LONG POND, PA. – Martin Truex Jr. slapped the top of his No. 78 Chevrolet, thrust his right fist toward the sky and bounded straight into his girlfriend's arms.
Truex has stood by Sherry Pollex's side through her fight with ovarian cancer. Pollex was strong for Truex when his career was in flux following a scandal that cost him a shot at a championship and his ride.
Sunday at Pocono Raceway, they were set for an overdue celebration.
Truex led the most laps for the fourth straight race, only this time he was in front on the one that mattered most, breaking through for his first Sprint Cup victory since 2013.
"This is easily the biggest win of my career," Truex said.
Rival drivers, owners, crew members popped by victory lane for high-fives and congratulatory messages. Dale Earnhardt Jr. hugged Pollex. Jimmie Johnson fist-bumped Truex, who had taken another jolt when his grandmother, Roberta, died Wednesday in the family hometown of Mayetta, N.J.
"He's had more to overcome personally and professionally than probably anybody sitting in that seat right now," Johnson said.
Truex and Pollex, a couple since 2005, have endured their share of personal and professional heartache over the past 18 months. Pollex, was diagnosed with cancer last summer and she had various organs removed, including her ovaries, fallopian tubes and part of her stomach.
