Ever since the start of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, Martin Truex Jr and his retirement plans have lingered around every week. And now, ever since the announcement of Stewart Haas Racing’s impending shutdown, his future at Joe Gibbs Racing has become the talk of town. Time and again, Truex Jr has teased his retirement, but there hasn’t been a definitive answer. But it looks like that will have to change.

While JGR has always offered MTJ time and space to make his decision, this time around, they will need confirmation to make their plans for finding a new face. The panel of the Door Bumper Clear podcast highlighted the urgency of the matter, also suggesting how Truex Jr’s delay in confirming his retirement could hamper one of the current SHR drivers’ chances of finding a new seat.

JGR needs a clear roadmap regarding Martin Truex Jr’s future in the Cup Series

Remember how, at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix in March, Martin Truex Jr was furious with several drivers because of their carelessness? After calling them “clowns,” he raged at his team, “Find a new f*kinig driver!” Well, JGR might just have to do that now. However, finding a replacement Cup Series driver who can lead the banner of a successful racing team like JGR is hard. Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Ty Gibbs are consistent performers, and so is MTJ. Currently sitting 5th in the points standings, the only thing that has eluded him this season is a win. So, that’s a slippery slope for JGR to navigate, as they do not want their veteran driver to call it quits without a replacement, leaving them high and dry.

This is what Freddie Kraft, spotter for Bubba Wallace, pointed out while sharing his perspective on MTJ’s potential retirement call. “You can’t leave a team in the middle of November and go, ‘Yeah, peace out. I’m done. You’ve got two months to find somebody.’” Change is never easy, but the more time you get to adapt, the better the transition is. And given a sport like NASCAR, where the chemistry between a driver and their team is paramount, that’s precisely what JGR needs, which is why “you’re hearing deadlines of end of this month.”

Kraft added, “If he doesn’t move on, I don’t think there’s a clear-cut guy. There might be in their minds, but in my mind, there’s not a clear-cut guy like, ‘Oh, when he’s out, this guy’s going in.’ In years past, it might have been, but who knows where they go from there? They want time to find his replacement if he is going to leave.”

Brett Griffin also chimed in with a new perspective, explaining how Noah Gragson’s rumored move to RCR could be affected by this whole scenario. “There’s a lot of rumors out there that Noah Gragson and Bass Pro Shops could even be going to RCR, and that could be an added charter. Obviously Bass Pro Shops has ties to Martin, so if Martin does retire, that probably helps Noah’s scenario. If he doesn’t retire, I think it probably hurts Noah’s scenario.” The thing is, Martin Truex Jr is aware of the gravity of his decision.

In an interview on June 5, he was asked about his thoughts on retirement. “Yeah, I don’t know yet,” the 43-year-old said. Echoing Kraft’s remarks, Truex Jr added, “There’s never enough time for this sport because you need to start planning for next year, like, now. So it is a tough situation to be in – where I am at right now. Trying to figure out six to eight months at a time. But it is what it is.”

That said, luck surely hasn’t been with MTJ throughout the 2024 season. He came ever so close to tying a record with Jeff Gordon, winning five Cup Series races at Sonoma Raceway. But an empty tank and a redemption-hungry Kyle Larson once again spoiled the party for the 43-year-old.

Martin Truex Jr is far off from his picture-perfect end to his NASCAR career

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With all the speculation surrounding the New Jersey native’s future, 2024 looks like the year he finally calls it quits from competitive racing. SiriusXM host Danielle Trotta even suggested that this is MTJ’s final year in the Cup Series. Winning a NASCAR Cup Series championship in his final year would certainly be a fairy tale end to the driver’s career. However, considering how his season’s been so far after 16 races, the prospect of him lifting the trophy is shrinking with every passing weekend, quite the opposite of his retirement prospects.

When Bob Pockrass asked the 43-year-old how close he was to hanging up his helmet, Truex Jr said, “Every week, Bob. I’m closer every week. How’s that? Every week, I get closer.” As for his performances on track so far, he’s found himself on the bitter end of the stick, not once but multiple times. He came agonizingly close to winning the race at Bristol but was outpaced by teammate Denny Hamlin.

A controversial late restart jump again by Hamlin at Richmond saw him lose out on a win that pretty much was in his bag had it not been for the late caution. Again at Sonoma, at a venue where he’s thrived in the past, he was outdone by a lack of fuel in his late battle against Kyle Larson. Moreover, he also seems to have lost his consistency, failing to finish inside the top 10 in his last five races.

Yeah, there’s an argument to be made that he’s still in contention for the championship, as he is likely to make the playoffs on points. But luck has surely not been on his side. What do you think?