[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> NEW JERSEY NATIVE MARTIN TRUEX JR. RACED HIS WAY TOIN
TRUEX JR. RACED HIS WAY TO VICTORY ON SAND, AT THE FORD
ECOBOOST 400, TO CLINCH HIS
FIRST-EVER NASCAR SERIES
CHAMPIONSHIP.
NOW, HES SLOWING DOWN A LITTLE
TO VISIT WITH US IN THE STUDIO. WELCOME NASCAR SPRINT CUPTUDIO.
WELCOME NASCAR SPRINT CUP CHAMPION MARTIN TRUEX JR.
YOU GREW UP A JERSEY BOY.
CLAMMING?
>> WHEN I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO.
A TEENAGER.
>> YOUR DADS A FISHERMAN, RIGHT?R DADS A FISHERMAN,
RIGHT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> BUT A RACE CAR DRIVER.
>> RACE CAR DRIVER IS A HOBBY.
>> IT STARTED FOR YOU ON GO-KART
GO-KARTS?
>> I DID.
I WAS 11.
>> THEY WERE NOT FAST ENOUGH.
>> WHEN I WAS 11, THEY WERE
PRETTY QUICK.
>> AND YOU DECIDED TO GRADUATE
TO NASCAR.
WHATS THE TOP SPEED YOU GO?
>> I THINK THE FASTEST IVE EVER
BEEN IS ABOUT 220.
>> WHATS THAT LIKE?
>> ITS NOT AS CRAZY AS YOU WOULD THINK.S CRAZY AS YOU
WOULD THINK.
IVE BEEN DOING IT LONG ENOUGH, LIKE YOU DOING TV.LONG ENOUGH,
LIKE YOU DOING TV. ITS PERFECT.
ITS PERFECT. IT JUST WORKS.
>> THERES NOT EVEN THAT ONE
MOMENT WHEN YOURE LIKE, OH,
CRAP?
CRAP?
>> WE DO HAVE OH, CRAP, MOMENTS. WE HAD SOME ON SUNDAY IN THENTS.
WE HAD SOME ON SUNDAY IN THE RACE WE WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP IN.
ITS A FUN SPORT.
ITS ADRENALINE, HIGH-SPEED.
A LOT OF FUN.
>> YOU DID SOMETHING THAT WAS
CRITICAL, I GUESS.
WITH 70 LAPS TO GO, YOU HAD A
VISIT TO THE PIT CREW, RIGHT?
HERE, WE CALL THAT HAIR AND
MAKEUP.
MAKEUP.
ITS DIFFERENT IN RACING. THAT WAS A RISK TO YOU BECAUSE
IT TOOK TIMEOUT.
BUT DO YOU THINK THATS WHAT
MADE THE DIFFERENCE?
>> DEFINITELY.
>> DEFINITELY. YEAH.
YEAH.
THATS WHAT GOT US THE LEAD.
AND THEN, THE WAY THE CAUTIONS FELL, IT PUT ME IN POSITION TO
WIN THE RACE.
WE WERE 37 LAPS TO GO, I HAD THE
LEAD, WHICH I HADNT HAD FOR
MOST OF THE RACE.
IT WAS UP TO ME TO HANG ON TO
IT.
IT.
IT WAS PRETTY AWESOME. >> I BELIEVE IN THE SAME.
VISIT THE PIT CREW EARLY AND
OFTEN.
OFTEN.
YOU HAD A HELL OF A YEAR,
THOUGH.
IT HAS NOT BEEN EASY.
JUST READING UP ON WHAT YOUVE
BEEN THROUGH.
THE TEAM OWNER HAD A HEART
ATTACK AND BYPASS SURGERY.
THEY DIDNT TELL YOU BECAUSE
THEY DIDNT WANT TO MESS UP YOUR RACE GAME. WANT TO MESS UP YOUR
RACE GAME.
>> YEAH. >> A CREW MEMBER PASSED AWAY.
AND YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS
STRUGGLING WITH OVARIAN CANCER.
ALL OF THAT IS GOING ON WHILE
YOURE TRYING TO WIN THIS
SERIES?
SERIES?
>> YEAH. ITS BEEN A REALLY CRAZY COUPLE
OF YEARS FOR SHERRI AND I AS FAR
AS HER HEALTH GOES.
THIS YEAR, FOR THE TEAM IN
GENERAL, JUST TO GO THROUGH ALL
THAT ADVERSITY.
THAT ADVERSITY. AND OUR TEAM OWNER HAVING THIS.
AND HIM NOT BEING AT THE
CHAMPIONSHIP RACE THIS WEEKEND,
IT WAS TOUGH.
YEAH.
YEAH. THROUGH ALL OF IT, WEVE BECOME
SUCH A FAMILY IN THE FOUR YEARS
WEVE BEEN TOGETHER ON THIS RACE
TEAM.
TEAM.
LEARN TO GET THROUGH THESE THINGS AND REALIZE THAT RACING
HELPS OUR MINDSET.
>> RACING IS VERY MENTAL.
IF YOU GET IN YOUR OWN HEAD, IT
CAN GO SOUTH.
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO OTHERS ON
HOW YOU DEAL WITH THOSE PERSONAL
STRUGGLES AND STILL EXCEL
PROFESSIONALLY?
PROFESSIONALLY?
>> I DONT KNOW WHAT MY ADVICE IS.I DONT KNOW WHAT MY ADVICE
IS.
BECAUSE OF SHERRI AND I, WHAT
WEVE BEEN THROUGH.
OUR TEAM HAS BEEN THROUGH IT, AS
WELL.
THEY WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR ME.
ALWAYS THERE FOR US.
THEY LEARNED A FEW YEARS AGO HOW
TO DEAL WITH THESE KINDS OF
THINGS.
WHEN I WAS GOING TO THE
RACETRACK AND SHERRI WAS GOING
THROUGH HER SURGERY AND HER
CHEMO INITIALLY, WHEN IT WAS AT
THE ABSOLUTE WORST, I MAYBE HELPED MY TEAM UNDERSTAND HOW I
GOT THROUGH THAT.
AND I DID IT BECAUSE SHES SO STRONG AND SHES SO INDEPENDENT
AND KNOWS HOW MUCH RACING MEANS
TO ME AND MY CAREER AND HOW MUCH
I LOVE MY JOB.
AND SHES LIKE, YOU HAVE TO GO
DO THIS AND ILL BE FINE WHEN
YOU GET BACK.
>> WHAT IS IT, SHERRI?
IS IT A POSITIVE ATTITUDE?
HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
>> I THINK SO.
A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND PUTTING
THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE.
FOR US, I WAS HOME BATTLEING THI
DISEASE.
DISEASE.
FOR HIM TO GO TO THE RACETRACK
AND DO WHAT HE LOVES FOR A LIVING, IT WAS A RETREAT FOR
HIM.
HIM.
>> ITS NOT TERRIBLE FOR YOU TO
WATCH THAT?
>> ITS NOT TERRIBLE FOR ME TO
WATCH.
IVE BEEN WATCHING IT FOR A LONG
TIME.
I LOVE WHAT HE DOES.
>> HER DAD OWNED A RACE TEAM. >> ITS SCARY.NED A RACE TEAM.
>> ITS SCARY.
FUN TO WATCH.