “Chase for the cup”. 2008 was the beginning of the end for DEI with departure of Dale Earnhardt Jr but 2009 would be a merger with Chip Ginassi Racing forming Earnhardt Ginassi Racing. This was the final year of Truex connection with the Earnhardt family getting 3 pole positions including pole at the Daytona 500 with 6 top 10’s and average finish of 21.9
Controversy and personal turmoil
2010 would be a departure of the Earnhardt’s and joining Michael Waltrip Racing also known MWR, a single win organization that wasn’t taken seriously. He’d drive the number 56 Napa Toyota Camry and took that Camry to one top 5,7 top 10’s and win at the all star throw down. 2013 would be a season that would be a make or break as after a win at a road course at Sonoma, he was locked into a spot for the championship. In Richmond though, racing for the final spot into the championship, his teammate purposely spun being told on radio “ is your harm starting to hurt? I bet it’s hot in there, itch it” before the spin causing a yellow flag. This was known as spin gate and caused MWR to be removed from the championship by all three drivers being docked 50 points, suspension for Ty Norris and a $300,000 fine. 2014 he joined a small Denver based team called Furniture Row Racing which looked like it’d be a downhill in his career. Not only was his racing career suffering but he found out his girlfriend Sherry Polex was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer being told she wouldn’t survive. Truex was being told as being “ mentally checked out”
Revival
After Sherry was battling Ovarian Cancer, she showed extraordinary strength with beating it after hours of surgeries to remove the cysts. This lit a flame under Truex who seen the strength his partner had and motivated the New Jersey native. He and Sherry also founded the Martin Truex Jr foundation which helps fund underfunded cancer initiatives including an event called Catwalk for a cause which lets kids suffering from cancer have a day of fun. 2017 was a year of dominance with getting 7 wins heading to the final race at Homestead, the team Furniture row went from a single win back marker to a legit title contender and could win their first championship. Truex started the final restart side by side with champion contender Kyle Busch and on after that, he took the lead until making his final lap before crossing the line in first becoming a champion after a Herculean comeback in both personal life and career.
Published in NASCAR
