On Wednesday, Martin Truex Jr. signed a contract extension with Dale Earnhardt Inc. that will last through at least the 2009 season.

Truex’s sponsor, Bass Pro Shops, will remain on the No. 1 Chevrolet until through 2010.

Truex competed in the Nationwide Series driving for Chance 2 Motorsports which was jointly owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and DEI.

Truex earned back-to-back championships in the series in 2004 and 2005.

In 2006 Truex began racing full-time for DEI. In his debut season, Truex earned two Top-5’s and five Top-10’s. Also, Truex finished the season 19th in points, a respectable place for a rookie.

During his sophomore season Truex was able to qualify for the Chase to the Nextel Cup via one win, seven Top-5’s and 13 Top-10’s. Finishing the season 11th in the points standings, Truex left his team, fans and sponsors with high expectations for the 2008 season.

2008 has proven to be lackluster for Truex and the No. 1 team, with two Top-5’s and six Top-10’s. Truex was nailed with a 150 point penalty at Daytona for failing a pre-qualifying inspection which ultimately obliterated his chances of making the Chase for a second consecutive season.

The announcement came as no surprise seeing that Truex is the highlight of the organization.

While specifics of the contract remain unknown at this point, be sure to stay in tune to HardcoreRaceFans.com to learn the latest updates on Truex’s extension.