MARTIN TRUEX JR. WINS FIRST MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP

Written By: Chrystie Gonzalez del Valle

As the sun went down over Homestead-Miami Speedway, the drivers flew around the track, vying for the lead in the last race of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season. With less than 40 laps left during the last stretch, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch went head-to-head in an intense fight for the win, with Truex in first and Busch in second. As they approached the final lap, it was Truex, in his #78 car for Furniture Row Racing, who maintained the lead and crossed the finish line ahead of the field.

"I told my guys we were going to dig dipper than we ever have today. With 20 laps to go I thought I was done. They were all better than me on the long run all day long. I just found a way. I found a lane that I could use, and I found a lane that was blocking enough of their air that they couldn’t use it and just made it happen. I can’t believe it. I’ve wanted this since I was a little kid. Just never give up on your dreams no matter what happens.”

Martin Truex Jr. finished first place in the 19^th Annual Ford EcoBoost 400 and obtained the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship. This is the first time that Truex has won the Monster Energy Series title, which reflects the dominance that he has shown on the tracks this season with a total of eight wins on the year. Aside from his motivation to win his first championship, Truex had other reasons to win.

“I was a wreck thinking about all the tough days, the bad days, the times where I thought my career was over with, the times when I didn't think anyone believed in me,” said Truex following his win in the Ford EcoBoost 400. “But the guys, the people who mattered did – my fans, my family. Then I got with this team. They're unbelievable, and they resurrected my career and made me a champion.”

Truex, 37, is now only the fifth driver to have won the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series championships, along with the other championship contenders, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski, who finished second, fourth and seventh, respectively.