Ryan Truex won his first national NASCAR series race on Saturday, April 29, after a dominant performance at Dover Motor Speedway. This win was one that his older brother has expected to see for a very long time.
Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 Cup Series champion, commented on the Xfinity Series win after celebrating with his brother in Victory Lane. He explained how the younger Truex has persevered through difficult times while continuing to push for opportunities. The work ultimately paid off.
One proud brother.
“It’s been a long time coming for him. He’s been through a lot,” Martin said, per Joe Gibbs Racing. “Really, really worked hard to get in this seat and just really proud of his effort. Over the years, like I said, he’s just had a mountain to climb at times and just kept digging.”
Martin continued and explained how he has always had faith in his brother’s abilities and that he knew what he could do. The younger Truex just needed to get the right opportunity to put on a show.
Truex has made nearly 200 starts across the three national NASCAR series, and he has completed three full-time seasons while driving for a wide variety of teams. He drove the No. 11 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing in 2018, and he finished 12th in the standings after securing 11 top-10 finishes and one top-five.
Truex’s other two seasons were in the Craftsman Truck Series. He drove for Hattori Racing Enterprises in 2017, and he finished ninth in the standings after a consistent season headlined by a runner-up at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Truex’s most recent full-time season was for Niece Motorsports in 2021 when he finished 16th in the standings.
Truex Has Seen the Support From His Loved Ones
GettyRyan Truex (center) won at one of NASCAR’s hardest tracks.
The 2017 Cup Series champion was vocal about his support of his brother, which is something that has not gone unnoticed. Truex specifically mentioned during his post-race interview the fans and the members of his family that continued to support him while he moved between series trying to land opportunities.
“I’m out of breath. Just so thankful. All of these fans, my team, everybody that stuck behind me,” Truex said, per Toyota Racing Development. “Most people didn’t believe in me and I still did. My family, parents, brother, you know everybody. Just so thankful to be here, this is amazing.
“With one to go, I was just waiting for something to happen, I was just, ‘Please, guys, keep everything straight, let’s get to the end of this.’ What a car. What an amazing GR Supra. I’m speechless. I thought I would be more emotional right now, but when I crossed the flag, I couldn’t even talk on the radio. I’m not an emotional guy, but yeah, this is for everyone that doubted me.”
Other Members of the Industry Had Comments About the Win
Martin and the entire Truex family showed excitement about the win at Dover Motor Speedway. They were not the only ones as other members of the industry weighed in after the race came to a close.
John Hunter Nemechek and Stefan Parsons both visited Truex in Victory Lane in the immediate aftermath of the race. Nemechek also sent out a congratulatory message on Twitter the following day.
Congrats @Ryan_Truex on the big win yesterday!👏
#TeamToyota
Justin Allgaier, the Xfinity Series veteran with 415 career starts, provided comments about the win to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. He shied away from calling Truex a “good story,” but he said that it is good to see someone get their first win at a place like Dover. Allgaier also explained that when everyone is excited about a win, it makes it that much better.
“Ryan Truex is one of my favorite people,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted after the race. “Funny as hell. I’m pumped he finally got to celebrate a win today. He’s worked hard to create these opportunities. His brother is pretty cool too.”
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Martin Truex Jr: NASCAR Win Was ‘Long Time Coming’ for Ryan