2024 marked Martin Truex Jr.’s final full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, paving the way for Chase Briscoe to take over his spot at Joe Gibbs Racing. The former SHR driver is set to inherit not only Truex’s #19 car but his crew chief as well.
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While Truex’s step back from full-time racing has left many fans feeling nostalgic, some harsh indirect comments on the former champion from his former crew chief, James Small, sparked intrigue recently.
Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR about Briscoe stepping into the role, Small expressed high expectations: “Yeah, I am expecting a lot. He is a really good kid; spent a lot of time with him talking to him and he seems very motivated to do well.”
“He has got a point to prove and to show people now that he is going to be in a much more competitive car week in week out. He can do this and win multiple races a year.”
“We’re gonna push him hard and it’s just really great to have somebody who lives in North Carolina and comes to the shop multiple times a week. So we can actually build a team around him. And having in the process of developing a setup each week, and helping us be better as well.”
“So, we’re all really excited to have him on board. I think it’s going to be a big gain for the #19 team,” he continued.
However, Small’s veiled remark about Truex Jr. not frequently visiting the garage stirred up controversy among fans. His comment did not sit well, prompting criticism in the comments section.
One fan sharply took a dig at Small saying, “Strong words for the worst crew chief in Cup.” A die-hard Truex supporter added, “Wow James Small had the nerve to talk about MTJ when he is the worse crew chief in the cup series.”
Other fans were equally blunt in their responses: “Wow.. that’s really shit thing to say,” and “Worst crew chief in the cup series saying this shit, why does he have a job?”
One comment underscored expectations for improvement, noting, “Guess we will see if Small improves over the break. God knows he can’t get worse. Let’s not act like it was on MTJ. It was Small making the calls.”
James Small on @ChaseBriscoe_14:”It’s going to be nice to have somebody who lives in North Carolina and comes to the shop multiple times a week, so we can actually build a team around him” (via u/LBHMS) https://t.co/8ty8zEQOfZ https://t.co/pMHtEnHi8l #NASCAR
— r/NASCAR on Reddit (@NASCARonReddit) November 21, 2024
Truex Jr.’s stint with his Small
Truex Jr., who began his NASCAR Cup Series career with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019 after departing from Furniture Row Racing — the team with which he clinched the 2017 Cup championship — saw [James] Small step in as the crew chief for the #19 team in 2020.
Their first season together yielded only one win, but they hit their stride in 2021, securing four victories and finishing second in the Cup standings.
However, since that peak, Truex never finished better than tenth in the standings, despite winning the regular season championship last year. Over their 180 starts, the duo has accumulated eight wins and 35 top-5 finishes.
Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how Chase Briscoe adapts to working with Small under the banner of the highly competitive Joe Gibbs Racing team.
