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Martin Truex Jr. has never crossed the chequered flag at the Daytona 500 as a winner. He finished right behind Denny Hamlin by .01 seconds a few years ago. The photographic finish was the closest finishing gap in Daytona's 63-year history.
Martin Truex Jr., who has competed in every track possible and picked up multiple victories along the way, is now determined to add Daytona to that list.
"It’s really just a wild card, it’s kind of crazy," he said (via speedwaydigest.com)
"I wouldn’t say I’m not uncomfortable there, but it kind of stinks to get down to the end, if you make it that far, to just get crashed at the end. I’m hoping we can have some better luck this weekend with our Ducks Unlimited Bass Pro Shops Camry," he added.
Truex Jr. also reflected on the 2016 race, where he missed his victory to Hamlin by just 0.01 second to the chequered flag, saying:
"I’ve been closer than anyone that hasn’t won there, It’s been a difficult place. (Via OrlandoSentinel.com)
Truex Jr.'s winless record at Daytona has left him questioning whether his greatest days were behind him. He won four races in 2021, but he was unprepared for NASCAR's switch to the "Next Gen" car.
He said it’s a learning curve for him and hopes to have better luck racing at Daytona this weekend.
Martin Truex Jr.'s record at Daytona so far
Among current drivers, the 2017 Cup Series champion, Martin Truex Jr. has the most Daytona and Talladega starts, tallying 63 total, without a single victory at either circuit.
With three top-five finishes at Daytona and two top-five finishes at Talladega, Truex Jr. has been close a few times and extremely close to his victory at Daytona. He finished second to now-teammate Denny Hamlin in the 2016 Daytona 500 by 0.010 seconds.
Truex's average result at Daytona is 21.9. He hasn't led many laps at Daytona in his 15-year Cup career but has finished many races on the circuit.
