CONFIRMED: Martin Truex Jr. Makes Retirement Decision
What’s Happening? Martin Truex Jr. announced at Iowa Speedway on Friday that he will retire from full-time competition following the 2024…
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When Martin Truex Jr. announced over the weekend that he was stepping aside from full-time Cup Series competition, he and team owner Joe Gibbs expressed interest in Truex Jr. continuing to race in some capacity. What would that look like, and which races could we see Martin Truex Jr. participate in come 2025?
What’s Happening? Martin Truex Jr. announced at Iowa Speedway on Friday that he will retire from full-time competition following the 2024…
During the weekend, Denny Hamlin asked whether Martin Truex Jr. would have a spot at 23XI Racing for the occasional part-time start in the NASCAR Cup Series. Hamlin said Truex Jr. is welcome to return without hesitation, specifically mentioning the Daytona 500.
If Martin Truex Jr. races in the Cup Series in 2024, it will likely be in a Joe Gibbs Racing-affiliated car, given he is staying on as an ambassador. 23XI Racing would be the perfect fit, given their alliance with JGR.
Truex Jr. has one glaring flaw on his Cup Series resume: He’s never won the Daytona 500. He came incredibly close to winning the race in 2016, losing in a photo finish to Denny Hamlin, ironically enough.
That’s probably the most likely race he would compete in, especially in an “Open” car. He’s also never won the Brickyard 400, so that race could be on his list for 2025. Maybe tracks close to home like Dover, Pocono, and New Hampshire, or tracks he’s had multiple wins at like Sonoma, Charlotte, or Martinsville could be in play.
Now, there is some question about whether 23XI Racing could field a car for Truex Jr. despite Hamlin’s promises. With a recent Jordan Bianchi report suggesting NASCAR could limit teams to three cars, does that only apply to chartered entries or to open entries as well? That could be a hurdle, but we still don’t know what will happen.
What’s Happening? Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic recently published a major article on all of the hottest rumors regarding Silly…
Martin Truex Jr. hinted during his announcement that he would race in the Xfinity Series for JGR. This would make sense and mirror what Aric Almirola has done with JGR this season. He retired from full-time competition but stayed in the Xfinity Series to compete, even winning a race at Martinsville.
Truex Jr. could easily take this route, and it would be fun to see him compete at some of his best race tracks. Just like the Cup Series, tracks near where he is from, or tracks he’s been successful at would be prime candidates. Maybe he could race alongside or be teammates with his brother, Ryan Truex.
There’s no three-car limit in Xfinity, at least not yet, so Gibbs could easily field a car for Truex Jr. It’s also likely that he will focus on races he can win and have fun at rather than trying to race at a track he struggles at. Daniel Kriete reported that Truex Jr. hopes to make around 10 starts in 2025, meaning he will be picky with which races to compete in.
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