Martin Truex Jr. has always done things the ‘right’ way. After two decades at NASCAR’s highest level, the New Jersey native built a reputation for being a clean racer, earning the respect of his colleagues and fans with his conduct on the racetrack. From watching his friends racing on go-karts at 10 to winning the championship with Furniture Row Racing in 2017, the 44-year-old has been on quite a journey, now in its sunset years.

Despite experiencing all the highs and lows that motorsports has to offer, Truex Jr. knows he has plenty to be grateful for when reflecting on his illustrious career. With one race to go before the season ends, could he spoil the Championship party and secure the first win of his season at Phoenix Raceway?

Martin Truex Jr. gets nostalgic ahead of his final race

Martin Truex Jr.’s legacy will continue to live on, even though he is closing the curtains on his full-time racing career. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s No. 19 Toyota will feature the same paint scheme as his first Cup Series car at Dale Earnhardt Inc. back in 2004, highlighting that his career has come a complete circle. While it’s not truly a goodbye, as the 44-year-old already has a handshake deal lined up for the Daytona 500 for next year, competing in select races doesn’t have the same ring to it in comparison to being a title contender after challenging for a win every week.

Taking a trip down memory lane, Martin Truex Jr. reflected on his career by telling SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, “Yeah, thankful for all the opportunities and all the great people I got to work with and you know, the good days were amazing, the tough days were really hard but it made you appreciate, it made you understand just what it meant to be a winner in the series. To be a champion. To be able to, you know, be that guy that’s you know, who has got the target in your back every weekend because they know that you’re the team to beat. So it was really cool to live so many years in that position and be one of those guys that was a championship contender year after year.”

He may have won the Cup Series championship only once, but few drivers are as deserving of a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame as Martin Truex Jr. The veteran has finished the season as runner-up thrice, highlighting just how often he was in contention for the Bill France Cup throughout his career. Looking back, the New Jersey native will feel that the most valuable lessons he learned were through his failures, which were character-building moments that helped build the resilience that is needed to compete at NASCAR’s highest level.

Going into the Championship weekend at Phoenix Raceway, Truex Jr. will want to spoil the party by entering Victory Lane for the first time this season. Sharing his expectations, the driver said, “You’d love to win that thing. It’s happened before. We’ve been pretty good there and hopefully, we can find something a little bit extra and go there.”

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver last won on the 1-mile tri-oval in 2021 and will hope to turn back the clock and end his full-time career on a high. In many ways, it’s the end of an era, but the 44-year-old deserves a well-earned rest after living in the fast lane for decades.

Here’s what MTJ will miss the most

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Having spent almost half of his life as a NASCAR driver, Martin Truex Jr. has molded his lifestyle to suit the rigors of his demanding profession. Now that he is closing the chapter on full-time racing, there are aspects of his career that he will miss more than others, such as the relationships he has made along the way. Known for his quiet and humble demeanor, the veteran driver has been class apart in the way he conducts himself, earning respect from fans and the NASCAR world in the process.

Speaking to FOX Sports journalist Bob Pockrass about what he will miss the most, Truex Jr. said, “The team, working with the guys, just having that camaraderie and sharing that passion for trying to win and working hard at it. The relationships are really what you take from here and things that will go on for years to come. You get to keep the trophies, and you get to go back and look at videos and all the stats and all the things — they’re always there to see. But you miss the people, just seeing all the guys at the track every weekend.”

However, there is a reason why Martin Truex Jr. is closing the curtains on his career. Given his age, the non-stop traveling and the demanding schedule are aspects that he’s more than willing to let go of. On that note, the driver said, “The traveling, just every Thursday getting ready to go. It’s just nonstop. It’s a grind, and it’ll be nice to just not have my schedule printed out for me a year in advance.”

Even though Truex Jr. may be ready to move on from the sport, his contributions to the world of stock car racing will remain timeless. His legendary status won’t be changing anytime soon, and fans will look forward to seeing him on the racetrack once again, even if it’s in a limited capacity.