Joe Gibbs Reveals How They Deal With a Hungry Martin Truex Jr. As They Answer the Age-Old Question

Being a race car driver is tiring work, especially in a sport as competitive as NASCAR. Unlike other forms of motorsport like Formula One or Moto GP, NASCAR races are significantly longer and can range anywhere from three hours to five hours. So it’s not uncommon for the drivers to build up an appetite as they are running at high speeds against intense competition.

So what does a team do when a driver feels like they need a snack? Well, the answer is pretty simple and was revealed by Joe Gibbs Racing with the example of 2023 regular-season Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. The driver of the #19 has had a good season so far, as is evident by his regular-season championship victory.

JGR Uncovers Truex’s Mid-Race Snack Routine

Despite finishing top of the table at the end of the regular season, Truex has not been an outright dominating driver. In fact, no one will in 2023. The #19 driver had some periods of good form when he won a few races and has been finishing consistently high up the pack for most of the races so far this year.

However, he could not make much of an impact at Darlington last Sunday in the first playoff race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. His teammate Denny Hamlin was on fire and would have perhaps won the race but for a pitstop mishap. Truex, however, was lackluster, as he could only manage to go up to 18th place. It was still higher than Hamlin’s finishing position of 25.

Coming into the playoffs, Truex was being touted as one of the favorites to win the crown, which is not really surprising considering his form so far. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver maintained his place at the top of the driver’s championship table for the longest time until the playoffs.

Now, the veteran just needs to find that race-winning form that he had earlier in the campaign that allowed him to win three races earlier this year. Out of the 27 races, he has finished in the top five nine times and in the top 10 15 times.

But all these achievements require a lot of work, and that can make a driver hungry. Truex is no exception. In a recent Instagram video posted by Joe Gibbs Racing, the legendary racing team described how they deal with drivers who get hungry in the middle of a race.

“One of the crew members prepares a snack for the driver. Here’s a granola bar with the wrapper opened so that the driver doesn’t have to mess with it. And here’s a pouch next to the window net to the left of the driver’s seat. And during a pit stop that crew member goes over the wall, reaches into the car, and gives the driver what they need. In this case, the granola bar went into the driver’s pouch,” the video explained.

Read More – NASCAR Insider Exposes Joe Gibbs in 8-Word Rant

Truex seemed like the star of JGR when the regular season ended. Everyone believed that the veteran racer would make a huge impact in the first race of the playoffs, but things could not have been farther from the truth.

Martin Truex Jr. needs to find his form again

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While Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin started from near the front of the pack, Truex was in the back after a poor qualifying session. It was believed that the 43-year-old could fight his way from the back and fight at the front of the field eventually, but that didn’t happen. The #19 driver found it tough to maneuver past the cars in front of him quickly enough and barely ended up finishing in the top 20. 

Watch This Story: Martin Truex Jr. Criticises Joe Gibbs Crew in Recent Interview

Speaking about this situation on the Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin explained the reason why Truex could not move up the field, “You cannot make it up. You cannot pass these cars like you used to be able to. Coming from the back to the front, forget it.,” said the #11 driver.

JGR will be hoping for a change in fortune for Truex at Kansas. A win would seal his place in the round of 12 but two good points finishes in the next two races will also do the trick. How far do you think Truex will go in the playoffs this year?