Editor’s note: The original January 2023 version of this article was lost. The Lee Daily Register rebuilt it in October 2026 from the reporting cited below, and added what happened afterward. The original version presented a garbled version of Martin Truex Jr.’s statement that described the end of an engagement. That was not accurate: his statement said the couple had decided to end their relationship, and they had not been reported as engaged.
NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. said Friday that he and his longtime partner, Sherry Pollex, have decided to end their relationship.
Truex shared the news in a brief Instagram story addressed to his fans and partners. He said he would continue to support Pollex and asked the public to respect their privacy, adding that there would be no further comment, Larry Brown Sports reported. No reason for the decision was given.
The two had been together since 2005. Truex, 42, is preparing for his fifth season with Joe Gibbs Racing and won the Cup Series championship in 2017, the same report noted.
A partnership built around charity
For much of their time together, Truex and Pollex were known for their charity work. In 2007 they launched a foundation in his name to help children and families affected by cancer. Pollex helped start the Catwalk for a Cause fashion gala in 2010, and in 2020 her foundation partnered with Novant Health in Charlotte to open the Sherry Strong Integrative Medicine Oncology Clinic, WBTV has reported.
Her years-long fight with cancer
Pollex was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 2014 and has spoken openly about her treatment. In a July 2022 story by The Athletic, she said the cancer had spread to her right lung, her diaphragm and parts of her lymph nodes, according to Larry Brown Sports. The health news site SurvivorNet noted that she had entered remission several times since her diagnosis.
What happened next
Pollex died on Sept. 17, 2023, at age 44, after a nine-year battle with ovarian cancer, CBS Sports reported. Her family said in a statement that she was no longer suffering and asked for privacy.
After her death, Truex said Pollex had been determined from the moment of her diagnosis to fight the disease and to help others facing it, and that her charity work would leave a legacy that continues to help families. Fox News reported that the two had remained close friends after their split in January.
On June 14, 2024, at Iowa Speedway, Truex announced that he would retire from full-time Cup Series racing at the end of that season, his 19th. He said he wanted a life without a schedule that kept him at the track most weekends and that his performance was not the reason, The Associated Press reported. Joe Gibbs said Truex would stay with the team as an ambassador.
