Truex Jr, 42, is a 32-time winner in the Cup Series and 2017 champion. He secured back-to-back Xfinity Series championships in 2004 and ’05. While the Daytona 500 has eluded him throughout his career, Truex Jr. has raced to victory in two Coca-Cola 600’s at Charlotte Motor Speedway and once in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Truex Jr. is also a four-time winner at Dover Motor Speedway (2007, 2016, 2019, 2023), which he considers his home track.
He is the sixth driver with ties to Joe Gibbs Racing to be named to the list. Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett and Tony Stewart are the others. Of those, only Jarrett was part of the 50 Greatest Drivers roster from 25 years ago, per NASCAR.com.
Martin Truex Jr. takes the checkered flag in Würth 400 at Dover, first win since 2021
Truex Jr. snapped a 54-race winless streak in the Cup Series with the win at Dover. Holding off Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney, Truex Jr. followed up his brother’s win in the Xfinity Series with a win of his own. He led 68 of the remaining 69 laps en route to picking up his fourth-career victory at the 1-mile oval.
“It feels incredible,” Truex Jr. said. “I feel like we’ve been close a bunch of times, that’s for sure. Felt today, with that caution, what’s going to happen here and then good call by James to take two [tires] and then I was able to get a pretty good restart.
“Just thanks to everybody that stuck with me… We knew we could do this. We’ve shown we can lead laps and have dominated races and it just never all came together. I’ve said we just had to keep doing what we were doing and not overthink it.”
Earning his 32nd Cup Series victory, Truex Jr. is relieved the losing streak is over.
“Such a long winless streak,” Truex Jr. said. “I’ve only won 32 of these things now, you guys. It’s really, really hard to win these races, you guys, OK?”