A great veteran hung up his firesuit in the NASCAR Cup Series this season. Over 19 seasons, Martin Truex Jr. has collected 34 race victories – his best run coming in 2017, when he won his sixth win at Homestead and clinched the championship. Yet this glittering resume lacks a prestigious honor, or the rights to a Daytona 500 trophy. Truex Jr.’s Joe Gibbs Racing promised him his retirement would be no reason to let go of that dream. However, the situation looks bleak right now.

Denny Hamlin has a lot of things on his plate, even after giving up on his championship efforts in 2024. Alongside handling a NASCAR lawsuit that is going awry, he is welcoming a new driver to 23XI Racing. This complicates the promises he made to Truex Jr., as Tony Stewart’s charter is yet to be confirmed.

No clear blueprint for Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr. and Tony Stewart have crossed paths several times. For instance, they got into a verbal scuffle after a Fontana conflict in 2015. But in 2024, their fates are intertwined differently. As part of the lawsuit, a federal judge denied 23XI Racing’s request for a preliminary injunction that would grant them chartered spots in 2025. Although the team has decided to appeal, its fate hangs in the balance. At the moment, 23XI will race as open teams which must undergo weekly qualifications and are excluded from financial assurances. Hence, Stewart’s hope to sell off one of Stewart-Haas Racing’s charters is bleak – and so is Martin’s hope to race part-time in 2025.

Additionally, this presents a difficult situation for Martin Truex Jr., if he were to drive under 23XI Racing’s banner in an open car in 2025. He would need to compete with three cars now – the No. 23, the No. 45, and now the newly unveiled No. 35 for Riley Herbst. NASCAR expert Eric Estepp outlined the scenario in a recent video: “So the 23 of Bubba Wallace, the 45 of Tyler Reddick, and the 35 now of Riley Herbst – will all compete as open teams next year. They will be competing with each other for a spot in the Daytona 500. If 23XI truly brings a 4th car for Martin Truex Jr. in that race, all hell’s going to break loose. Obviously, that could change if their injunction request is granted.” 

Now all we can do is wait for the courtroom to issue a more favorable response to 23XI Racing. Even Martin Truex Jr. expressed his anticipation for the 2025 part-time racing deal. “I should probably only have one so I don’t know. I don’t own a car so it’s going to be depending on a lot of people to figure it out. So, hopefully, a couple of Xfinity races and the Daytona 500. We’ll see…I mean, as far as I know, it’s all going still. I think we’re good. You never know these days, things change in a hurry, right?” Truex Jr. said with a laugh. “A lot going on like you said, I have no clue. But I feel confident I have a contract so that’s a good sign, right?” 

Although the courtroom situation looks dismal, 23XI Racing’s latest recruit is thrilled to embark on a new venture.

All eyes on Herbst

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The former Stewart-Haas Racing driver gave a fitting tribute to his team before it washed away for good. Riley Herbst won two Xfinity races this year – one in Indianapolis and another in dominant fashion at Phoenix. Although he could not clinch the championship, winning the final race must have brought a smile to Tony Stewart’s face, although the latter was more concerned about his charter situation. Now Herbst is rolling up his sleeves to drive the No. 35 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing in the Cup Series. The No. 35 pays homage to Jordan, who wore the number while playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League. Monster Energy, Herbst’s primary sponsor, will follow him to 23XI.

“It’s an honor to join 23XI and Toyota for the opportunity to race in the Cup Series each week,” Herbst said in a statement. “Racing full-time in the Cup Series has been my goal since I started in NASCAR, and I’m excited to start my Cup career with such an accomplished and driven team. What 23XI has accomplished in a short time is impressive and I look forward to building on their success as the organization grows. It’s also great to continue representing Monster, and I’m excited about adding to their legacy in NASCAR.”

For now, at least, a resounding echo of cheers is ringing across the 23XI Racing team. The flip side is way more dismal – given the unstable lawsuit’s proceedings. Let us hope to see Herbst and Martin Truex Jr. competing on par with their new rivals next year.