Martin Truex Jr. Drops Huge Update on Return to NASCAR Racing After Another Failed Daytona 500 Attempt

Martin Truex Jr. entered the 2025 Daytona 500 with Tricon Garage, aiming to clinch the elusive victory despite retiring the previous year. However, his premature departure from the race left his supporters disheartened, especially since there are no further races on his calendar for the year. In a recent update, Truex Jr. hinted at possible future participation in the Daytona 500.

In a post-race dialogue with Bob Pockrass, when questioned about another attempt at the Daytona 500, the 2017 NASCAR Cup champion responded, “Probably, yeah! We’ll see.” Reflecting on the on-track incident that led to his early exit, Truex Jr. remarked, “In the wrong lane at the wrong time. It’s kind of been my Daytona luck.”

Martin Truex Jr. says he probably will do the Daytona 500 again. pic.twitter.com/ygEb8Z894D

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 17, 2025

While the former Joe Gibbs Racing driver did keep his options open for a future Daytona 500 entry, his plans for 2025 seem to have ended with the famed race as well. He elaborated, “It’s always disappointing when you don’t finish no matter what situation especially in a race like this when it’s probably our only shot this year.”

Moments after the drivers surged past the green flag to initiate Stage 2, chaos erupted in the rear of the pack as vehicles collided in a big multi-car accident. The mayhem was triggered when the outer lane compressed behind Joey Logano, who struggled to accelerate on the front row.

The multi-car wreck also ensnared pole winner Chase Briscoe among other drivers such as Ross Chastain, Jon Hunter Nemechek, Kyle Busch, and Riley Herbst, leaving several cars damaged. This also relegated Truex to an ultimate P38 finish.

Is Truex planning on running in the Xfinity Series in 2025?

Approached by reporters before the NASCAR Awards Ceremony in downtown Charlotte last year, Truex Jr. was probed about his ambitions for 2025. He said that he was certain about participating in the Daytona 500 and was keen about competing in some Xfinity Series races come 2025 at the time, primarily for enjoyment.

While he has remained reticent about his specific plans in the junior series, he is open to the possibility of entering a few NASCAR Tier-2 races, should opportunities arise. Truex Jr.’s last stint in the Xfinity Series was in 2021 with Joe Gibbs Racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway where he secured a second-place finish.

Having last competed in multiple Xfinity races in 2010, it will be particularly intriguing to witness him take the wheel of an Xfinity car once more this season. With the 67th running of the Daytona 500 seeing him crash out of the famed event, it might be the fans’ only chance of seeing him back on track.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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