Martin Truex, Jr.

Martin Lee Truex Jr. ( born June 29, 1980 in Mayetta, New Jersey) is an American NASCAR driver. He currently drives the number 56 for Michael Waltrip Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Truex won the championship in the Busch Series in 2004 and 2005.

Career

Early years

Truex 's father Martin senior is a former champion in the Busch North Series, successful drivers of heavily modified touring cars, so-called " Modifieds ", and former driver in the Busch Series. Truex Jr. began as a race driver in 2000 in the Busch North Series and won in three years a total of three races for the family's racing team.

His first race in the Busch Series graduated Truex Jr. in the 2001 season at Dover International Speedway in Chevroltet his father with the start number 56, he started from 19th place, finished the race due to an accident in the early stages of the race in 38th place In the 2002 season he drove a race for Phoenix Racing at New Hampshire International Speedway, which he started from position 13 and finished in 29th place. He then drove three races for the team his father with a 17th place in Dover as the best result.

NASCAR

Nationwide Series

The 2003 season began as a pilot in the Busch Grand National Series in the team his father before he was taken by Dale Earnhardt Jr. under contract to the # 81 to drive the Chevrolet for his team Chance 2 Motorsports. His debut for chance 2 graduated Truex Jr. at Richmond International Raceway, where he qualified in sixth and eleven laps led the race. Due to a gearbox problem, he finished the race in 31 the rest of the season he drove in half for his father and for a chance 2 with the exception of the race in Dover, where he went to the starting line for Stanton Barrett. After a sixth place at the Bristol Motor Speedway Truex finished the season with two consecutive second places. Overall, he completed ten races in the 2003 season.

The following year, Truex drove the entire junior season for the team from Earnhardt Jr. on the Bristol Motor Speedway, he took the first win of his career and won seven races over the next three more. Among them was a victory at Talladega Superspeedway and the last race of NASCAR at the Nazareth Speedway. After the latter Truex Jr. took over the lead in the Championship, but lost it a few races later at Kyle Busch. Due to a series of top 5 and top 10 results in the second half of the season he again took over the lead in the championship and won at the end of the season the title. In addition, he replaced Dale Earnhardt Jr. for a race in the Nextel Cup af the Atlanta Motor Speedway after he suffered in an accident at a sports car race burns. He started 33rd and finished the race in 37th

In the 2005 season he was again in the Busch Series at the start and defended his title. This Truex Jr. won the first race of NASCAR in Mexico as well as the race in Talladega and Dover. His first victory at Daytona International Speedway, he scored on 1 July 2005.

Sprint Cup

In 2006, Truex Jr. came for the first time for a full season with the Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet with the number 1 for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in the Nextel Cup at. He finished five races in the top 10 and the season in 19th place in the championship. As a two -time champion in the Busch Series, he was regarded as a viable contender in the Nextel Cup, but the season was worse than expected. In the ranking of the Rookie of the Year, he landed behind Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer only to third place. With 19th place in the championship he still landed a respectable result for a newbie. In addition to his involvement in the Nextel Cup Truex Jr. also went to six races in the Busch Series for Earnhardt at the start and won in Talladega.

On May 19, 2007 Truex Jr. won the Nextel All- Star Open, securing a spot in the Nextel All-Star Challenge, which he finished in tenth place. On June 4, 2007, he won the Autism Speaks 400 his first victory in the Nextel Cup by a margin of more than seven seconds ahead of pole- Ryan Newman. Truex Jr. led 219 of the 400 total laps of the race. With the win, he improved in the championship in 13th place with a third place at Pocono Raceway and a second place finish at Michigan Speedway, he secured in his second year in the Nextel Cup participation in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. On November 4, 2007 Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway he starts for the first time in his Nextel Cup career pole position.

Middle of the 2008 season were withdrawn because of a non-compliant vehicle 150 points, which meant a setback in the race for the Chase Truex. He finished the season without a win in 15th place at the end of the 2009 season, he was ranked 23 in the points. Only once he was able to finish a race in the top 5.