Is Martin Truex Jr an Undeserving Regular Season Champion?

As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the closing stages, the championship battle is heating up. Kyle Larson is already locked into the Championship 4, so the pressure is on the other seven contenders. Among them is Joe Gibbs Racing driver and veteran racer Martin Truex Jr. The #19 driver had the honor of being the regular season champion in 2023, beating the likes of teammate Denny Hamlin and William Byron to the crown. However, the real battle now begins and Truex Jr will be keen to reach the Championship 4.

So far, he seemingly did enough to reach the Round of 8, but there will be pressure to progress further. When he won the regular season title, he was a whopping 48 points ahead of Hamlin. However, he has struggled a fair amount during the Playoffs, so it does make one wonder if he won it by fluke.

Admittedly, the points gulf was huge because Hamlin was docked 25 points for wrecking Ross Chastain at Phoenix earlier this year. Meanwhile, Byron suffered a 60-point and five playoff point loss due to a technical infringement. In other words, the competition was a lot closer than what the statistics were saying.

How did Martin Truex Jr perform over the course of the season?

Since the season began, the #19 driver has only retired from two races so far. However, his campaign was peppered with a few penalties, accidents, and spins. But he has overcome them to finish where he did. As a matter of fact, his stats are so good that he has the second-least retirements, behind Chris Buescher. Furthermore, his penalties were all incurred during the regular season and he kept it clean during the Playoffs.

Additionally, most of his sub-par results were in the aftermath of a few accidents. There were also a few moments of poor luck, like an ill-timed puncture at Kansas. Now, he finds himself lying in third place in the standings with two races left before the season finale at Phoenix. Kyle Larson, already locked in his berth, and that leaves three more places to fill up in the next two race tracks.

Can the Joe Gibbs Racing driver reach the Championship 4?

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Of the three remaining races, Truex Jr has won at all three race tracks. He has triumphed at Homestead-Miami in 2017, and won at Martinsville and Phoenix a few times in his career. As a result, he should theoretically be a favorite to sneak into the final 4. However, the pressure will be mounting, and top 10 finishes will likely not cut it to make the Championship 4. This was evident in the last race when Brad Keselowski, Ross Chastain, and Kyle Busch ended up in the Top 5, but failed to advance.

All that he needs to do is win one of the next two races and then try to win at Phoenix to take out the championship title. Admittedly, he has faced a bit of bad luck, especially at tracks where he performed well. However, he will have to shake it off, put his head down, and charge. The question still remains, is he an undeserving regular season champion? To be frank, he is not undeserving because he worked hard to win the title and is well in playoff contention.

This season is a far cry from 2022 for Martin Truex Jr

Let’s be honest, 2022 was one of his worst seasons since the 2014 campaign. He failed to reach the Playoffs for the first time in Joe Gibbs Racing machinery. Of course, there were other times when he failed to make the cut over the course of his career. However, the other teams that he has been part of were not exactly title contenders during those times. Prior to joining Joe Gibbs Racing, he competed for Dale Earnhardt Inc., Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Furniture Row Racing.

2022 was so bad that it left him and others to question whether he should remain in the sport or retire. So it is gratifying to see the #19 driver bounce back from rock bottom in 2022. However, 2023 is not a walk in the park for the 2017 Cup Series champion. There is stiff competition from the remaining Hendrick Motorsports drivers and his own teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Currently, there is a fierce battle to see who can join Larson in the final four. William Byron has been on song this campaign, while Hamlin is a perennial threat. This year, even Christopher Bell has stepped up his game and is looking like a strong rival. Not to forget that there are wildcards like Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, and Ryan Blaney.

READ MORE: Joe Gibbs Needs Martin Truex Jr’s Las Vegas Redemption to Establish Domination Over Rick Hendrick in Playoffs Round of 4

Will the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion snatch a second Cup title?

This year has been uber-competitive in the NASCAR Cup Series. As the season slowly winds down to a close, the best drivers of the year will soon be confirmed. Then there will be a no-holds-barred contest at the Phoenix Raceway between Kyle Larson and whoever joins him in the Championship 4. The question is, will Martin Truex Jr be among them or will he just miss out on taking a second Cup Series crown?

Without a doubt, he is a great driver and his three wins this year have proven his mettle. However, he would dearly love to walk away with the 2023 Cup Series championship. He and teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell will be keen to take the fight to Hendrick Motorsports. The advantage is with them, as they outnumber their rivals three to two, but Larson has booked his berth in the Playoffs.

But since the #19 driver has seen a dip in performance during playoffs, does hat make him less deserving of his regular-season championship?

WATCH THIS STORY: Martin Truex Jr’s Playoff Hopes Dim as Joe Gibbs Racing Struggles