It’s a Truex Takeover in Dover
You could say NASCAR’s stop at Dover (De.) Motor Speedway was “All in the Family;” a kin-to-win kind of weekend. Martin Truex Jr. answered his younger brother Ryan’s NASCAR Xfinity Series victory on Saturday with a win in Monday’s rain-delayed Wurth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race – the fourth win of his career at the one-mile oval he considers his “home track.”
Truex, who started 17th in the 36-car field after qualifying was cancelled due to weather, methodically worked his way forward in the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The 42-year-old New Jersey native finally took the lead for the first time with 69 laps remaining and led all but one of those final laps to claim his first points-paying victory of the season, ending a 54-race winless streak.
He and his JGR pit crew ultimately had to earn the win with pit strategy and pit execution. On a pit stop during the race’s final caution period, Truex’s team opted to put only right-side tires on his Toyota. With the quick stop, he was able to beat the field back out to the track and then on the ensuing re-start – with seven laps to go – hold off a hard-charging Ross Chastain, whose No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet had taken four fresh tires on the stop.
Martin Truex Jr. wins Dover for the FOURTH TIME! 2007, 2016, 2019, and 2023 π Congratulations, @MartinTruex_Jr and @Ryan_Truex on dominating the @MonsterMile. π pic.twitter.com/QMJBdpzrFN
— Bass Pro Shops (@BassProShops) May 1, 2023
“It feels incredible,’’ Truex 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 [crew chief] James [Small] to take two (tires) and then I was able to get a pretty good re-start.
“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.’’
“It’s just special, you know,’’ Truex said. “This is a special place. Good day for my family and to see Ryan win Saturday he’s worked so hard for so long to get good opportunities and it’s awesome.
“And then for us, we’ve given away a few here over the years so it’s nice to see it come around our way. Just excited and had a hot rod. Just needed to get it out front.”
This win marks the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Truex’s 32nd career win and first since a victory at Richmond, Va. on Sept. 11, 2021. Snapping the streak and sharing Dover’s Victory Circle with his younger brother, Ryan, truly made the week for the veteran.
π§π₯π¨ππ« π§ππππ’π©ππ₯.
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) May 3, 2023
The Truex brothers combined for 192 laps led on their way to the weekend sweep! It was the 13th time brothers have swept a race weekend.@Ryan_Truex | @MartinTruex_Jr | Graphic by FRG Designs pic.twitter.com/uveO0yuxDX
Thirty-One year old Ryan Truex led a dominating 124 of the 200 laps on Saturday. He swept both stage wins and ultimately took the checkered flag an impressive 4.8-seconds ahead of the field to claim his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in the ‘A-GAME 200.’
“I’m just so thankful, all these fans, my team, they really stuck behind me,” said a smiling and emotional Truex, who becomes the 13th different NASCAR Xfinity Series driver to claim his first win at Dover.
“Most people didn’t believe in me, and I still did – my girlfriend, my family, my parents, my brother did. I’m just so thankful to be here.
“I felt like with 20 to go, I was just waiting for something to happen,’’ he continued, ‘just praying, please God keep everything straight and let’s get to the end of this. What a car, what an amazing Toyota Supra. I’m speechless.
“I thought I’d be more emotional right now, but when I crossed the flag I couldn’t even talk on the radio and I’m not an emotional guy. This is for everyone that doubted me.”
(photo by Rolando @RTR_Graphics97)
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