Martin Truex Jr.’s 2024 season has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Despite having racing-winning speed and a consistent run in the regular season, victory has eluded the #19 team time and again. While he certainly made the most of the strong points run to make the playoffs. Will it be enough for him to make a deep run and advance to the Round of 12? His teammate Denny Hamlin thinks he can.

Now it is indeed hard to hope for a sudden change in the fortunes of a driver who hasn’t registered a single top 10 finish in the last six starts. So where exactly does Hamlin think Martin Truex Jr could script a comeback story in having a deep playoff run?

Watkins Glen could help turn the tides in favor of veteran JGR driver

Truex Jr was up against the odds when he started the Atlanta race on the tail end of the field for unapproved adjustments. But he made big gains, jumping 20 spots in the stage 1 run and even making it up the field in the top 10 spots. However, he ran out of luck late in the race when he was involved in an incident sparked by Chris Buescher.

Sustaining heavy damages, the No. 19 Toyota had to return to the pit road, and lengthy repairs cost them dearly. The driver finished the race 35th, 15 laps down, raising doubts about his playoffs chances. It has to be noted that Martin Truex Jr has finished 24 or worse in his last five starts, which includes two DNFs. So are there hopes for the veteran driver with two races in the Round of 16? Hamlin believes so and has identified Watkins Glen as a venue where he could snap his 43-race winless streak.

Denny Hamlin, on the recent episode of the Actions Detrimental, was asked about his teammate’s chances for a win at Watkins Glen, to which he replied, “Yes, certainly capable of that. I mean, history, it’s been one of his best tracks; the Next Gen era hasn’t been quite as nice to him, but he’s a threat, absolutely a threat.” Well, Hamlin wasn’t just boasting and hoping for his teammate’s revival, but the statistics do speak for themselves.

Truex Jr registered P6 results last year and ended 23rd in the Next Gen car debut year in 2022. But, as Hamlin said, the Glen has been his stomping ground before that. In the four starts, Truex Jr at the 2.45-mile road course had resulted in back-to-back top-5 runs. This includes two runner-up finishes and a win during his championship triumph in 2017.

But, unlike Hamlin, a prominent NASCAR Insider believes that the #19 team is headed in the wrong direction at the wrong time.

The #19 doesn’t can’t afford a bad points day

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One of the big drawbacks of Martin Truex Jr’s regular season run was the lack of playoffs points and wins. Although Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson suffered a similar outcome as him, they still sit above the cutline. Meanwhile, the JGR driver is 19 points shy and is now forced to push for a win. Which is a big ask given his recent track record and performances.

These concerns were further highlighted by Jordan Bianchi while speaking on the Teardown podcast. “This year really went from promising in the beginning. Like, Hey Martin Truex Jr looks like he’s going to be in the championship mix, and now it’s, Is he gonna get out of the Round 1? Is he gonna win a race in his final year? Most years he’s gone into the playoffs with just a cache of playoff points; this year he doesn’t have any safety net. Now, he’s going to Watkins Glen and Bristol, and would you call it a must-win mode?”

Now, the onus is on Truex Jr to set the record straight with strong outings at Watkins Glen and Bristol. While it might not feel like a must-win situation as of now, the driver would want to get his car into the victory before retiring from competitive racing.