After years of contemplation, 43-year-old Martin Truex Jr. has finally decided to retire from full-time racing in NASCAR. He announced to the press at the Iowa Speedway on Friday that he will be hanging up his racing suit for good at the end of the ongoing Cup Series season. Though his decision truly marks the end of an era, there’s plenty of reason as to why it doesn’t come as a surprise.
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Those who’ve been around the sport long enough know that Truex has been courting retirement for a while now. For the last few years, he dipped his toes into the pond by taking one-year contracts with his team Joe Gibbs Racing instead of multi-year deals. He also teased the press and fans every summer mentioning that he was clueless about whether he was retiring soon.
34 NASCAR Cup Series wins
2017 Cup and 2004-05 Xfinity championMartin Truex Jr. has announced his retirement from full-time racing at the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/WAfnQ1ClFP
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) June 14, 2024
His decision now comes after much thought. He said, “Something just felt different this year for me. I wanted to slow down and do something else. It’s been a great ride, though.” With 34 victories and a championship over 673 starts, Truex is bound for a Hall of Fame induction in the future. Had it not been for the bump that he hit after the NextGen car was introduced in 2022, he might have hit higher marks.
His first-ever victory in the premier tier came back in 2007 when he was a young driver for Dale Earnhardt Inc. By the time his second win came in 2013, he had moved to Michael Waltrip Racing. His stint with the team came to a rather premature end and he once again jumped ships. This time, to Furniture Row Racing. It was with this team that he won the championship in 2017.
A reflection of the peak of Martin Truex Jr.’s career in the Cup Series and his future
Truex joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2019. In the years preceding the introduction of the NextGen car, he hit the peak of his career and performance. The years between 2017 and 2021 saw him competing regularly for championships and winning multiple races every year. Notably, he secured eight victories in 2017 and seven in 2019.
Martin Truex Jr. said he isn’t that emotional — not sure it has sunk in. And he leaves door open for another Daytona 500 start. pic.twitter.com/E36oFEvuyU
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 14, 2024
After years of dutifully serving his sponsors and teams, he has made the call that Coach Gibbs’ camp will be his final stop. He is set to continue with the team in a different capacity after 2024, the team owner confirmed. Again, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if he decides he has had enough of NASCAR and sails away into the sunset on his fishing boat.
