"Solid guy right there" - Martin Truex Jr's hurricane relief efforts attract praise from NASCAR fans

Modified Oct 05, 2024 03:32 GMT

Martin Truex Jr. took to Instagram and shared an update on his relief program for the Hurricane Helene victims. The driver’s efforts, including using his private planes to deliver goods, were showered with appreciation from NASCAR fans.

Currently in his final season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Martin Truex Jr. is a 44-year-old racing veteran driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. For the longest time, the driver has been giving back to the community through the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation (MTJF), that was founded a year after his rookie season in 2006.

In an Instagram post, the 2017 Cup Series champ showed his concern for those affected by Hurricane Helene. He wrote:

“Been thinking about everyone who has been affected by the path of Hurricane Helene. Really proud of all of our employees @mtj_aviation for pulling together to help get much needed supplies to Western North Carolina using our planes. #prayforwnc”

Truex Jr. deployed his planes, including a Beechcraft 400XP, to fly the supplies to western North Carolina. The planes are used to provide 24/7 medical flight services, which, to date, have flown over 900 life-saving organ flights, according to MTJ Aviation.

Several fans hailed the 44-year-old for his efforts, with one calling him a "solid guy".

“Solid guy right there," the fan commented.

Martin Truex Jr.'s relief efforts were praised by NASCAR fans - Source: @martintruex_jr on Instagram

Another fan praised Truex Jr.'s kindness while also lauding the NASCAR community for stepping up in the relief efforts for the Hurricane Helene victims.

“Truly not surprised by. [Truex’s] kindness yet again and JGR as a whole saw one other driver post to western NC n not a favorite but great job [Logano], NASCAR community as a whole is usually stepping up to the occasion be it natural disaster or needs of a fan brought to their attention, when possible, Kudos,💯💯💯🙏🙏TRUEX 19 we will miss you but you will not be far," the fan said.

Screenshot via @martintruex_jr on Instagram

"God bless y'all for helping," another fan wrote.

Fans also called the JGR driver a hero for his actions, with one IG user saying:

"You are a standup guy and these volunteers are true heroes."

"Heros. THANK GOD FOR ALL YOU NASCAR BOYS AND GALS FOR HELPING OUT LIKE YA ALL HAVE," another user wrote.

One fan, however, told the driver not to hand his foundation's donations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to make sure it reached the victims.

Just make sure sorry *ss FEMA doesn’t get a hold of it . It won’t go to the people who need it," one user commented.

One fan suggested the driver not to give the donations to FEMA - Source: @martintruex_jr on Instagram

Reports say that Hurricane Helene took the lives of over 200 individuals, making it among the deadliest storms in the US since 2000.

Martin Truex Jr. will be back on track at Talladega Superspeedway this Sunday, coming off a strong P3 finish at the Hollywood Casino 400 from Kansas Speedway.

Martin Truex Jr.’s foundation hosted a Catwalk for a Cause last month

MTJF continued hosting the Catwalk for a Cause event Truex Jr. launched in 2010 with Sherry Pollex, who passed away in September last year. The latest edition held last month was graced by several NASCAR drivers including Dale Earnhardt Jr. with his wife Amy.

Drivers like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell also showed up with their respective partners. They walked down the ramp showcasing various clothing including wedding-esque outfits by Joey and Brittany Baca Logano.

Martin Truex Jr. thanked the individuals who made the event possible, saying:

“We want to thank all of our 2024 Catwalk for a Cause participants! We couldn’t do it without you!”

The Catwalk is a fashion event aiming to empower children with a cancer diagnosis. The children walk down the ramp along with NASCAR stars to make them feel like the “star of the show for one night”, according to Sherry Strong.

Since the event was founded in 2010, the cause has raised over $5 million.

Edited by Neelabhra Roy