Martin Truex Jr. is a consummate teammate.
That was reflected on Friday at Iowa Speedway when the 43-year-old confirmed his impending retirement from the NASCAR Cup Series at the end of the season, surrounded by nearly everyone available at Joe Gibbs Racing, but also in how they spoke about him.
Denny Hamlin, who has raced alongside him since the 2019 season, says he’s never found himself at loggerheads with his fellow veteran.
“It’s hard to believe I’ve been teammates with him as long as I have and I’ve never had a ‘what the heck Martin?!’ moment,” Hamlin said. “Never. I’m sure he’s said that about me in his head because of the things I’ve done as his teammate, but I’ve never had that moment. I don’t think anyone has as a teammate to him or anything.
So, not sure how you can’t say he’s the best teammate you can have.
“He’s so respectful, reminds me of Jimmie Johnson. He’s so underrated as far as the natural ability to drive a car fast. I have to work tremendously hard week-in-and-week-out to run as well as Martin Truex.”
Hamlin called Truex ‘one of the most naturally gifted drivers our series has seen in quite some time’ and that he has to work towards what comes effortlessly to Truex.
“When I think about Martin, I try to think about a moment when I said ‘man, I can’t believe he did that,’ and the answer is no,” Hamlin said. “He’s always done the right thing.”
That sentiment was echoed by Christopher Bell, who was raced with him for the past three years at the Cup level, but also well before that as a development driver.
“He has no ego,” Bell said. “He has no ‘I’m better than you’ attitude. He’s just a very normal person who does himself and I respect the heck out of him as he’s a superstar in the Cup Series, but he just does himself.
“He’s not flashy, doesn’t care about what anyone else thinks. He’s Martin Truex Jr., and frankly, that’s who I want to be. Christopher Bell, but the same style.”
Ty Gibbs has only raced alongside Truex for the past two years but the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs has spent his entire life around the veteran racer.
“He’s been a really good friend of mine,” said Gibbs. “Somebody I’ve looked up to my whole racing career. I’m very thankful to have been a teammate with him and so I’m happy with him and wish him the best. Will probably go visit him and go see what’s going on with his retirement life. Good for him.”
So what now?
In announcing his retirement, Truex left open the possibility that he would race sporadically on a part-time basis and that he would even contemplate coming back to chase the Daytona 500, a yet unrealized achievement.
To wit, Hamlin says he would prepare the car out of his 23XI Racing stable as soon as Truex gave him the word that he wanted to do it.
“I’ve told him that I will have his Daytona 500 car ready immediately,” Hamlin said. “Just tell me the word. 100 percent.”
Is that because he knows Truex wants to earn that achievement or because Hamlin knows it could help Toyota’s chances overall?
“All of the above,” Hamlin said. I just explained, he’s a great driver, right? So why wouldn’t I? But yes, we certainly would — anytime that Martin gets bored, and wants to run Cup, we would have a seat for him, for sure.”
Truex is also expected to make the occasional start for Gibbs in the Xfinity Series and is remaining with the organization as an ambassador.
It comes back to being a consummate teammate and how Gibbs does not want to lose those intangibles entirely from his organization.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.