There is not a lot that 43-year-old Martin Truex Jr. has yet to achieve from behind the wheel of a race car. He is already a Cup Series champion, a 2two-time Busch Series champion, and a multiple-time crown-jewel race winner. Heading into the 2024 season, he has 34 wins in the top tier of NASCAR. One of the biggest questions that comes attached with a resume like this is: How will his impact on the sport be remembered?
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The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has a clear idea of how he wants his legacy to be remembered and it is not through his wins. The only thing he wants future generations to know is that he tried to do things the right way. He opened up to NASCAR in a recent interview, “I always try to treat people with respect, the way I would want to get treated and do things the right way on the race track, and just be a good teammate, be a good part of a team and be someone that’s fun to be around.”
While he is unsure if being such a character matters, he is sure that he hasn’t finished writing his story on the track. But not surprisingly, many including the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Executive Director Winston Kelley believe that he has already done enough in his car to warrant being honored with an induction to the hall.
Martin Truex Jr.’s candidacy for a Hall of Fame induction
The Hall of Fame is filled with the absolute best of drivers who graced stock car racing and helped grow it to the level of success that it currently enjoys. Several with achievements that wane in comparison to Truex Jr.’s have made the list. And that makes him a strong candidate even at his current stature.
He revealed to NASCAR that Kelley always brought the topic up whenever they met and encouraged his candidacy. He said, “But I try not to get too caught up in it, and I’m still writing my history. So I’d like to add some more things to it to hopefully get in there on the first try.” To realize his wish of making it into the hall on his first try, he believes he needs to time his retirement right.
Martin Truex Jr. said he doesn’t know if not having a Daytona 500 win would feel like a void on his resume. He hopes to never find out. His outlook as he tries to earn his first Daytona 500 victory: pic.twitter.com/2jvIfyBaNZ
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 9, 2024
He added, “I figure I dodged a big bullet with Harvick going already, so he’ll get in his first try, right? So I would imagine that I just have to make sure me and Denny don’t retire at the same time. It’s crazy to think about. It’s wild.” Truex Jr. will soon be racing in the 2024 Daytona 500 to get his first Harley J. Earl trophy. Winning the event can’t but help make his first-try induction come true.
