Martin Truex Jr.’s NASCAR journey is not fairly over, however his likelihood of turning into a multi-time Cup champion did finish along with his elimination within the opening spherical of the 2024 playoffs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver a minimum of had one championship to his title, in 2017, in addition to three championship runner-ups. It is reflective of his time in NASCAR in a means, which was a somewhat uncommon one spanning over 20 years and noticed an unlikely rise within the second half of his profession. Revered all through the paddock and even to rivals for being a clear driver, what else does he go away as his legacy? When the checkered flag waves on MTJ’s full-time profession, what’s going to he be remembered for?
Watch: ‘You by no means wish to let anyone down’: Truex speaks on playoff heartbreak
A promising begin
Driving for the Earnhardt-owned Likelihood 2 Motorsports workforce, he instantly demonstrated his potential within the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence. The New Jersey native received back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 together with 12 wins in two seasons. Among the many names he defeated en route to those championships have been Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle.
His success earned him a promotion to Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s Cup workforce in 2006, driving the No. 1 Bass Professional Outlets Chevrolet. This was a troublesome and tumultuous time for DEI because the workforce struggled and relationships have been frayed. Michael Waltrip left the workforce after 2006 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. adopted swimsuit a yr later. Regardless of the turmoil, Truex managed to earn his first victory in 2007 at Dover, which basically capabilities as his residence observe (although no fewer than 4 tracks have been known as his residence observe up to now, however let’s not begin that debate). His Dover win was DEI’s twenty fourth and last win earlier than merged, turning into Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing.
Race winner Martin Truex Jr. does a burnout
Photograph by: Getty Photographs
Years of wrestle
Truex didn’t discover a lot success following his victory and the merger did not appear to assist. He was constantly bested by teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, departing the workforce on the finish of the 2009 season. He joined Michael Waltrip Racing to drive the No. 56 NAPA Toyota. Sadly, the change of race groups did not initially change the outcomes on observe. The workforce made agonizingly gradual enchancment. However that will repay in 2013 when MTJ lastly returned to Victory Lane, ending a six-year winless streak. That win additionally put him in rivalry to make the playoffs for the second consecutive yr and issues have been wanting up. Properly, till all of it fell aside resulting from one of many greatest scandals in NASCAR historical past…
Race winner Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota celebrates
Photograph by: Getty Photographs
SpinGate
Destiny generally is a unusual factor. The occasions of September seventh, 2013 practically ended Truex’s NASCAR profession however with out it, we probably would not be calling him a future Corridor of Famer proper now. Clint Bowyer spun late within the common season finale at Richmond, inflicting a warning that allowed Truex — his teammate — to salvage his playoff hopes. It could have been seen as a fortunate break, if it wasn’t coordinated.
Bowyer was instructed in code to spin the automotive out after being knowledgeable in regards to the factors state of affairs. His crew chief instructed him to “itch” his arm and moments later, Bowyer spun all on his personal. One other MWR driver — Brian Vickers — was then instructed to abruptly pull down pit street. All this allowed Truex to take the ultimate wildcard spot, just for or not it’s stripped away after NASCAR uncovered the plot. It did not seem that Truex was in on it, however it was all to profit him.
Michael Waltrip, Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr.
Photograph by: Getty Photographs
The fallout and penalties have been immense. Trying particularly at Truex, he misplaced his playoff spot, sponsor NAPA severed all ties with the disgraced workforce, and Truex was let go on the finish of the yr. MWR was pressured to downsize after dropping NAPA and Truex was pressured to discover a new residence. However this catastrophe ended up being the essential second in MTJ’s profession, one which put him on a a lot better path.
West to a brand new starting
In 2014, Truex turned a part of a single-car operation often called Furnishings Row Racing. It was an anomaly within the Cup storage, operating one automotive out of a store primarily based in Denver, Colorado. Most NASCAR groups are in and across the space of Charlotte, North Carolina. The workforce, owned by Barney Visser, had been round since 2005. They’d only one win, which got here as a shock to everybody when Regan Smith captured the checkered flag within the 2011 Southern 500 at Darlington. Nobody anticipated a lot from Truex, who had simply two wins in his first 300 begins. He ended his first season with FRR twenty fourth within the standings and it appeared that he would proceed being a stable mid-fielder for the remainder of his profession. Then, he joined forces with crew chief Cole Pearn.
Martin Truex Jr., Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry AOI and Cole Pearn
Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
From mid-pack to steer
There are some driver/crew chief mixtures that really feel like magic, like Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson. Pearn and Truex have been such a pairing. In 2015, they took Furnishings Row Racing all the best way to the Championship 4 with Truex incomes his third profession win at Pocono. That actually drew some consideration contained in the storage. Furnishings Row moved from Chevrolet to Toyota and have become carefully aligned to a powerhouse workforce — Joe Gibbs Racing. For the primary time in his profession, Truex had constantly quick vehicles below him. He received three races within the first decade of his profession, solely to greater than double that whole in 2016 alone — and that is regardless of falling a pair inches quick on the Daytona 500.
Race winner: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Photograph by: NASCAR Media
Elite driver
It is uncommon to see a driver dominate the whole season within the fashionable playoff format, however that is precisely what Truex did in 2017. At 37 years outdated, he lastly arrived, exhibiting everybody precisely what he was able to: Eight wins, 19 top-fives, 26 top-tens, together with one of the crucial dominant showings ever in NASCAR’s longest race. Truex led 392 of 400 laps on the Coke 600, or 588 of 600 miles in a record-shattering night time. Regardless of the knockout-style factors format, he marched via the playoffs with ease and received the championship in a shocking efficiency.
2017 champion Martin Truex Jr., Furnishings Row Racing Toyota
Photograph by: NASCAR Media
He practically did it once more in 2018, ending the yr because the championship runner-up with one other 4 wins. Furnishings Row Racing then closed its doorways, however Truex transitioned to JGR with out skipping a beat. He was the championship runner-up once more in 2019, including one other seven wins! If not for a weird pit cease through the finale the place the tires obtained switched round, he may have received that title too. Cole Pearn left the game, however Truex continued his successful methods with James Small atop the field. In 2021, he was in command of the title race earlier than a late warning turned him right into a three-time championship runner-up. After making the Championship 4 in 4 of final 5 seasons up via 2021, Truex had lastly established himself as one of many high drivers within the sport.
Pace and misfortune
The Subsequent Gen period has not been form to Truex. He has proven loads of velocity, however misfortune follows Truex in a means that feels virtually focused. A winless season in 2022 pressured him to overlook the playoffs, regardless of sitting somewhat excessive within the common season standings. He got here again with a vengeance in 2023, successful the common season title, which was sadly adopted by a fully calamitous playoff run.
Martin Truex Jr, Joe Gibbs Racing, Bass Professional Outlets Toyota Camry
Photograph by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
2024 was revealed to be his last full-time season as a Cup driver, however misfortune saved its merciless grip on him. His last alternative to develop into a multi-time champion ended within the opening spherical and he stays winless this yr. Two wrecks, not of his doing, and going 0.09mph over the velocity restrict down pit street within the cut-off race have been the ultimate nails to seal his final playoff coffin. However the season is not over but. Reaching Victory Lane is all that issues now.
Grateful for what was, however questioning what may have been
Truex’s profession may be evenly cut up into two components, with the disaster that was SpinGate because the epicenter. Though he was in a position to accomplish a lot in that second half, one has to marvel how far more we may have seen if he would have had entry to quicker vehicles earlier in his profession. And let’s not overlook that there have been three completely different pivotal moments the place he was one place shy of doubtless turning into a four-time champion, equal with Jeff Gordon! Then there’s successful 30 Cup races over the course of simply seven years. It actually looks like one is two fully completely different drivers when wanting again at his profession — earlier than 2014 and every part that got here after.
Martin Truex Jr. is a reminder of the hidden skills mired deep throughout the pack. His legacy is one in all endurance — a driver that clawed his strategy to the highest of the game, trudging via the mud for years earlier than reaching it. However he is additionally demonstrated that point on the summit is not assured to be constant, and even final. Which in that case, for Truex, this is not totally the top. There’s nonetheless time for him to get one final victory as a NASCAR Cup Sequence driver.
Martin Truex Jr, Joe Gibbs Racing, Bass Professional Outlets Toyota Camry
Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
