While the 2024 season wasn’t a fitting end to the story of Martin Truex Jr’s Cup Series journey, there is no denying that the veteran achieved what only a few in NASCAR have. Or in Joe Gibbs’s words, he is “A real champion, a really class act.” In the two decades of racing a Cup car, Jr. made 693 starts, winning on 34 occasions and an average finish of 15.25.

Truex Jr. showed his race prowess first in the Xfinity Series, where he became back-to-back champion in 2004 and 2005, a feat not many have achieved. In 2006, he ran his first Cup Series season for Dale Earnhardt Inc. And it wasn’t the easiest journey for Truex Jr! At DEI he did not get much success and after its closure, the same story repeated at Michael Waltrip Racing.

It was when he joined Furniture Row Racing that he became the MTJ that he is today. The veteran won the Coca-Cola 600 and Souther 500 in 2016 and then went on to become the 2017 Cup series champion. The future Hall of Famer deserves all the praise as his teammates share their parting words.

Martin Truex Jr. is loved and respected by all at JGR

Furniture Motorsports closed operations after the 2018 season and MTJ was coming from winning the Cup in 2017 and then finishing in P2 in 2018. And JGR wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass! He replaced Daniel Suarez in the #19 car and Jr. wasn’t coming alone. He was bringing his championship partner, his FM crew chief, Cole Pearn. The duo in 2019 almost gave JGR a title after ending the season in second place, it was also the #19’s best season for JGR winning 7 races. Post 2019, Pearn stepped down, and in 2020, James Small became his successor. In 2021, MTJ was yet again inches away from the title finishing the season in P2.

While he could not give Coach Gibbs a championship, he certainly surpassed all his hopes and expectations. Gibbs at the Phoenix Raceway press conference thanked Martin for everything that he’s done. Gibbs said, “I just want to say to everybody, this guy many times comes to our meetings the day after tough things happen. And that guys personality and the way he handles things was a real champion and we just all really appreciate him and we are looking forward to whatever we can talk him into doing next year. I hope everybody here has looked at the same way. Thank you, Martin.”

And not just Joe Gibbs, everyone at JGR looks highly at MTJ, including Denny Hamlin. JGR in a heartfelt video on Instagram had MTJ’s fellow teammates give their last messages to him. The #11 driver, in his parting words for Truex Jr, said, “I think Martin is one of the most underrated drivers that we have. Certainly how our sport doesn’t forget Martin after he’s gone at the end of the year.” Surely no one would forget the legacy that he’s created. While Hamlin has had a longer career than MTJ, making him a senior in the team, for Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs, he was like a mentor.

Bell said, “For me, Martin has always been an idol of mine. I want to be similar to him. Martin Truex does things his way and I have always cherished that about him.” Even Gibbs echoed the same emotions and apparently has some inside joke with the veteran. Ty Gibbs, in his parting message, said, “I think he’s a great personality, a very hard worker, loves fishing. I’ll send a picture of a beer to him and he’ll send one right back to me right after. It’s a little joke, I guess.”

While MTJ has officially hung his helmet as a full-time driver in the Cup Series, it doesn’t mean he would never race. The veteran on more than one occasion has hinted at returning for one-off races in the Cup or Xfinity series. But Kevin Harvick thinks that is not a good idea!

Kevin Harvick on why MTJ should not return

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Truex Jr. plans to race as a part-timer in the coming years. We could probably see him in the Daytona 500 next year. In fact the 23XI Racing is eager to field him in their car. Previously this year, Hamlin, also the co-owner of 23XI Racing, dwelled on how a seat would always be ready for his JGR teammate. Hamlin had said, “I told him that I will have his Daytona 500 car ready immediately. Tell me the word. 100%. I would 100% do that. … Any time that Martin gets bored and wants to run Cup, we would have a seat for him for sure.”

But Kevin Harvick thinks he shouldn’t return. Why? Harvick on the ‘Happy Hour’ podcast said, “I hope he (MTJ) doesn’t come back and race, honestly, I think that when we see Jimmie Johnson come back and race, it’s not the Jimmie Johnson that we’re used to seeing upfront and competitive and doing the things that he did.” The 7-time Cup Series champion after his last Cup season in 2016 just did not run as per his reputation, leading to many in the NASCAR community asking for his retirement. Post-2016, Johnson ran 155 Cup races but only managed three wins, none since 2017. And Harvick doesn’t want MTJ to face the same backlash.

“And I hope Martin, if he’s going to race, not race a Cup car. I just hope that he can keep his career intact and, the way that everybody thinks about him with the performances that he had over the last several years and being competitive.”  Harvick added. Well, MTJ is planning one-off races and not full seasons, so it should probably be fine for him.

What do you think about MTJ coming back to race a few in the Cup? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.