While Martin Truex Jr.’s 2024 NASCAR Cup season wasn’t entirely lackluster, he didn’t manage to secure any victories. Had he snagged even one win in his final season of competition, he would have entered an esteemed group of drivers who triumphed in their swan song seasons, marking a perfect finale to his storied career.
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Previously, only five drivers have managed to win during their final full-time drives. For instance, Kurt Busch won in his last Cup season in 2022, taking the checkered flag at the Advent Health 400 at Kansas Speedway. Likewise, Carl Edwards, whose Cup Series career wrapped up in 2016, secured three wins that year, his last being the AAA Texas 500 race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Then there’s Tony Stewart, who, with 49 Cup victories under his belt, claimed the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway during his farewell tour in 2016. Jeff Gordon, donning his helmet for the last time in 2015, triumphed at the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway, while Davey Allison, bowed out in 1993 by clinching the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond Raceway.
The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran came tantalizingly close to victory in several races this season. He was the runner-up at Bristol Motor Speedway, starting P11 and finishing P2, and showed strong performances at Richmond Raceway and Dover Motor Speedway with finishes of P4 and P3 as well.
20 years went by too fast.
Martin Truex Jr.'s final paint scheme as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver is inspired by his debut car from 2004. pic.twitter.com/92RFhWXqNl
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) November 9, 2024
At Kansas, he crossed the line in P4 and P3 as the sport visited the venue twice during the year. He especially sparkled on short tracks, though a win continued to elude him.
Last season, Truex Jr. won the regular season championship with three wins to his name. However, with his NASCAR career far from over, there’s still a chance for fans to witness him taking the checkered flag in P1 as a part-time entrant, perhaps at the famed Daytona 500 next year.
Truex Jr. is an inspiration for Christopher Bell
While the now-erstwhile #19 Toyota driver may not have made it onto the exclusive list of drivers who clinched a win in their final season, his influence resonates strongly among today’s top competitors. Recently, NASCAR unveiled a video featuring reflections from Truex Jr.’s former teammates on the New Jersey native.
While Hamlin expressed hopes that the sport would continue to revere Truex’s legacy post-racing, Bell openly admired him, stating, “For me, Martin has always been an idol of mine. I want to be similar to him. Martin Truex does things his way and I’ve always cherished that about.”
Truex is certainly slated to be remembered for his fair play on the track. Although he might not have secured a spot on certain illustrious lists, his name will stand alongside the likes of Mark Martin, celebrated for his honorable approach to racing when all is said and done.
