Martin Truex Jr Heaved a Sigh of Relief for Marching on His Own Terms and Finishing His Career After Years of Deliberation

Over the last few years, the NASCAR world has been abuzz with rumors of Martin Truex Jr retiring. Starting in 2022, this question has been posed to Truex Jr, “Are you retiring this year”? And every year, he remained undecided. And his team gave him the leeway to decide when he thinks best. Even this year, as June rolled in, the rumors started floating around.

The running joke and the memes started coming through. But this time Martin Truex Jr decided for once and all, announcing that he was stepping down and did it in the utmost low-key fashion. 

Martin Truex Jr low-key exit from his racing career

If there is one thing everyone agrees on when it comes to Truex Jr, it’s that he is respectful and doesn’t cause unnecessary fuss. This is, in fact, what Truex’s fellow drivers Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell have to say about him. And we saw his grounded nature that his teammates talked about in the way he announced his retirement.

When a driver of that stature announces their retirement, fans expect it to be not without fanfare. But Truex Jr announced his retirement with no grand conference. Instead, he did it on a Friday at Iowa Speedway just ahead of the race. He said he will step away from JGR’s No.19 Toyota team at the end of the year, regardless of how the season pans out. Truex Jr did take his own sweet time, and you have to give it to him, he was not influenced to make a quick decision based on what people around him said. Instead, he called it quits when he thought best.

In a podcast by SiriusXM NASCAR, he talked about his decision and how optimistic he is about the rest of the season. He said, “It’s hard to believe how long I’ve been doing this. Honestly when I really think about it. And I have a lot to be proud of. Got a lot to accomplish this year which is exciting. I think we’re gonna have the opportunity to accomplish great things to end this things so. I feel lucky to be able to do it on my terms. That was always something I always thought about. And watched other guys go through it and it would be incredible to go on top of this thing.”

NASCAR fans are rooting for him to finish on a high. Currently, a win in the Cup series would be stellar! But right now things look a little bleak given that he hasn’t won one race this season. However, it in no way shows that he is lacking in performance because, despite his lack of wins, he stands at the fifth position in the rankings! Poor performance is not the reason he is exiting from NASCAR.

Celebrating Martin Truex Jr’s Top NASCAR Moments Ahead of His Final Season

While he only has one cup win to his name, he still has a fair share of some of the most jaw-dropping performances. Here are some of his most notable wins over the years.

Dominated the Cup series for the last five years

Martin Truex Jr, according to Hamlin, is one of the most underrated drivers and he says it’s because he is not flashy! Hamlin said, “He’s so underrated as far as the natural ability to drive a car fast. I think he is one of the most naturally gifted drivers our Series has seen in quite some time. But he’s just not flashy about it. That’s the only difference in him and others that have been great in the Cup Series in the past.” Hamlin might be onto the right thing because, as per Tray Ryan’s recent analysis, Truex Jr and Larson have led 75% or more laps in the races over the last few years.

First Cup series win in 2007

2007 was a sweet year for Martin Truex Jr and he continually finished in the top 10-14 and ended his season with the p11 position in the driver standings. Then he won for the first time in the series at the Autism Speaks 400 race at Dover. 

His win at the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500 in 2016

The Coca-Cola 600 is NASCAR’s marquee event and in 2016 Martin won it big time by leading 392 out of the 400 laps. A trailblazer win! And he was far from done because just a few weeks later he picked up another victory, as he held off Kevin Harvick, at another prestigious race in Darlington. 

2017 Cup Championship 

The JGR driver has an impressive twenty-year career filled with accolades. But one of the most significant achievements is undoubtedly the 2017 NASCAR Cup Championship. That year, he dominated with eight race wins. His season culminated in a triumphant victory at the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he secured his first championship title. 

What do you think about his career over the years? Let us know!