Martin Truex Jr. ties Dale Earnhardt Jr. on wins list
Martin Truex Jr. is now tied with two former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competitors on the series’ all-time wins list.
Led the final 241 laps in the First Data 500 en route to his seventh win of 2019 and the 26th victory of his MENCS career. He is now tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Fred Lorenzon in victories in NASCAR’s premier series.
“I just wanted to win here so bad last year,” Truex said. “It wasn’t really about getting to Miami because we got there anyway, but this track is so tough.
“It’s old school. It’s the heart of NASCAR and NASCAR has been coming here so long, the history here is amazing and I’m proud to be a part of that.”
Since the beginning of the season, Truex has climbed 16 positions on the wins list. Drivers he has passed include Davey Allison, Jeff Burton, Terry Labonte and Joe Weatherly.
The next five drivers ahead of Truex on the wins list are Rex White (28), Carl Edwards (28), Brad Keselowski (30), Kurt Busch (31) and Dale Jarrett (32).
The win propelled Truex to a guaranteed spot in the Championship 4 in the season finale in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Under the current playoff format, implemented in 2014, this year will mark Truex’s fourth appearance in the Championship 4 and third consecutive.
“We’ve always pointed our way in through the third round,” Truex said. “This is the first time we’ve won at one of these tracks, so I mean, they still give out trophies and money the next two weeks, we’re going to go after them.”
CHAMPIONSHIP 4 APPEARANCES (As of 2018)
Kyle Busch 4
Kevin Harvick 4
Joey Logano 3
Martin Truex Jr. 3
Carl Edwards 1
Jeff Gordon 1
Denny Hamlin 1
Jimmie Johnson 1
Brad Keselowski 1
Ryan Newman 1
SOURCES
Racing-Reference.info
Toyota Racing
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Dominic Aragon View All
Dominic Aragon is currently the editor-in-chief for The Racing Experts.
From Grants, New Mexico, USA, Aragon started watching NASCAR in 2004 and has been covering the sport since 2009. Aragon is a 2012 graduate of Grants High School and a May 2016 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Mass Communications & Journalism. Aragon has worked in local and national media, as a musician, and an educator. He is co-author of the 2024 book "All of It: Daytona 500 Champion Tells the Rest of the Story" with racer Geoff Bodine.
Aragon, his wife Feliz, and son Christopher currently reside in Grants, New Mexico, USA.
You can reach Dominic at daragon@theracingexperts.net.