NASCAR Cup Series veteran Martin Truex Jr. heads into this weekend’s race on Sunday as the defending winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The #19 Toyota Camry driver at Coach Gibbs’ racing outfit is in his final year of full-time racing in the sport.
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With that being said, the 2017 champion is also one of the few drivers this season waiting on their first win of the year. With nine races to go until the postseason, Truex Jr. is keeping drivers such as Joey Logano and Kyle Busch company with zero wins to their name this year.
Looking forward to his prospects of solidifying his place in the 2024 Playoffs, Truex Jr. touched on how difficult and ever-evolving a track New Hampshire Motor Speedway can be.
Martin Truex Jr. sat in the grandstands at New Hampshire watching his dad win.
Last year, he became a winner there himself. pic.twitter.com/i8U9NOq0VU
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 20, 2024
Despite his third-best average finishing position at the venue out of the complete field, he elaborated, “It’s a tough place and it’s not gotten any easier since then. The older it gets, the harder it gets. Last year, we saw the track be very different than it’s ever been before.”
He added, “It’s a very technical track and it’s gotten bumpy. over the years as well. It’s flat, has a fast entry, and not a lot of grip. New Hampshire is a real challenge but it’s a lot of fun when you get it right. I know all our guys will be ready.”
Martin Truex Jr. retiring on his terms while clinching the 2024 Cup Series championship trophy would be a fairytale end to what has been a storied career in the sport. All that remains to be seen is if the #19 crew can make the same happen over the course of the remaining year.
How has Martin Truex Jr. performed at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the past?
The #19 Toyota Camry driver has an average finishing position of 11.3 at ‘The Magic Mile’ which puts him third best amongst the entire active field this season. In conjuction with his average finish, Truex Jr. won last year’s Cup Series event at the venue, along with three other top 10 finishes since 2019.
His last five appearances in Loudon have not seen the #19 crew start worse than P11 as the race is green flagged, hinting towards strong qualifying performance by the group as well.
Combined with a lowest ever career finish of P12 at the venue, the New Jersey native is expected to be one of the faovrites going into Sunday’s race.
