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CHAMPIONS PROFILE: Truex Breaks Out For Camping World East Title

As just the second driver to win the NASCAR Camping World Series East championship as a rookie, Ryan Truex had a season to remember.

The 2009 campaign saw Truex look like a seasoned veteran as he ran up front with amazing consistency on ovals and road courses alike, but he was anything but experienced.

In today's world of auto racing where starting out in go-karts at age five is commonplace, the youngest of the racing Truex family didn't get behind the wheel until he was 13 years old.

"Ever since I was little I've always been at a race track somewhere watching races," Truex said. "I just wasn't interested in doing it [racing]. I liked to go and watch, but I just wanted to be a kid and have fun."

BEHIND THE SCENES OF A CHAMPIONSHIP
CHAMPION CREW CHIEF PROFILE: Mike Greci 
CHAMPION CAR OWNER PROFILE: Michael Waltrip Racing

The younger Truex first became interested in getting behind the wheel when his older brother, Martin Truex Jr., started having success in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and realized auto racing could be a good career and something he wanted to pursue.

Despite the past success of Ryan's father, Martin Truex Sr., and the current success of his older brother, he didn't face any pressure to climb in a car. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

"I'm the baby of the family, so my parents kind of didn't want me to do it at all," Truex said. "They wanted me to go be a doctor or something like that – something not dangerous – but when I told them I wanted to do it, they supported me 100-percent, and have been behind me this whole time."

Ryan started racing Bandoleros at Wall (N.J.) Stadium just four years ago, and his only experience prior to this year in a full body race car was driving a Late Model that his older brother built.

"Once I started racing, and realized I could do it, I started really wanting to do it every weekend," Truex said. "It's something that I just had a knack for."

Truex got behind the wheel of a Camping World Series car for the first time in the 2008 season finale when he piloted the No. 8 for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, a program that was overseen by Mike Greci at the time. Following that outing, Martin Sr. decided he wanted to place his youngest son in the series full-time.

As 2009 rolled around, things fell into place for Truex to compete as a development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, with Greci as his crew chief. The season got off to a slow start as he recorded an average finish of 21st. In the fourth race of the season at South Boston (Va.) Speedway he earned his first career pole and podium finish, and the season took off from there.

"I did not have as much experience as the rest of the guys," Truex said. "It took me a little bit to get used to these kinds of cars, and it showed in the first few races. We didn't have very strong finishes, but when we got to South Boston everything just clicked, and ever since then we just couldn't run bad."

Indeed, the No. 00 NAPA Toyota seemed incapable of having a bad day the rest of the year. Following his third place effort at South Boston, Truex won three of the next five races, highlighted by his first career win, which came at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.

"There's definitely nothing like that - winning your first big race," Truex said. "I definitely didn't expect to go in there and win, I thought a top 10 would be good having never really raced on a road course in that kind of car, but we just had an awesome car that weekend."

For a 17-year-old that had not raced a full-bodied car on a road course, Truex exhibited exception road racing skills as a rookie. In addition to the Watkins Glen triumph, he also won at Lime Rock Park later in the year at Lakeville, Conn.

He attributed the success to instruction he received prior to going road racing.

"Our road course stuff this year was really good, and I learned a lot from Marcos Ambrose when I went and tested with him before the year started," Truex said. "My brother also taught me a lot about Watkins Glen – where to run and where to pass."

All told, starting with South Boston, Truex strung together seven-straight top-three finishes. He took the points lead for the first time following his second win of the year at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway and held on through the remaining four races.

The 2009 championship battle came down to the last race of the season as Truex took a 30-point lead on Eddie MacDonald to Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Although his streak of top-threes ended when he crossed the line eighth, he finished one position ahead of MacDonald on the track, and thus in the season standings. The title put Truex in elite company as he became just the second driver in the 23-year history of the Camping World Series East to win Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors and the championship in the same season, joining current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Joey Logano.

A LOOK BACK
Truex Wins First NASCAR Title
Road Sweep For Truex 
Truex Nabs Second Win
Truex Takes The Glen

Although he only recently came to the conclusion that he wanted to make a career out of stock car racing, Truex has been involved in the shop throughout his life, something he thinks was also an asset in his quick learning curve.

"I used to go to the shop when I was little and watch my brother work on the cars, and just try to learn everything I could," Truex said. "Now I actually help work on the cars and try to learn as much as I can about them. That helps the driver a lot, to know what you need in the car to be fast."

Truex is also very appreciative for the support he's had at the beginning of his racing career, and attributes that guidance with much of the success he had as a rookie.

"I've got two great people helping me out in my dad and my brother," Truex said. "They've driven the cars since they were my age, so they know what they're talking about, and they give me a lot of help.

"And Mike Greci has won a lot of championships, and has been a lot of help this year just helping me to know what I have in a race car to be fast. It's been a combination of things that's help me to learn so quick."

Unlike a few of the successful development drivers that have come through the Camping World Series East in recent seasons, however, Truex plans to return in 2010 to run full-time and defend his title. He is quite grounded in the fact that he can benefit from more seat time and experience if he wants to be successful in advancing his career.

"I'm excited to be able to defend my championship," Truex said. "It's going to be tough. Matt Kobyluck dominated in 2008 and in 2009 he had a lot of bad luck, so it's not easy to do, but I'm excited to work to improve myself as a driver and I want to get as much experience as I can before I move up. You don't want to get rushed into something you're not ready for."

Truex has been joined by the rest of NASCAR's Touring series champions for week-long activities in the Charlotte, N.C., area before he gets to collect the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East championship trophy at the NASCAR Touring Series Awards Gala on Saturday, Nov. 14.