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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Daytona 500 Practice Feb 17, 2023 Daytona Beach, Florida, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. 19 gets ready in his garage stall before practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach Daytona International Speedway Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJohnxDavidxMercerx 20230217_jdm_sx1_024
via Imago
NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Daytona 500 Practice Feb 17, 2023 Daytona Beach, Florida, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. 19 gets ready in his garage stall before practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach Daytona International Speedway Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJohnxDavidxMercerx 20230217_jdm_sx1_024
NASCAR races are known for their high-intensity atmosphere, where split-second decisions and precision maneuvers can make or break a team’s success. In this high-pressure environment, emotions can run high, and crew chiefs may occasionally lose their temper, snapping at their drivers. A recent race at Dover International Speedway exemplified this intensity when Martin Truex Jr found himself at the receiving end of his crew chief’s ire.
Although that particular altercation was resolved amicably, tensions escalated once again when Truex Jr engaged in a profanity-laden tirade against fellow competitor Kevin Harvick.
Martin Truex Jr gets expletive yelled at him by his own team
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Truex Jr inquired of his crew chief, “Did we stay out too long or what?” James Small, his crew chief, promptly reassured him, “No, we are fine. It will all play out.”
The JGR driver then communicated through the radio, “If we would have got out in front of these guys, I would have drove away from them.”
Shortly after, his crew chief appeared to lose his composure and exclaimed, “Just shut the f**k up! You would not have been in front of them, so just keep driving please.”
Surprisingly, Truex Jr responded calmly, “I’m trying buddy.” Then, Small continued, “What we did was correct. Just keep driving, please. We are doing really good.”
Truex Jr unleashes an outburst against Kevin Harvick
During the final 40 laps of the race, the atmosphere grew tense for the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran. At one point, Truex Jr’s frustration peaked with Harvick running ahead of him. The JGR driver expected Harvick to either speed up or make way, but Harvick held his position, leading to an impassioned outburst from Truex Jr.
USA Today via Reuters
May 28, 2022; Concord, North Carolina. USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (19) looks towards the scoring pod during Nascar Cup qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports.
Truex Jr communicated via radio, “I need this f*king #4 car to get going or something. Begging him to give me some room on the bottom.”
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Subsequently, his spotter, Drew Herring, chimed in on the radio, stating, “I went and talked to them, man. They’re on their own game plan. No help here.”
In response, Martin returned to the radio and exclaimed, “Dammit, Kevin! Cmon.” Eventually, Harvick moved aside, allowing Truex to proceed unobstructed on the bottom.
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Ultimately, the race culminated in a triumphant victory for Truex Jr, who secured his first win of the season. Adding to the excitement, his Dover success ended a 54-race winless streak that had persisted since 2021. Despite the emotional outbursts during the race, the JGR veteran was able to savor the sweet taste of victory and revel in his hard-earned accomplishment.
