Martin Truex Sr. has passed away at the age of 66. The veteran driver made a name for himself in the former NASCAR Busch North Series, enjoying moderate success in his racing career. Competing for his team called Truex Motorsports, the North Carolina native secured many top-five and pole awards along with the odd race win, but ultimately gave up his career to support Martin Truex Jr., who was beginning to make a name for himself in the stock car racing series.

His passing is a major blow to the NASCAR community, with many including Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking to social media to express their condolences. The news comes before Martin Truex Jr.’s one-off Cup Series appearance at the Daytona 500 for Tricon Garage.

A devastating loss for Martin Truex Jr. and his family

The news was heartbreaking. While details about Martin Truex Sr.’s passing are unknown, a statement was released by Joe Gibbs Racing on behalf of the family with sons Ryan and Martin Truex Jr. and daughter Marsha McVey said, “We are devastated by the loss of our father (Martin Truex Sr.). 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 North Carolina native was often seen at the track after retirement, cheering on his sons while they raced. His second son, Ryan Truex has also made a name for himself in the NASCAR world, securing three wins in the Xfinity Series in the last two years with Joe Gibbs Racing. Martin Truex Sr.’s passing led to Dale Earnhardt Jr. writing, “He was a great man” on X while responding to Bob Pockrass’s tweet announcing the news.

Martin Truex Jr.’s father made 135 appearances in the NASCAR Busch North Series, which has now evolved into ARCA Menards Series East. He also secured a win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 1994, a preliminary event to the NASCAR Cup Series’ second race weekend at the ‘Magic Mile’. However, Truex Sr. dialed back on his racing responsibilities in the late 1990s to help kickstart Martin Truex Jr.’s career, saying, “He’s at the age where hopefully he can make it all the way to the big leagues. That’s the plan at least.”

Truex Sr. was present at Phoenix Raceway last year, in Martin Truex Jr’s last race as a full-time driver. The 2017 Cup Series Champion is expected to take part in the upcoming Daytona 500, driving the No. 56 Toyota in what would be TRICON Garage’s debut in NASCAR’s premier series. The 44-year-old will now aim to secure a victory at ‘The Great American Race’ as a tribute to his father, who also drove the No. 56 car for Truex Motorsports.

NASCAR community reacts to Truex Sr.’s passing

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As expected, it didn’t take long for the NASCAR community to express their condolences after hearing about Martin Truex Sr.’s passing. Martin Truex Jr.’s former crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing, James Small, expressed his commiserations after hearing the news and went on to write, “He was always the life of the party and an absolute champion of a bloke. He will be missed by all of us on the 19 team.” Echoing that sentiment, a NASCAR fan also went on to say, “That’s so sad! My prayers are with Martin Jr and the family!” after hearing the news about Martin Sr.’s passing on social media.

It’s not the first time Martin Truex Jr. has experienced the loss of someone close to him. His long-term girlfriend Sherry Pollex passed away from ovarian cancer in 2023, and the two had been together since 2005. Acknowledging the racer’s misfortune, a fan wrote, “Wow my man Martin Jr can’t catch a break, Shery, now his dad, it’s beyond awful. Thoughts and prayers to the Truex family.” Another motorsports enthusiast expressed condolences at Martin Truex Sr.’s passing and urged the NASCAR community to help Truex Jr. cope with his latest loss. The X user said, “RIP to a legend. My prayers are with Martin Jr, he’s had a lot of loss lately. I hope everyone rally’s around him in support”

Martin Truex Sr. was regularly seen behind the wheel of the No. 56 car while driving for Truex Motorsports. In what seems like a fitting tribute, his eldest son will also be driving a Toyota featuring the same number at the upcoming Daytona 500 for Tricon Garage, a callback to his days at Michael Waltrip Racing. Reflecting on the coincidence, a fan said, “No wayyyy 😢prayers for the truex family it’ll just make driving that 56 in the 500 so much worth it now to truex jr hopefully he can finally win it in honor of his dad 🙏”

We at EssentiallySports send our prayers and strength to the Truex family during such tough times.