Martin Truex Jr. has been one of NASCAR’s best drivers since his breakout year with Furniture Row Racing during the 2016 season. It was a storybook run for both parties as Truex gave the organization its only NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2017.
After Furniture Row Racing shut down its operations, Truex moved to Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2019 season and has run well with the No. 19 team. However, the debut season of the NextGen car represented a low point after failing to win a race and make the playoffs.
Now, the driver of the No. 19 car has found his previous form. Truex has two victories and leads the point standings after 17 races but could this be his farewell season as he considers retirement for the second straight year?
Martin Truex Jr.’s future in the NASCAR Cup Series receives a big update as he considers retirement
Truex started the 2023 NASCAR season on a high note after winning the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum. It represented a return to form and even though it didn’t count toward the NASCAR regular season, the No. 19 team received a much-needed boost after a rough 2022 season.
The next seven weeks didn’t go as expected. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver only secured one top-10 finish and expressed frustration over the radio at his crew chief James Small at Richmond Raceway for not telling him about his tire situation.
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Richmond represented the turning point for the No. 19 team. Truex only has two finishes outside of the top-8 spots in the last 10 races with two wins and six top-5 finishes. He has been very competitive and much-needed excitement has returned to the scene.
The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi jumped on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio to discuss Truex’s checklist on returning to NASCAR in 2024 and gave an update that will likely make several people within Joe Gibbs Racing excited.
“(Martin Truex Jr.) has said that he isn’t committed to next year yet but he’s also said that some of the things he needs to do to check his box, one is be competitive. Well, he’s doing that…Two, he wants to be having fun and he is having fun…Those are two big boxes that have been checked. From everything I’ve been told, I would be very shocked if Martin Truex Jr. isn’t back in the No. 19 car next year.”
Jordan Bianchi on Martin Truex Jr.’s future in NASCAR
Truex is currently experiencing the good old saying about success in NASCAR…winning fixes everything. In this case, the New Jersey native’s success has fixed several issues and while a possible retirement last season was uncertain, this year feels a little more optimistic.
It is hard for NASCAR drivers to step away when they are having a lot of success on the race track. Truex looks like the championship favorite and when there is plenty of excitement around the race team, it doesn’t make a 36-race season as difficult.
If Truex decided to step away after the 2022 season, no one would have blamed him. He struggled with the NextGen car and not winning a race or making the playoffs was a very hard thing to stomach after making the Championship 4 in four of the last five years.
Now, it would be shocking to see Truex step away and no one would blame him if this is his decision. The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion has been great and there is no way he will hang it up with the possibility of a second title on the way.
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