In under a week, NASCAR will commence its 76th season of Cup Series competition at the Daytona 500. While many drivers are eager to start the season with a historic win, one such veteran has a lot more riding on this season opener, as it could also be his last. For 19 seasons, Martin Truex Jr has tried his best to visit victory lane at the revered venue. But now that time is stacking up against him, can the 44-year-old cement his legacy before hanging up the racing suit, or will a win at Daytona perhaps escape Truex Jr’s Cup Series tenure?

Winning the Daytona 500 this season might not be on Truex Jr’s priority list

In the modern era, there is perhaps no Cup Series driver that has been through a journey to the top quite like Martin Truex Jr. Not only has the JGR star managed to keep his career afloat in the earlier days through perseverance, but he has also proven his worth by winning the championship. If there’s any driver that has what it takes to pull one out of the bag at the very end, it’s Truex Jr. But much like the last two seasons, we will most likely not know about his plans for 2025 before summer.

So far, Truex Jr does not have a contract for 2025 and is still considering all his avenues. “I have no idea what I’m doing next year,” Truex was quoted by AP News. “I have no clue,” he added.  Heading into the 20th season of his Cup Series career, Truex Jr has reached what many consider a great benchmark for a solid career. “I think I’m the oldest driver now,” Truex added, while saying, “It doesn’t seem like that long ago I was one of the young guys.”

Further reflecting on his wishes to win the Great American Race, Truex Jr shared how a Daytona 500 win would be amazing but at the same time, a lack of it wouldn’t get his spirits down. “I mean, obviously I want it, it’d be great, it’d be amazing. I don’t know if I’d be completely disappointed with my career as a whole if someday when I retire, and I look back, and I’m like, ‘Ah, I didn’t win that race’,” the driver said.

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While Truex Jr has failed to reach the top step in 19 seasons, perhaps no moment hurts more than the 2016 run. Denny Hamlin was mere inches ahead of him at the flag, marking the end of Truex Jr’s top ten visits at the Daytona 500 to this date. So, after getting so close in the past, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran remains largely split on how important winning the Daytona 500 would be for him.

Truex Jr does not want to miss out on the emotions surrounding a Daytona 500 win

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With all the turmoil that we’ve seen drivers face at Daytona during the closing stages over the years, it’s clear that the win could swing either way. From Kyle Larson’s last-minute wrecks to Kyle Busch’s 20-year-long campaign for victory, there’s a reason why a win at the Daytona 500 is so important for drivers.

Similarly, Truex Jr also feels that the only way he’ll ever understand what winning the Daytona 500 feels like is by visiting the top step. He shared with Motorsport.com, “You go back and watch guys who have won that race for the first time, whether they’ve won a lot and won championships or won it early on in their career, you just see the excitement and how much it means.”

When Dale Earnhardt finally won the Daytona 500 in 1998, the global reaction to the historic win propelled the Earnhardt legacy to even greater heights. Even after winning everything possible other than the 500 before, the magnitude of Earnhardt’s win that year showcases just how glorious a win at the Great American Race could be for Truex Jr. He concluded, “I don’t think it’s something you can understand until you can make it happen yourself.”

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With 36 Cup Series wins to his name along with the championship, Martin Truex Jr has done more than enough to cement himself as a great driver. But can the 44-year-old veteran add the Great American Race to his win list before bidding farewell to the sport?