Martin Truex Sr., a veteran driver in the old NASCAR Busch North Series whose sons became next-generation stars, has died. He was 66 years old.
The news was announced Friday in a statement from his sons Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Truex and daughter Marsha McVey, saying, “We are devastated by the loss of our father (Martin Truex Sr.). Simply put, he was our hero and a great man. We appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers and ask for privacy at this time.
The elder Truex made 135 starts at the Busch North circuit, which became the current ARCA Menards Series East. He won once, winning in 1994 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in a preliminary event in the second weekend of the NASCAR Cup Series race.
“He was a gentleman racer, he was fun to race with,” four-time Busch North champion Andy Santerre said in an interview last September. “I don’t remember all my races, but I remember Martin Sr. beat me at New Hampshire in 1994, I think, and I finished second, and I was as happy for him as I was to finish second – and I don’t think I won a race at that point.
Truex ran a wholesale seafood business, and the sponsors of his No. 56 entries were often familiar with that industry. He had a proven track record in modified competition in his home state of New Jersey and the Northeast, but he scaled back his own driving duties in the late 1990s to accelerate the racing career of his eldest son, Martin Truex. Jr.
“He’s at the age where I hope he can make it to the big leagues. At least that’s the plan,” Truex Sr. told the Atlantic City (NJ) Press in 2000, outlining his vision for his 19-year-old son. He said he viewed his decision as an investment rather than a sacrifice; Truex Jr. became a Cup Series champion (2017), a two-time Xfinity Series champion and a 34-time Cup winner upon his retirement from full-time competition last season.
“He was a great runner himself,” former Busch North champion Mike Olsen said of Truex Sr. last September. “Certainly the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, and Martin Sr. has done a great job introducing Martin Jr. to the ranks.”
Martin Truex Sr.’s youngest son, Ryan, has also reached the NASCAR national series level, earning all three of his career Xfinity Series victories over the past two years.
Truex Sr. joined his sons last November for a family photo on the starting grid at Phoenix Raceway, where Martin Truex Jr. ran his final race as a full-time competitor. Truex will sport his father’s familiar car number – No. 56 – on his Tricon Garage-prepared Toyota in his attempt to build the Daytona 500 field next month.
