DOVER, Del. — Ryan Truex won for the first time in 188 career NASCAR starts across all three national series in the Xfinity Series race Saturday at Dover Motor Speedway.
The 31-year-old younger brother of former NASCAR champion Martin Truex Jr. dominated on the concrete mile track and swept all three stages, leading 124 of the 200 laps.
“This is for everyone that doubted me,” Truex said. “I belong here. I just proved that.”
Truex is winless in 26 Cup starts (none since 2014), is 0-for-73 in the Truck Series and hadn’t won in 88 previous races in the second-tier Xfinity Series. He did have a second and a third among his four previous starts this season in the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.
A native of Mayetta, New Jersey, Truex couldn’t even get words out over the radio as he crossed the finish line.
“Most people didn’t believe in me, and I still did,” Truex said. “Just so thankful to be here. Just amazing. I was just waiting for something to happen. I was praying, please God, let me get to the end of this.”
Once he did, big brother was waiting for him. Martin Truex Jr. stuck his head in Ryan’s window and offered congratulations before Ryan parked in Victory Lane.
“I was a wreck coming across the line,” Ryan Truex said. “It’s been a long road. Honestly, I’m on cloud nine. The weight off my shoulders is unexplainable. To dominate in a car that good, oh my God, it’s just amazing.”
Truex, who finished a season-worst 17th last Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway, shares the No. 19 and has only one more scheduled Xfinity start this season.
Josh Berry, who starts Sunday in the Cup series for the injured Alex Bowman, finished second. Justin Allgaier, Austin Hill and John Hunter Nemechek complete the top five.