Martin Truex Sr., the father of NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. and NASCAR driver Ryan Truex, has passed away at the age of 66.
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"We are devastated by the loss of our father (Martin Truex Sr.)," the Truex family said in a statement. "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 family did not provide a cause of death.
Truex, a New Jersey native, spent several years competing in the Busch North Series. His best season was in 1994 when he started all 20 races and secured his lone Busch North Series win.
Truex captured the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after leading 82 laps. According to Racing Reference, he finished seventh in the series standings in 1994 after posting the win, four top-five finishes, and 10 top-10s.
RIP Martin Truex Sr.
Martin was a determined driver, who never was a dominant figure in the Busch North Series, but delivered a VERY satisfying underdog win in a nationally televised race at New Hampshire in 1994 pic.twitter.com/tfRWUpNjWS
— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) January 17, 2025
Truex also made 15 Xfinity Series starts between 1989 and 1998. His best career finish in the No. 58 Blount Seafood Chevrolet was 12th at Nazareth Speedway in 1994.
Truex stepped away from racing after 1998, but his family name lived on as Martin Truex Jr. began rising through the ranks. Martin Jr. competed in the Busch North Series from 2000-03, winning five races for his father's team.
Martin Jr. also began competing in the Xfinity Series. He won 13 races and consecutive championships before moving to the Cup Series. He won 34 Cup races and the 2017 championship before ultimately announcing his retirement last season. Martin Jr. will return for the Daytona 500 in February as he partners with Tricon Garage.
Ryan Truex has experienced a significantly different career than his brother and father. He has made 200 career starts across the three national NASCAR series while only competing full-time in one Truck Series season and one Xfinity Series season.
Truex, who works as a reserve driver for Joe Gibbs Racing's Xfinity and Cup programs, has three Xfinity Series wins in the last two seasons. This includes consecutive wins at Dover Motor Speedway.
