“Never Stole a Race Like This”- Martin Truex Jr’s Brother Shares His Elation After Overcoming His Hindrance

Published 04/28/2024, 9:16 PM EDT

Martin Truex Jr‘s brother’s part-time racing stint in the NASCAR Xfinity Series bore fruit last day. Driving the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, Ryan Truex clinched victory at the Dover Motor Speedway on Saturday. This marked the stock car driver’s second victory at Dover and his first NASCAR victory. However, this wasn’t an easy win for him, as the race was paused for 10 minutes with only 34 laps remaining.

Although the race stretched beyond its scheduled distance due to late incidents, Truex skillfully maintained control and composure under intense pressure. He thus shared his happiness after having overcome the troubles at Dover.

Despite having the best car, Ryan Truex Jr wins at Dover

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During the race at the Dover International Speedway, Ryan Truex had his share of struggles before he drove himself to victory. Owing to a late caution, the race continued into overtime, featuring a checkered green and white flag. Younger Truex started alongside 20-year-old Carson Kvapil on the front row for the final overtime restart. In a decisive move off Turn 4, he surged ahead, ultimately taking the white flag, signaling one lap to go. With only five laps remaining during the final restart, Truex executed a skillful move to lead for the last two laps.

After the Monster Mile race, Martin Truex Jr’s brother spoke to Sirius XM NASCAR about his first NASCAR victory. Ryan Truex, who drives part-time for the Xfinity Series, feels that he lacks the craft of racing and considers it to be his biggest hindrance, besides not having the best car. He said, “This was a lot harder than last year where we dominated. We definitely didn’t have the best car today. I’d say we had a six place at best car.”

“And I felt like I made a lot of mistakes today as a driver, just dealing with dirty air. Really as a part time guy, I feel like my biggest hindrance in the starts of these races is just race craft. And it takes me half a race to really get back to where I need to be to be competitive. So I felt like I just didn’t do a good job the first half of the race.” he continued.

Having dominated the last two laps, Ryan Truex considers it as his luck that supported him during the race, as he said, “I think I just got lucky and got the right one every time. And then got the front row at the end, was able to drag the 88 back just enough to drive them up the track in three.”

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“So it feels really good to come back. I’ve never stole a race like this, I’ve never had that many restarts. I’ve never had a green white checker where I took the lead and kept it like that. I’m glad it was a good finish for the fans with the rain and everything. And we got to run it out and have a good one.” added Martin Truex Jr’s brother. The victory notably marked his back-to-back win at Dover in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

The JGR star’s NASCAR career so far

Ryan Truex made his NASCAR career debut in 2008, driving the No. 8 car for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. In the following year, Truex won the 2009 NASCAR Camping World East Series Championship at the age of 17. He had an impressive number of three wins that season at Watkin Glens, Thompson, and Lime Rock Park, respectively.

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In 2011, Truex made his NASCAR Xfinity debut with Joe Gibbs Racing. In the next two years that followed, Martin Truex Jr’s brother participated in a total of 13 Xfinity races, with one pole and a career-best second-place finish. He also made his debut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2013. His Xfinity Series stats further include 2 wins, 32 top-ten finishes, and 1 pole position.

Hopefully, the stats are going to further improve in the upcoming races. What are your thoughts regarding this?

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Written by:

Mamata Mukherjee is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. Combining her love for writing and motorsports she has created some interesting and in-depth stories on drivers like Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joining ES with 3 years of experience in the field of writing, Mamata feels right at home in her role as a NASCAR Journalist.

Edited by:

Shivali Nathta

“Never Stole a Race Like This”- Martin Truex Jr’s Brother Shares His Elation After Overcoming His Hindrance

Despite having the best car, Ryan Truex Jr wins at Dover

The JGR star’s NASCAR career so far

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