With a legendary career spanning 21 years, 34 Cup Series race wins, and the 2017 championship, Martin Truex Jr. has certainly left his mark on NASCAR. When he announced his retirement in 2024, one question echoed among fans: When will we see him back on the tracks? Fortunately, Truex Jr. has never been the one to keep his plans a mystery.

Now, as he gears up for a milestone race, Bass Pro Shops—his longtime sponsor is once again backing him. But that’s not all. In an exciting twist, Truex Jr. is joining forces with TRICON Garage as they make their much-anticipated Cup Series debut. And when asked about this partnership, Truex Jr. had plenty to say about this thrilling new venture.

Johnny Morris read Martin Treux Jr.’s mind

Martin Truex Jr. has been an exceptional driver, and to his bag of achievements, however, the Daytona 500 is one race that he has never won. His current entry into the Daytona 500 is from an open position. This means that Truex Jr. will need to prove his speed at the qualifiers and find a position for himself if he wants to be a part of the main event. Despite stepping away in 2024, the former Joe Gibbs racer had left the door open for a Daytona 500 return and select race appearances. Now, that possibility has become a reality, all thanks to Johnny Morris and David Gilliland.

Adding to the excitement, his championship-winning crew chief, Cole Pearn, is also coming out of retirement to call the shots from the pit box. Together, the duo built an impressive resume. They had secured 24 victories, four Championship 4 appearances, and the 2017 Cup Series title. Speaking of the journey to Daytona, Truex Jr. said, “It all started with Johnny Morris… I didn’t even announce my retirement yet and we have already somewhat put Daytona together. I go,’ Well, I wanna race a little bit next year’, and Johnny was like, ‘Hey, wanna go to Daytona?’ I was like let’s go! He’s the best guy. He has done so much for me… David Gilliland and all the TRICON guys have been great.” 

TRICON Garage is making its Cup Series debut with technical support from Toyota and powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing. The team was originally competing under the David Gilliland Racing banner. DGR has been a staple in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since 2018. In 2023, the team rebranded itself as TRICON Garage and transitioned its manufacturer partnership from Ford to Toyota. 

Speaking of the chance ahead, team owner Gilliland has said, “This opportunity is a testament to the dedication of our entire organization and our partners at Toyota. Having raced against Martin for many years, I can confidently say there’s no stronger competitor I’d want behind the wheel for our first Cup Series entry at the sport’s most prestigious race.” Whether the collaboration between the two will lead to a fruitful result is currently a test of time. 

While there are indeed a lot of expectations from Martin Truex Jr, his Daytona record is not very impressive. Despite being a Cup Series champion, Truex Jr. is yet to capture a Daytona 500 victory. His closest attempt came in 2016. This is when he had finished just 0.010 seconds behind Denny Hamlin in a photo finish. In 2023, he reacted to his photo finish ahead of the Daytona 500 and said, “Every time we come to Daytona it’s one of the highlights right? You see it and you’re like ‘Oh dang, there it is again.’ Hopefully next time we get that close we’re on the other side of it.”

Notably, MTJ has yet to win a superspeedway race in his career, his biggest achilles heel. Despite an average finish of 16.8, he boasts two runner-up finishes at Daytona, both while leading multiple laps. Hopefully, luck is on his side in 2025 as he will be taking a team to the Cup Series for the very first time, and getting them a win along with his first would truly be something special and akin to what he did with Furniture Row Racing when he won his maiden title in 2017.

Truex Jr. makes his feelings known about Helio Castroneves 

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NASCAR has brought about a new policy – the OEP or Open Exemption Provisional. Based on this policy, certain drivers will be given the advantage of appearing at the Daytona 500, even if they are unable to qualify based on speed. This time, the advantage has been extended to Helio Castroneves, a popular Brazilian IndyCar driver and 4-time Indy500 champion. While the drivers who qualify under this provision will not be able to claim the victory position or the prize money, it gives them a strategic benefit over others. 

Speaking about the same and if he feels a little weird about the rule, Truex Jr. said, “I mean, I, I have to say yes. I mean, I don’t see any other, I really don’t understand it. You know? I, I don’t see a reason why, you know, he should be in the race and Jimmy Johnson shouldn’t be, you know? So it’s a little weird to me, but I don’t make the rules. I just come here and race.”

However, MTJ has nothing to worry about now as he has locked himself into the Daytona 500 via the qualifying ahead of the Duel races. Speaking on his feelings after qualifying, Truex Jr. said, “Definitely a big relief, you never know what can happen in Duels… Thank you to Johnny [Morris] and everyone at Bass Pro for helping put this deal together. All of the guys at TRICON and also JGR. Toyota and TRD I’m sure it’s a big deal for them, both cars that just locked in are Toyotas.”

Johnson, driving the Legacy Motor Club Toyota, also locked into the final race and felt relief after having a narrow escape last year, “After what I went through last year, I’m so thrilled. Oh my gosh… I’m very excited… Shaq, we’re in the big show buddy!” Johnson qualified for the Daytona 500 last year after edging out J. J Yeley in the Duel race. However, after getting his car designed by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, he thanked the legend promptly after comfortably securing his spot in the main event.

Both Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson are coveted icons in the NASCAR world. Johnson is a seven-time Cup Series champion and seeing them in the Great American Race will be a sight to behold. So MTJ can put all his gripe with the OEP behind him now as the focus shifts to Sunday, where the atmosphere promises to be electric for the first race of the season!