In the world of NASCAR, when someone at the level of Martin Truex Jr retires—it’s never without noise. But Truex Jr’s exit from NASCAR was as understated as his entry into NASCAR at the top-tier series in 2004. He chose to forgo a press conference, farewell tour, or celebratory parade. Instead, he shocked everyone by dropping the bombshell on Friday before the Iowa race. While his retirement has been a topic of interest for the last few years, no one expected it to be such a low-key affair!

But his stint in NASCAR is far from over. In fact, his boss Joe Gibbs himself, is putting him back to work! 

Johnny Morris cuts Joe Gibbs and takes over the mike! 

When Martin Truex Jr dropped the big breaking news—it wasn’t a simple “I will be retiring” statement. It has a fold to it. Martin Truex Jr said at the conference on Friday, “Just to let you all know that I will not be back full-time next year, but I’m excited about the rest of the year.” Although his career in racing for 20 years is going to come to a halt, his involvement with the industry is far from over. And Joe Gibbs himself confirmed this.

Joe Gibbs, sitting just beside Martin Truex Jr, first went about thanking each of their sponsors, mentioning that without their support, Martin and the team would not be here. He thanked Auto Owners, Interstate, Toyota, Bass Pro shops, and of course everyone from the No. 19 team. But he had news for them. He said, “The great thing is Martin is going to continue with us. He’s going to be an ambassador for us, work on different projects and different things. We haven’t talked about all of it yet. But I think there will be a lot.”

And while this just shows how strong the relations between Joe Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr are, it also highlights a different aspect. Joe Gibbs might just be worried about the fact that the sponsors who were affiliated for so long with Martin Truex Jr might just get up and leave. Sponsors leaving isn’t good news, and we all saw what happened with SHR! Sponsors like Bass Pro Shops are personally close to Truex Jr, so much so that Johnny Morris, CEO of Bass Pro Shops, and Truex Jr spend much of their free time together in nature. Hence, Joe Gibbs might just want to keep Truex Jr close to keep the sponsors happy.

During the same meeting, Johnny Morris humorously interrupted Joe Gibbs, addressing Truex and jokingly saying, “Just wanted to come here to talk you out of doing what you said to me.” This lighthearted moment underscored the deep personal connections Truex Jr has with them. But now that Truex Jr’s seat is empty for next year, Joe Gibbs needs to find someone of caliber to join in. And it seems there are plenty of fish in the pond this time! 

Drivers who can replace Martin Truex Jr in 2025

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Truex Jr’s exit from the team has opened a spot in one of the top organizations of NASCAR. And a new opportunity for a fresh new pairing. Here are a few drivers who can possibly fill in for the Martin Truex Jr. 

Chase Briscoe 

It was recently that the announcement of SHR’s closing was made public. Their drivers are already on the hunt for a new job. Chase Briscoe has been extremely open about him “auditioning” on track, hoping to get the attention of team owners. Right now the 29-year-old has one win and 26 top ten in the NASCAR Cup Series. Moreover, getting him on board might also guarantee his current sponsor Mahindra Tractors to come with him. Most people are betting on him to join JGR at the moment!

Noah Gragson

Noah Gragson has a good chance to be the choice of Joe Gibbs Racing. This is not just because Gragson is currently a free agent after SHR disbanding. It is also because he has ties with the sponsor Bass Pro Shops, who is already affiliated with Martin Truex Jr. 

Chandler Smith 

JGR might want someone young to come on the team and so Smith, who is just 21, has a great scope He is a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, and he has two wins, six top fives, and nine top tens in the series so far. With such a result, he has a great chance to make it to the team. 

Who do you think will replace Martin Truex Jr? Let us know in the comments!