Two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series winner, Ryan Truex is all set to continue his term as Joe Gibbs Racing’s reserve driver for the 2025 season. Performing multiple roles from filling in for drivers in the top two tiers to running test sessions and simulations, Truex will be doing his part to help JGR contend at the front this year. While acting as a reserve has not been the ultimate goal of Ryan’s career in NASCAR, the 32-year-old driver has embraced his place in the sport.
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Elaborating on how he ended up in his current situation, the former Truck Series full-timer looked at the positives of his role and said, “It’s about knowing all the plays. For me, that’s a big deal being trusted as the guy to jump into Cup cars if something might happen.”
Eager to make his Cup Series debut if the opportunity presents itself, the New Jersey native has not given up on his ultimate dream as a driver in the sport’s top tier. “When I started racing, I definitely didn’t think it would go the way it has gone and it definitely hasn’t gone according to plan,” he quipped.
“But I’ve come too far to just lay down and give up. In the meantime, it feels gratifying to be trusted with this responsibility,” said Ryan, maintaining a positive outlook on what could unfold in the future.
Being in a reserve role can often be difficult for a racecar driver’s mindset. Staying mentally and physically fit at all times with no specified timeline of when you could be called into race can prove counterintuitive.
“When that opportunity presents itself, it’s all about being as ready as you can be. I know how to jump off the couch and go be fast, but also how to calculate the risk and keep the car in one piece and take care of it,” added Ryan.
However, it is the same preparedness that can help the reserve driver draw in eyeballs to the extent that a career breakthrough comes for them as well. An example of the same comes in the form of former Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry filling in for an injured Chase Elliott in 2023.
The job that Berry did filling in for Chase at Hendrick Motorsports has earned him a full-time Cup Series ride with Stewart-Haas Racing until 2024, and continuing with Wood Brothers Racing this year. This is exactly the kind of breakthrough Truex is on the lookout for.
