Go-karts to NASCAR Cup
Martin Truex Jr. is not a lonesome loser.
He’s crawled his way up the ranks and paid the requisite dues. Truex’s long trajectory dates to racing go-karts at the New Egypt Speedway in central New Jersey and a pit stop in Mooresville, N.C., where he once rented a home from Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he carved a niche in NASCAR.
Truex now has a smoother ride in his No. 78 Toyota for Furniture Row Racing and can buy plenty of fancy homes with an estimated worth of $30 million.
Just don’t be surprised if that number goes up a few notches by the end of November, shortly after he becomes King of NASCAR in 2017 and wins his first Cup season title.
This isn’t exactly high-stakes handicapping. Truex has had the dominant ride of the season and proved it Sunday with a victory at Chicagoland. He already had entered the newfangled NASCAR playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
This just builds his case for “catch me if you can.”
“I don’t care much about statements; I’m just having fun,” Truex said in Victory Lane amid the celebratory pomp and circumstance.
The victory automatically puts him in the second round as the elimination-series cut-down from 16 drivers continues until we get to the final four in Homestead on Nov. 19.
Truex has five victories this season, including the latest one that was quite impressive. The challenges included driving through the field after a speeding penalty and having to crawl back from 13th to the lead after an unscheduled pit stop for loose lug nuts.
No worries. He led all but one lap in the final 78 laps of the race, winning by 7.2 seconds.
“It feels great, the best feeling in the world,” Truex said. “Not just the playoffs, but winning races and doing it the way we’re doing it right now. I’m just blessed to be here and I have the best team in the whole world and I love those guys. I’m glad I’m driving for them and glad we’re having success.”
Stuff can happen in any of the nine races moving forward. Ask Matt Kenseth, who had an odd encounter with an ambulance at Richmond a week ago. But this feels different.
Truex has been a tough man to catch over the last few seasons, finishing fourth and 11th the last two Cup seasons. He’s No. 1 right now, with 58 playoff points. That’s 25 more than Kyle Larson in second.
As for other intangibles, Truex is as nice as they come off the track. Do not be deceived, however. “He has a split personality,” said Jeff Burton, NBC Sports race analyst. “That’s his secret. Martin Truex Jr. off the race track is unbelievably nice, unbelievably kind and giving. On the track, you can’t race like that.
“You have to race like your mom told you not to act when you were playing with your friends. That’s how you have to race. That’s what he does. You have to have a split personality.”
The second one is the problem child for his NASCAR competitors.
Have fun trying to catch Mr. Truex.