Ryan Truex has been around the block long enough to understand how difficult it is to win a NASCAR race. This was on full display in 2012 when the 20-year-old driver lost the lead to Joey Logano with six laps to go in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Dover Motor Speedway.
It was a humbling defeat that certainly changed the direction of Truex’s career as he bounced around NASCAR for the next nine seasons before finding his way back to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2022 and now 2023.
Truex’s journey finally paid off at the track where he suffered agonizing defeat 11 years ago as he swept the Xfinity Series race at Dover en route to his first NASCAR victory in his 188th start. Now, the primary goal is to make weekly appearances in the Xfinity Series moving forward.
Related: Ryan Truex wins first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Dover
Ryan Truex ‘optimistic’ as Joe Gibbs Racing works towards a full-time Xfinity Series ride
Truex stood on the front stretch for his victory interview with FOX Sports and didn’t show as much emotion as people would expect; however, the driver of the No. 19 car crossed the finish line and was unable to speak because of what just happened.
Truex talked about how most people didn’t believe in his abilities and how this victory was for everyone who doubted him. It was a long road but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was not going home without a victory at Dover Motor Speedway.
After the race was over, the topic of conversation began to shift toward the 31-year-old driver’s future in NASCAR. It had been such a difficult journey to reach this point and with a win under his belt, it changes everything in terms of his full-time pursuit.
Truex jumped on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and talked about his first career NASCAR victory and the process moving forward. This is what he had to say about his future as he continues to push for a full-time opportunity.
“My goal hasn’t changed. I want to be racing full-time in the (NASCAR Xfinity Series). I would love to do that with Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing, and that’s what we’re working towards, that’s what we’re trying to put together and get the right partners together and everything it takes to make it happen. That is goal No. 1 right now and that’s what we’re all focusing on and working towards. Luckily, it’s still early in the year so we’ve got time to get it done, and winning definitely makes that a lot easier. We’ll see what happens but I’m pretty optimistic about it for sure.”
Ryan Truex on his desire to be full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series
The good thing for Truex is that his feelings seem to be mutual. Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing are working with him to receive a full-time opportunity in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next season. Of course, the sponsorship aspect is a very important factor.
Martin Truex Jr., Truex’s brother, even said the next step is to get him sponsorship so he can drive the No. 19 Xfinity car on a full-time basis to compete for victories and championships. Truex Jr. understands how hard his brother’s journey has been to this point but it is finally paying off.
As of now, Truex is pretty optimistic about his chances to become full-time with Joe Gibbs Racing next year. The New Jersey native continues to work with the organization behind the scenes and his work on the NASCAR Cup Series side shows how highly it thinks of him.
In the meantime, whether you are watching it live or looking for how to watch NASCAR on TV or another streaming platform, Sportsnaut has you covered for the upcoming weekend at Kansas Speedway!