Martin Truex Jr. is still looking for his first Nextel Cup Series win. Credit: Autostock

Conversation: Truex

Current Busch Series champ and Cup rookie on his favorite hobby

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Martin Truex Jr. knew the move to Nextel Cup wouldn't be easy, but after consecutive Busch Series championships he didn't think it would be this tough.

Despite a career-best fifth in Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway, the teammate of Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 19th in points with only four top-10s.

So when he gets a chance to get away from the track -- as he recently did on a bow hunting trip to Dean Lake, Mo., with sponsor Bass Pro Shops -- he jumps at it.

	Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Numbers Martin Truex Jr.'s Cup stats Starts 39 Wins 0 Top-5s 1 Top-10s 5 Poles 0 Laps Led 11 Avg. Start 21.2 Avg. Finish 22.4

Q: Was your hunting trip a success?

Truex: We went white tail hunting. Nobody got a buck. I did get a doe and a bobcat, so that was pretty cool.

We actually had a TV crew with us when we went. You might think that would put pressure on you knowing they're there to see you kill something, but I've gotten pretty used to the cameras around here.

A couple of years ago I would have been like nervous and all. Now it's cool.

Q: Were you into hunting before you got involved with Bass Pro Shop as a sponsor?

Truex: Yeah, I've been into hunting since I was a little kid. I went with my dad and my uncle a lot growing up. It was kind of a family thing we did every year. When we were younger we went on a trip out West for a week or so.

Q: What's your best childhood memory of hunting?

Truex: Oh, there are tons. We grew up kind of in the woods. We always had a lot of land. Probably one of my earliest memories was sitting in the deer stand with my dad's brother. I wasn't old enough to hunt. I just tagged along with him.

Q: What do you remember about the first shot you took?

Truex: I remember when I got my first gun. I got a fourteen shotgun for Christmas when I was 6. I shot some pheasants with that. I didn't ask for the gun, but I was real excited. It was probably the coolest gift I ever got as a kid.

Q: So having Bass Pro Shop as a sponsor has fit right into your lifestyle, right?

Truex: The cool thing about it is being able to promote a sponsor that you really believe in. Bass Pro fits my lifestyle perfectly. Everything they do is really cool. Getting free stuff is cool, too. They've got some great products. They gave me a fishing boat to use, so the perks are good.

Q: What's the best perk you've gotten?

Truex: My bass boat. It's pretty bad ass. It actually broke this past week. I had a little outboard trouble. I got a major oil leak out of nowhere.

But the guys at Bass Pro came and picked it up and tuned it up and will get it running again. It's just like a pitstop.

Q: What do you like about being in the outdoors?

Truex: It's something I grew up around, kind of like a family legacy. My dad took me hunting. His dad took him hunting. When I have a boy, I'll take him hunting, too. It's just being part of the outdoors and things people have done for centuries. It's really neat.

Q: What's your best kill to date?

Truex: It would have to be the mule deer I shot in Wyoming five or six years ago. I'm not sure what it scored, but it's the biggest thing I've ever shot.

Q: What's your dream kill?

Truex: Probably an elk with a bow. I've kind of gotten into bow hunting when I was 17 or 18. The last couple of years, I haven't had a chance to do much of it. It's fun to get back into it.

Q: Do you have much mounted on the walls at your house?

Truex: No. Most of the things I have mounted are at my parents' house, mostly fish and stuff. I just moved into the house at Lake Norman about five months ago. It's my first house. I'm still working on a lot of things.

Q: What's it like to own your first house?

UAW-Ford 500 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Brian Vickers Chevy 2. Kasey Kahne Dodge 3. Kurt Busch Dodge 4. Matt Kenseth Ford 5. Martin Truex Jr. Chevy 6. Kevin Harvick Chevy 7. Jeff Green Chevy 8. Mark Martin Ford 9. Carl Edwards Ford 10. Bobby Labonte Dodge • Complete results, click here • Driver standings, click here

Truex: It's been great so far. You get to come home whenever you want and do whatever you want. If you don't like something you knock it down and change it. You can leave your clothes on the floor. It's all good.

Q: What's your worst habit at home?

Truex: Leaving clothes all over the floor. My girlfriend comes in and cleans up after me occasionally.

Q: Why did you choose the lake?

Truex: I love to fish. I probably fish three days a week right now. I caught a few stripers last week. When you live on a lake you can go anytime.

I was stuck between trying to find a lot of land and living on the lake. It's working out good for me. I still want to buy some land and do some stuff, but I'm putting that off for a little bit.

Q: You have a reputation for being a partier. Do you fish early in the morning?

Truex: One out of every 20 times I fish, I get up early. Most of the time I go in the afternoon or night. You're right, I'm not an early bird.