Little Brother Ryan Truex Stepping Out of Big Brother's Shadow

Fidgeting in a chair inside a conference room at Michael Waltrip Racing, Ryan Truex kept casting furtive glances over his shoulder toward the shop floor.

The younger brother of Martin Truex Jr. seemed to be keeping a watchful eye on the crewmembers preparing his No. 00 Toyota for his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Saturday at Gateway International Raceway.

He also was wrestling with the nerves from fulfilling an opportunity that arose because of his name.

"The last name definitely helps more than it hurts, but it also puts more pressure on you," he said. "I know that the team's behind me as a driver, but MWR got me here to try to get Martin here."

Indeed, Ryan Truex signed with the team last year while MWR still was courting his older brother to drive its No. 56 Camry in the Sprint Cup Series.

But the 18-year-old from Mayetta, N.J., has done plenty to justify the investment.

Truex became the first MWR driver to win a championship last year in the K&N Pro Series East, which he is leading again this year. In joining a Sprint Cup-affiliated team as a teenager, Truex essentially has a six-year head-start on his brother, who was 23 when he began racing for Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s Nationwide team.

Martin Truex Jr. matured into a two-time Nationwide champion and a winner in NASCAR's premier series who contended for the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2007.

Those who have monitored the development of Ryan Truex believe his future could be even brighter.

"It's not to be overstated, but Ryan can be better than his brother, if only because he has a quality opportunity at a much younger age," said Ty Norris, MWR's vice president and general manager. "He didn't develop any bad habits with bad cars. He knows right out of the box what a good car should feel like.

"I think Ryan in a race car can be as talented as anyone in our building."