CONCORD, N.C. – There was no heartbreak for Martin Truex Jr. Saturday; no last lap disappointment, no pit road miscues, no what could have been. Truex Jr. staged a record performance at Charlotte Motor Speedway in NASCAR’s longest race to score his fourth career victory and his first since last Pocono last June winning the Coca-Cola 600.
It was a record breaking night in route to the win. Truex led 392 of the 400 laps besting Jim Paschal who previously held the track record for most laps led 335, in 1967. Truex also led more miles in one race, 588, than any other driver in NASCAR history. The 3:44:08 time of the race was also the fastest Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte history. Leading from the pole, Truex also became the first driver since David Pearson in 1976 to win from the pole while racing for a single car team. In addition the average speed of the race, 160.644 was the fastest average speed in event history.
As Truex made his way down pit road Saturday after winning, he was congratulated by other drivers and crewmembers from other teams as the crowd roared approval.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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