Martin Truex Jr.’s NASCAR journey is not fairly over, however his probability of changing into a multi-time Cup champion did finish together with his elimination within the opening spherical of the 2024 playoffs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver no less than 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 manner, which was a fairly 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 is going to he be remembered for?
Watch: ‘You by no means prefer to let anyone down’: Truex speaks on playoff heartbreak
A promising begin
Driving for the Earnhardt-owned Likelihood 2 Motorsports staff, he instantly demonstrated his potential within the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence. The New Jersey native gained 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 had been Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle.
His success earned him a promotion to Dale Earnhardt Inc.’s Cup staff in 2006, driving the No. 1 Bass Professional Retailers Chevrolet. This was a troublesome and tumultuous time for DEI because the staff struggled and relationships had been frayed. Michael Waltrip left the staff after 2006 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. adopted go well with a 12 months later. Regardless of the turmoil, Truex managed to earn his first victory in 2007 at Dover, which basically features as his residence monitor (although no fewer than 4 tracks have been referred to as his residence monitor previously, however let’s not begin that debate). His Dover win was DEI’s twenty fourth and remaining win earlier than merged, changing into Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing.
Race winner Martin Truex Jr. does a burnout
Picture by: Getty Pictures
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 staff 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 monitor. The staff made agonizingly sluggish enchancment. However that may repay in 2013 when MTJ lastly returned to Victory Lane, ending a six-year winless streak. That win additionally put him in competition to make the playoffs for the second consecutive 12 months and issues had been trying up. Effectively, till all of it fell aside attributable to one of many greatest scandals in NASCAR historical past…
Race winner Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota celebrates
Picture by: Getty Pictures
SpinGate
Destiny generally is a unusual factor. The occasions of September seventh, 2013 almost 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 will have been seen as a fortunate break, if it wasn’t coordinated.
Bowyer was instructed in code to spin the automobile 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 it’s stripped away after NASCAR uncovered the plot. It did not seem that Truex was in on it, but it surely was all to profit him.
Michael Waltrip, Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr.
Picture by: Getty Pictures
The fallout and penalties had been immense. Trying particularly at Truex, he misplaced his playoff spot, sponsor NAPA severed all ties with the disgraced staff, and Truex was let go on the finish of the 12 months. MWR was compelled to downsize after shedding NAPA and Truex was compelled to discover a new residence. However this catastrophe ended up being the important second in MTJ’s profession, one which put him on a significantly better path.
West to a brand new starting
In 2014, Truex turned a part of a single-car operation often known as Furnishings Row Racing. It was an anomaly within the Cup storage, operating one automobile out of a store primarily based in Denver, Colorado. Most NASCAR groups are in and across the space of Charlotte, North Carolina. The staff, 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
Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
From mid-pack to steer
There are some driver/crew chief combos that really feel like magic, like Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson. Pearn and Truex had been such a pairing. In 2015, they took Furnishings Row Racing all the way in which to the Championship 4 with Truex incomes his third profession win at Pocono. That definitely drew some consideration contained in the storage. Furnishings Row moved from Chevrolet to Toyota and have become carefully aligned to a powerhouse staff — Joe Gibbs Racing. For the primary time in his profession, Truex had constantly quick automobiles beneath him. He gained 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 brief on the Daytona 500.
Race winner: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Picture 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, displaying everybody precisely what he was able to: Eight wins, 19 top-fives, 26 top-tens, together with some of the 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 evening. Regardless of the knockout-style factors format, he marched by the playoffs with ease and gained the championship in a shocking efficiency.
2017 champion Martin Truex Jr., Furnishings Row Racing Toyota
Picture by: NASCAR Media
He almost did it once more in 2018, ending the 12 months 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 in the course of the finale the place the tires acquired switched round, he might have gained that title too. Cole Pearn left the game, however Truex continued his profitable methods with James Small atop the field. In 2021, he was answerable for 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 by 2021, Truex had lastly established himself as one of many high drivers within the sport.
Velocity and misfortune
The Subsequent Gen period has not been form to Truex. He has proven loads of pace, however misfortune follows Truex in a manner that feels virtually focused. A winless season in 2022 compelled him to overlook the playoffs, regardless of sitting fairly excessive within the common season standings. He got here again with a vengeance in 2023, profitable the common season title, which was sadly adopted by a completely calamitous playoff run.
Martin Truex Jr, Joe Gibbs Racing, Bass Professional Retailers Toyota Camry
Picture by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
2024 was revealed to be his remaining full-time season as a Cup driver, however misfortune saved its merciless grip on him. His remaining alternative to turn into a multi-time champion ended within the opening spherical and he stays winless this 12 months. Two wrecks, not of his doing, and going 0.09mph over the pace restrict down pit street within the cut-off race had 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 might have been
Truex’s profession might be evenly break 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 surprise how far more we might have seen if he would have had entry to quicker automobiles earlier in his profession. And let’s not neglect that there have been three totally different pivotal moments the place he was one place shy of probably changing into a four-time champion, equal with Jeff Gordon! Then there’s profitable 30 Cup races over the course of simply seven years. It actually looks like one is taking a look at two fully totally different drivers when trying again at his profession — earlier than 2014 and all the things that got here after.
Martin Truex Jr. is a reminder of the hidden abilities mired deep inside the pack. His legacy is one in every of endurance — a driver that clawed his option to the highest of the game, trudging by 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 completely the tip. 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 Retailers Toyota Camry
Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Pictures
