![Martin Truex Jr.]()
It's finally time.
The past couple
NASCAR Cup Series seasons, all eyes have been on
Martin Truex Jr. to see whether the driver of the #19 car for Joe Gibbs Racing would be hanging it up. The announcement didn't come until the fall last year, but Truex ultimately decided to return for 2024, saying that he still felt like he could be competitive and backing it up this season as he sits 4th in the championship points standings.
There's no doubt Truex is still one of the top drivers in the Cup Series, and he's still in a top ride, with Joe Gibbs Racing being one of only two teams, along with Hendrick Motorsports, to show consistent speed throughout the first half of 2024.
But it's finally time for Truex to step away.
The 43-year old veteran driver announced today that he would be retiring from NASCAR at the end of the 2024 season, stepping away after 19 years of driving full time in the sport's top series.
https://twitter.com/NASCARonNBC/status/1801706722358145361
It's a career that includes 34 Cup Series wins, the 2017 Cup Series championship, and two championship's in NASCAR's lower series.
But it didn't start out looking like Truex is going to be the lock for the NASCAR Hall of Fame that he is today.
The future champion struggled during his first couple of years in the Cup Series, joining the late Dale Earnhardt's team, DEI, around the time that it merged with Chip Ganassi Racing before landing a promising ride at Michael Waltrip Racing.
But it all appeared to crumble for Truex back in 2013, when his teammates were involved in the "Spingate" scandal in which Michael Waltrip Racing driver Clint Bowyer was accused of spinning out in order to help lock Truex in the playoffs.
Truex was unaware of what was going on and had no part in manipulating the race, but the scandal and penalties were enough for sponsors to leave the team, including Truex's sponsor, NAPA Auto Parts, causing the team to shut down and leaving Truex in limbo.
He managed to find a landing spot at Furniture Row Racing, which to that point had been an underfunded and underperforming team for a driver of Truex's caliber. But the team found some magic, and Truex was able to help build up the Colorado-based team into championship contenders before finally taking home the trophy in 2017, his only championship to date.
Truex won 4 races for Furniture Row the next season, but the team ultimately decided to shut down after 2018, leaving Truex without a ride once again.
But this time, he was one of the hottest names in NASCAR, and was quickly snatched up by Joe Gibbs Racing, where he's been since 2019 while winning 14 races and finishing 2nd in the final points standings twice.
Of course his retirement opens up one of the top cars in NASCAR at a time when several drivers are looking for a ride for 2025 with the recent news that Stewart-Haas Racing would be shutting down at the end of this season.
The #19 car could end up as a landing spot for SHR driver Chase Briscoe, who is rumored to be the top candidate to replace Truex.
But before he steps away, Truex is looking to add one more championship to his resume - though there's no doubt that he's already a lock for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
https://twitter.com/Jordan_Bianchi/status/1801707675513655358
