A narrow escape. That’s what must have gone through Martin Truex Jr.’s mind after being involved in a multi-car wreck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran didn’t face repercussions for the Lap 89 incident, which forced title contenders Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott to retire early, while Brad Keselowski was also caught in the crossfire. Even though the 44-year-old is only competing for pride, Truex Jr. is hoping to end his last season as a full-time Cup Series racer on a high.

Distancing himself from the crash at the beginning of Stage 2, Truex Jr. shifted the blame on Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, despite admitting that he hadn’t seen the replay of the incident.

Martin Truex Jr. washes his hands of the Las Vegas wreck

It all started at the beginning of Stage 2. With the stakes being higher than ever, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott were seen running side-by-side going into Turn 4 on Lap 89 when their cars slightly brushed against each other. Given the speed, the No. 9 Chevy lost its balance and slammed into Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota, which went into the outside wall. The 23XI Racing driver bounced back on the track to make contact with Elliott once again, sending his car for a spin while going headfirst into Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford. As a result, all three drivers went into the grass and were forced to retire prematurely in the Round of 8 playoff race.

Speaking about the incident in a post-race interview, Martin Truex Jr. told Frontstretch’s Dalton Hopkins, “I was on the bottom, two wide. The spotter said to leave a lane so, we were trying to push together when the #9 lifted all of a sudden. I’m not really sure what happened. I didn’t know we were three wide until it was too late, but I still felt like there was plenty of room, and the #9, I think, jumped out of the gas. Not really sure what happened.” The veteran racing driver went on to say, “The spotter told me I didn’t do anything wrong so I’ll have to go look at it.”

Even though Martin Truex Jr. escaped the incident unscathed, his involvement in the multi-car wreck didn’t go unnoticed. Tyler Reddick, who won the opening stage at South Point 400, said in the post-race interview, “By the time I realized I was in trouble, the 19 (Truex) started sliding and the 9 (Elliott) was coming up, and I was pretty much already on their outside at that point, with nowhere to really go.” Competing in his last season as a full-time driver, the 44-year-old managed to finish sixth in Las Vegas, a stark improvement from his last two performances at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval.

Despite Truex Jr. shifting the blame on Chase Elliott, the HMS driver acquitted the New Jersey native from the incident. The 28-year-old said after the race, “The #45 was coming up a big run up top and I don’t think Martin knew that.”

With three more races to go, the No. 19 Toyota driver will hope to secure at least one victory before closing the curtains on his long and illustrious racing career. Will he manage to break his winless streak at Homestead-Miami, Martinsville, or Phoenix Raceway? Time will tell. If recent results are any indication, it seems like Martin Truex Jr could be finding his stride at just the right time.

Truex Jr. teases racing plans for 2025

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After years of speculation, Martin Truex Jr. will finally be riding into the sunset after a long and successful Cup Series career. Despite taking a step back from racing, the veteran won’t be pulling out of the sport altogether, as he aims to be involved in a part-time capacity going forward. Having previously expressed his interest in competing at the Daytona 500, the possibilities are endless for the New Jersey native, who is keeping his options open ahead of the 2025 NASCAR season.

Sharing details about his future, Truex Jr. told the media, “So far I only have one [race scheduled], so I don’t know. I don’t own a car, so it’s gonna be depending on a lot of people to figure out.” Hinting at the possibility of being involved in additional races, including the Xfinity Series, the veteran driver went on to say, “As far as I know, it’s all going still. So I think we’re good. You never know these days. Things change in a hurry. There’s a lot going on, like you said, so I have no clue, but I feel confident I have a contract. So that’s a good sign. Right?”

Martin Truex Jr. has been linked with a move to 23XI Racing, which could see him competing in cars featuring the No. 56, which he drove during his time at Michael Waltrip Racing, or the No. 78, with which he won his only Cup Series championship.

The 44-year-old could also be reunited with former crew chief Cole Pearn, with whom he had enjoyed immense success at Furniture Row Racing during the memorable 2017 season. The Daytona 500 remains one of Truex Jr.’s unfulfilled desires in NASCAR, one that he will be eager to achieve next year.