Martin Truex Jr. has had an impressive career behind the wheel. The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion has also taken home the Xfinity Series crown twice, but he did go through some dry spells throughout his career. In a past interview with SB Nation, he revealed that he tried a bizarre superstition to end his winless run.
Martin Truex Jr. Reveals Unconventional Attempt to Break a Slump
Superstitions play a significant role in NASCAR. Many drivers swear by peculiar rituals in their quest for success on the track.
Davey Allison, for example, believed in cinematic luck. He would watch a movie on the weekend of a race, and if the race went well, he would watch the same film before the next race as well. The 1992 Daytona 500 winner would stick to the same flick if he performed well on the circuit.
Facial hair and NASCAR success seem to go hand in hand. Jimmie Johnson, arguably the greatest driver of his generation, has kept his beard for years. Dale Earnhardt’s iconic mustache was a fixture throughout his legendary career. While it’s not just NASCAR drivers, many men in racing sports believe shaving on race day is bad luck.
In 2010, Truex talked about the superstition he followed when having a bad time on the grid. He insisted he wasn’t superstitious but still dabbled in a few rituals.
“Not per se,” Truex replied when asked if he followed any specific routine or superstition. “I don’t wear the same pair of underwear every week or anything crazy like that. I’ve had a lot of tough luck the last few years, and I always feel like I’ve got bad luck, and something is following me around.”
“There’s been times where I’ve said, ‘Well, if I got a new helmet and I had a bad weekend, then I won’t wear it again – that helmet is bad luck.’ But it just never works out. There’s some things I’ve tried to turn the luck around and it just hasn’t,” he added. “I think it’s one of those things where you just have to wait for it all to come around full circle.”
While Truex might be tame about the superstitions, he also set the record straight about some fans’ misconceptions about himself.
When asked about something the fans may not know or understand about him, Truex explained, “I think people think I’m really, really serious. But I really have a lot of fun. The last few years have been kind of up and down for me, but I’ve really still enjoyed doing what I do, and I still really love it. And I think people don’t really get that sometimes.”