New NASCAR Champion

Last weekend, four NASCAR drivers entered Homestead-Miami Speedway with a chance at winning a title.  Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Brad Keselowski had all put together great regular season performances and had survived through the playoffs to this point. In the end, Martin Truex Jr. bested all of them and finished a storybook season to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title.

The race was close throughout.  Brad Keselowski made an early pit stop in order to take advantage of the early race, but fell behind eventually and was the weakest out of the four.  Kevin Harvick had a solid showing but was unable to challenge the race leaders for much of the day.  Kyle Larson, a young racer who had a very solid performance, finished third.  The race was decided by Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., who battled for the lead throughout the race.  However, Martin Truex Jr. found himself holding the lead going into the last few laps and Kyle Busch was unable to pass him, giving Truex Jr. his first ever title.

This story has a Cinderella ending. A few years ago, Truex found himself questioning if he would continue to race after disappointing finishes.  However, the team has gone from the back of the pack space fillers to championship winners in three years, mostly due to increased cohesion and team development. This year was filled with heart-wrenching storylines. The owner of the team, Barney Visser, had a heart attack and required heart surgery.  Sherry Pollex, Truex’s girlfriend, has been battling ovarian cancer for the last two years.  During this year’s NASCAR playoffs, pit crew member, James “Jim” Watson died at the age of 55 from a heart attack.  However, in the end, Truex, who won 7 races before Homestead, found his eighth win and a NASCAR title.  It shows how teams can persevere through the tough times and dreams can come true.

Photo Credit: http://www.thedenverchannel.com