By alley - Dec 28, 2016, 9:23 PM ET

NASCAR: Truex earns EMPA driver of the year honors

While Martin Truex Jr.'s season didn't end the way he envisioned, his dominance didn't go unrecognized.

Truex has been named the 2016 Eastern Motorsport Press Association National Driver of the Year. Furniture Row Racing, who Truex drives for in the NASCAR premier series, announced the news Wednesday. The award was voted on by members of the EMPA.

In 2016, his third year with Furniture Row Racing, Truex qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup and finished 11th in points, failing to advance out of the second round. However, Truex won multiple races for the first time in his career (four), earned five poles and led 1,809 laps (most in the series). In May, Truex made history by leading 588 of 600 miles on his way to a dominant win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

This is the second time Truex has earned the award. He also was named EMPA National Driver of the Year in 2004, after winning his first of two Xfinity Series championships.

"Martin had an impressive season, winning two of the triple crown events – the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500," said Earl Krause, EMPA board member and lead announcer at Pocono Raceway. "He nearly pulled off NASCAR's version of the triple crown but came up inches short of winning the Daytona 500. He also had exciting Chase victories at Chicago and Dover. I covered Martin since his early racing days at Wall Stadium in New Jersey, and like his father – Martin Truex Sr. – he has always been a class act both on and off the track."

Truex is a native of Mayetta, New Jersey.

The EMPA was created in 1969. Other drivers who have been awarded EMPA National Driver of the Year include Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart, Terry Labonte, Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Mark Donohue and John Force.

"My racing roots are in the Northeast and to be recognized by the EMPA takes on a special meaning for the entire Truex family," Truex said. "My family has spent many days and nights racing at Northeastern tracks, and that's why I always feel like I'm going home when the NASCAR series competes at Dover, Pocono, and New Hampshire.

"I want to thank the EMPA members for this humbling honor. The real heroes are my teammates at Furniture Row Racing for bringing fast racecars to the track on a weekly basis. I also want to thank our team owner Barney Visser, team president Joe Garone and our sponsors – Furniture Row, Denver Mattress, Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, TRACKER Boats, Auto-Owners Insurance and Visser Precision."