Martin Truex Jr. has always credited his father, Martin Truex Sr., for shaping his career. “I wanted to go everywhere my dad went.” That statement holds even more weight now as Truex Jr. prepares for the Daytona 500. Just weeks after losing him, the NASCAR veteran will carry his father’s legacy in the Great American Race. Truex Jr. retired from full-time racing at the end of the 2024 NASCAR season. Yet, the lure of one more shot at the Great American Race brought him back. Driving the No. 56 Toyota for Tricon Garage Truex Jr. qualified for Sunday’s main event by winning Wednesday night’s qualifying session.

However, this race is now more than a competition for Truex Jr—it’s about honoring his father’s memory. While he will give a shot at his maiden Daytona 500 win, he will also be honoring his late father.

Martin Truex Jr. carries the weight of his father’s legacy!

For Martin Truex Jr., Daytona has always been a tough place. He has started nearly 700 Cup Series races, including 20 Daytona 500s, but victory in NASCAR’s biggest race has always slipped through his grasp. This year Truex Jr. is eyeing to win the great American race not for his illustrious career but for his father’s efforts. Speaking with Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports, Truex Jr. explained his Daytona plans while remembering his father.

“Everything I’ve ever learned, you know, was from him. He was my hero growing up and still is. He made a lot of things happen for me, and taught me a lot of things about racing, and really, the opportunity to get here and be able to do what I’ve accomplished is all because of him and his sacrifices. So hopefully, we’ll go win this thing for him on Sunday,” Truex Jr. told Pockrass.

The tribute goes beyond words. Truex Jr. is driving the No. 56 Toyota, the same number his father carried during his NASCAR career in the 1990s. Notably, it’s also the number Truex Jr. drove when he raced for Michael Waltrip Racing from 2010 to 2013. Seeing that number on the track again is a powerful reminder of his father’s influence. “Probably hits home for me and what it means to us and our family. A lot of people are going to be excited to see it out there,” Truex Jr. added.

Notably, Truex Sr.’s NASCAR stats may not be extraordinary, but his impact on the sport was massive. While he raced in only 15 Xfinity series events, he made a name for himself in the Busch North Series (now ARCA Menards Series East). In a decade-long career, he started 135 races, winning once in 1994 at New Hampshire. Apart from his career, Truex Sr. shaped his kids’ racing career too.

He led the foundation of a dominating NASCAR family, which has ruled the national series. While Martin Truex Jr. is a well-established name in the Cup series, his younger brother Ryan is also a great racer. Ryan is also a three-time winner in the Xfinity Series and is currently a reserve driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. Now, as Truex Jr. prepares for one of the biggest races of his career, he carries his father’s sacrifices with him.

However, the emotional tribute doesn’t just mark a farewell to his father; it might also be a farewell to racing altogether. Truex Jr. retired from full-time Cup Series competition at the end of 2024. His appearance at Daytona could very well be his final NASCAR race. If this is truly the end, it’s only fitting that it happens with a dominating and emotional win.

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A last shot at the Harley J. Earl Trophy!

Martin Truex Jr. has done almost everything in NASCAR. He’s won a Cup Series championship in 2017, claimed multiple regular-season titles, and was recently named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers. But there’s one trophy missing from his collection, i.e. the iconic Harley J. Earl Trophy. Despite being one of the sport’s most successful drivers, Truex Jr. has never won The Great American Race. His closest call came in 2016 when he finished second to Denny Hamlin in the closest finish in Daytona 500 history.

Now, at 43 years old, Truex Jr. has one more chance to change that. On Wednesday’s qualifying session, Truex Jr locked himself in Sunday’s race by beating out the open charter teams. That means he won’t have to worry about the dual races determining his spot. But there’s still an incentive for him to push hard in Thursday’s heats. If he finishes ahead of the other open cars, he could start as high as the second row on Sunday.

His biggest challenge? The unpredictability of Daytona. The superspeedway is known for its tight-pack racing and high-speed crashes, which can take out even the best drivers. But Truex is confident in his team. He’s reunited with former crew chief Cole Pearn; the man who helped him win the 2017 Cup Series title. Speaking after the qualifying session, he said, “So far, it’s been fun. We’ve got a nice cast of characters in our car that have been around a long time. Bunch of really good guys. Got Cole to come back down to do it, so it’s been a lot of fun.”

However, Truex Jr. will need to win his 60-lap duel to qualify in the second row. He will be locked in race one along with Chase Briscoe, Ryan Preece, Kyle Busch, and Helio Castroneves. Truex Jr. will at least need to finish ahead of any open car as finishing behind will lock him in the 20th row. If there’s ever a time for Truex Jr. to break his Daytona drought, it’s now. He’s racing with emotion, with history, and with purpose. Win or lose, Martin Truex Jr. will be driving for something much bigger than himself on Sunday.