Martin Truex posts popular win at Pocono

LONG POND - Before the May 31 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover, Del., Martin Truex Jr. guaranteed his team would win a race this year. It didn't take long for Truex's prediction to come true.

Truex led 97 of the 160 laps, including 66 of the last 67, yesterday to win the Axalta "We Paints Winners" 400 at Pocono Raceway.

Following his third career Cup series victory, Truex performed the traditional burnout on the Pocono frontstretch in his black No. 78 Chevrolet. Then he climbed out of the car and pumped his arms as the crowd cheered.

After parking his car in victory lane, the Mayetta, N.J., native hugged his girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, who has dealt with ovarian cancer, and his crew chief, Cole Pearn.

Truex's victory is at least the second feel-good story of the weekend, following American Pharoah's historic Triple Crown triumph.

After finishing second yesterday for the eighth time this season, Kevin Harvick, the reigning Cup champion and points leader, said, "When you look at everything personally that Martin and Sherry have dealt with, I'm just super happy for them personally. To see them have that bright spot is something I think the whole garage is going to support and be happy with."

Third-place finisher Jimmie Johnson seconded the popular notion, saying, "When you go back to the Richmond race [2013] and the challenges he has had, he's had more to overcome personally and professionally than probably anybody sitting in a seat right now. For him to still walk in the garage every week with a smile on his face, climb in the car and put in the effort, be the great guy that he is, I think speaks volumes. [It's] a very popular win for him."

Truex was bumped from the Chase 2 years ago when Michael Waltrip Racing was penalized for some shady maneuvering late in the Richmond race, the final event preceding the Chase.

"[The support] means a lot," Truex said. "There's going to come a time when racing and where you finish races doesn't matter. What's going to matter is kind of the legacy you leave and how people look at the person you are.

"It means a ton to me to have that respect. It's kind of humbling, especially the way the last year-and-a-half has gone. I think people kind of got a little insight into what I'm made of."

Truex, 34, described Pollex's ordeal as "definitely the hardest thing I've been through. She showed me what she was made of and I [thought], 'If she can do that, I can do this.' I just learned a lot from her. This is easily the biggest win of my career."

Truex, who started third, said he predicted a win "because this team deserves to win. I knew how good they were. It would be easy the last three weeks to get down and hang your head and make excuses and just be disappointed. But they weren't. They knew we were going to get this win soon."

Before Pocono, Truex led the most laps (357) in the previous three races, making him confident he'd eventually win. He is virtually assured of a place in the Chase and continues as runner-up to Harvick in points. Truex's best previous Pocono finishes were a pair of thirds.

The victory was also meaningful for Truex's crew chief, Pearn. The Canadian is in his first year guiding a Cup series team.

"I was honestly pretty calm most of the way," a grinning Pearn said, "until we came off Turn 3 [on the last lap] and I started cheering and I started getting a little choked up."

Truex drives for a single-car team based in Denver, home of team owner Barney Visser. Denver is far from the Charlotte, N.C., area where most Cup teams are headquartered. Harvick, who led the second-most laps (39), doesn't think the Denver outpost location is a major hindrance.

"I was tied to that deal a little bit when I was at RCR and Kurt [Busch] was driving [the No. 78 Chevy]," Harvick said. "They probably spend as much money as anybody in the garage, if not more, but they have a lot of logistics to overcome and it's taken them a long time to get the people in place. They put the effort in and it shows."

Truex's team has an alliance with Richard Childress Racing for racing equipment.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s pursuit of a Pocono threepeat ended with his 11th-place finish. Earnhardt was as high as second midway in the race.

Polesitter Kurt Busch didn't lead any laps and finished fifth.