#1 Martin Truex Jr.
Martin Truex Jr's Stats: Born: June 20, 1980 From: Mayetta, NJ Lives: Mooresville, NC Drives: #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet For: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Teammates: #8 Aric Almirola #42 Juan Pablo Montoya Crew Chief: Kevin Manion Best Year: 2007 Finished 11th in series points Career Wins: 1 Sometimes it's hard to escape the shadow of a great racer. Even more so when that racer is your father. Martin Truex Sr. spent years racing modifieds and in the Busch North Series which left Martin Jr. learning as much as possible. In 1991, he began racing go-karts at the age of 11 and from then on began his quest for bigger and better things in the sport of racing. However, this isn't your normal NASCAR story of how a driver made his way to the top by storming through the lower divisions. Things were never dominant for the Truex racing family and Martin Jr. himself wasn't ever a step apart from the rest of his peers. In fact, Martin's father gave up his ride so his son could pursue his own racing career. While not many people knew of the Truex family in the year 2000, the next three years would put their name on the map in the NASCAR arena for good. In 2001, he couldn't do any better then 17th in the Nationwide Series and a year later ended up racing seven races the entire season. Not something most people would take notice of in the racing world. Out of nowhere, he was hired by Dale Earnhardt Jr. to drive the #81 Chance 2 Motorsports Chevrolet part time in 2003 and split time with his father's team. The end result? No wins....YET! 2004 brought on new life and 4 victories for Truex Jr. as a full time driver. Not only had he made a complete turnaround from the year before, he had also won the Nationwide Series Championship. By the beginning of 2005, he was becoming a hot commodity and after a repeat performance claiming the championship once again, DEI came calling. Almost like a Earnhardt Jr. protege, Dale Jr. took Martin Truex Jr. under his wing and mentored him. To prepare for his first full time ride in the Cup Series in 2006 he raced in seven Cup Series races in 2005 with a best finish of 7th at
Lowe's Motor Speedway.
By the start of the 2006 season, he would then drive the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc and deliver 5 Top 10 finishes. The following year, he received his first NASCAR victory at the 2007 Autism Speaks 400 at
Dover.
In 2009 DEI and Chip Ganassi Racing merged to form Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. When he's not burning rubber on the track, Martin Truex Jr. enjoys everything from outdoor adventures like hunting, fishing, and snowboarding. He's just your normal everyday person with many of the same likes and dislikes as you. Steak and shrimp are his favorite food with Florida as his favorite vacation spot. Whatever the case may be, he's definitely building a reputable fan base in NASCAR.
Martin Truex's WinDover(1)Return from Martin Truex Jr. to Speedway Guide
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