Martin Truex Jr. appreciation thread.

JJ_14

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Martin Truex Jr. is an elite level NASCAR driver today, pretty much no one disputes that, but it wasn't always that way. Early on it looked as though that would never happen, and Truex wouldn't live up to the hype of his Busch series credentials. However, through two complete resets of his career via the demise of DEI and MWR, his girlfriend's battle with cancer, and racing for underfunded teams, Truex persevered and won the biggest prize of all: the NASCAR Cup Series championship.

There's no other driver that deserves a thread like this more than Martin Truex Jr. It wasn't many years ago that I considered him in the same category as Paul Menard & Jamie McMurray; drivers with long careers who didn't win much.

His breakout season was 2016, when he found victory lane on four occasions. It was FRR's second year with Toyota as manufacturer.

Truex paid his dues more than any other driver. He hasn't dissapointed in this new chapter of his career, accumulating four more wins in the best ride he's ever had to date.

Stats
Starts: 501
Wins: 23
Top 5: 97
Top 10: 196
Titles: 1

That's a HoF resumé. If you told me 5 years ago that Truex would make the HoF @ the end of his career I would've lol'd.
 
Efisher131

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racingfan7

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ahhculdee said:
The disrespect of Truex is stupid. He is one of the best drivers of this era.
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Guy straight up beat Kyle Busch in equal equipment in 2004 (also Greg Biffle in that 60 car that was a great car back then). Then in 2005 beat Bowyer, Edwards, Sorenson, Hamlin, Menard in the Busch Series. Then I honestly think his results @ DEI in Cup were decent given all the circumstances there.

He's had a couple down years @ MWR, and 1 down year @ FRR. But after those bad years he rebounded pretty well.

But yeah, it's all Cole Pearn here. :unsure:
 
Team Penske

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ahhculdee said:
The disrespect of Truex is stupid. He is one of the best drivers of this era.
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I think in his case, he has lucked into the best ride of his career. The team was at a cross roads and he got the best CC he could get. This whole coming together of all the parts is what allowed him to rise to the top. I think the ride made him one of the best today, NOT his personal skills.
 
jaqua19

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A nice guy. Least talented champion since Labonte imo still. Gordon, Kenseth, Busch, Stewart, Johnson, Keselowski, Harvick, Kyle Busch, Logano are all a step above Truex as far as talent goes and I won't back down from that one at all. Having success with the best CC in the best equipment in a car that drivers are saying "takes it out of drivers hands" is how I see his situation, and it just doesn't do it for me.

Like the guy, and he is a champion and good for him for having success, but yeah, an elite driver benefiting a lot from the situation more than the champions of the last 20 years have

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jaqua19 said:
A nice guy. Least talented champion since Labonte imo still. Gordon, Kenseth, Busch, Stewart, Johnson, Keselowski, Harvick, Kyle Busch, Logano are all a step above Truex as far as talent goes and I won't back down from that one at all. Having success with the best CC in the best equipment in a car that drivers are saying "takes it out of drivers hands" is how I see his situation, and it just doesn't do it for me.

Like the guy, and he is a champion and good for him for having success, but yeah, an elite driver benefiting a lot from the situation more than the champions of the last 20 years have

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Nobody is claiming he is more talented than those guys as of now, but obviously he had the best equipment in 2015 when he managed to get 22 top 10s and a championship 4 berth in RCR equipment. :rolleyes:
 
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DaBiff1618

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AuzGrams said:
Nobody is claiming he is more talented than those guys as of now, but obviously he had the best equipment in 2015 when he managed to get 22 top 10s and a championship 4 berth in RCR equipment. :rolleyes:
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He also won races with elite organizations such as DEI when it was in turmoil and MWR, he’s Paul Menard with better hair
 
ahhculdee

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Team Penske said:
I think in his case, he has lucked into the best ride of his career. The team was at a cross roads and he got the best CC he could get. This whole coming together of all the parts is what allowed him to rise to the top. I think the ride made him one of the best today, NOT his personal skills.
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A driver doesn't luck into 23 wins, a championship, and two Busch championships.
 
Greg

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aunty dive said:
Oh, come on ... racin' them cars is easy.

Sometimes, when a driver is unwell or suspended for eating Tide Pods, his hauler driver runs the race. The helmet never comes off ... that's how I can tell.
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Thats it. Barney could have probably promoted a hauler driver that Cole Pearn could have made into a cup champion and kept his team with the savings. Cause ya know he can do it with just about anyone if he can do it with Truax.

It is a but... but... but.. Pearn, Childers, Knous cry me river world.
 
2 Sweet

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AuzGrams said:
It kinda is. That 2014 season seems to give everyone the fuel to the PEARN PEARN fire yet he clearly showed his talent before hand.
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That 78 team really fell off a cliff from 2013 to 2014, and the only real difference we know of was the driver change, going from Kurt Busch to Truex. Maybe he just didn't connect with Todd Berrier, idk what the deal was. Chemistry really makes a difference. They certainly turned things around the next year with Pearn on board.
 
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2 Sweet said:
That 78 team really fell off a cliff from 2013 to 2014, and the only real difference we know of was the driver change, going from Kurt Busch to Truex. Maybe he just didn't connect with Todd Berrier, idk what the deal was. Chemistry really makes a difference. They certainly turned things around the next year with Pearn on board.
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Definitely. But it's an excuse for everybody to not give MTJ the appreciation/credit he deserves.
 
Team Penske

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aunty dive said:
Feel free to speak your mind.

Post #14 ...
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I did. I stated that Truex was a part of a great team that had all the parts needed. Truex did NOT make that team great he was one cog on the wheel that makes a Championship team. I also give him credit for doing what some great drivers have been unable to do. Carl and Denny both failed at a crucial moment and never won a championship.
 
Revman

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Team Penske said:
I think in his case, he has lucked into the best ride of his career. The team was at a cross roads and he got the best CC he could get. This whole coming together of all the parts is what allowed him to rise to the top. I think the ride made him one of the best today, NOT his personal skills.
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What driver has ever been the best (or one of the best) solely on his individual skill set?
 
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