A Storybook Ending For Martin Truex, Jr.; 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Champion
Story By: MATTHEW WIERNASZ / RPW – HOMESTEAD, FL – Martin Truex, JR had the storybook ending on Sunday as he clinched the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway with his eighth win of the season.
Truex, JR was a bit nervous. as he talked about the last 15 laps of the event.
” I don’t think anyone was sitting down were they.. It was pretty exciting right. I was a little bit nervous. All day, we didn’t have the car where it needed to be honest with you.” Truex, Jr. said
He felt he was third best out of the four championship contending car for the most for a while and just kept coming and tried everything he could to get out of the car. Truex, Jr led a total of 78 laps.
He is the first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver out of New Jersey and the fifth driver to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. and the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. Truex, Jr won back to back Xfinity Championships in 2004 and 2005.
Truex, Jr got his start racing in New Jersey. The Turkey Derby is at Wall Stadium this weekend and he won the modified event at 19-years old back in 1999. He then went on to race in the NASCAR Busch North Series which is now the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He was runner up for Rookie Of The Year back in 2000 and won his first race at New Hampshire in July of that year racing for the family team.
Truex, Jr has been through a lot on and off the track, His longtime girlfriend Sherry battling ovarian cancer. She has been by his side cheering him on. His car owner Barney Visser had a heart attack a couple weeks ago.. You can see and feel the emotion that Truex, Jr had when he won as it was a storybook ending.
Truex, Jr’s stellar championship season saw him win eight times.including four in the playoffs, 19 top 5 and 26 top 10 finishes along with 2,250 laps. It is the first championship for the Furniture Row Racing Team and his teammate Erik Jones won Sunoco Rookie Of The Year.
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will be back with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 18.
