Martin Truex Jr. is a household name in the racing community. The No. 19 has been around for almost two decades now, starting his Cup Series journey with Dale Earnhardt Inc. back in 2006. From there, the 44-year-old has never looked back. Proving his prowess in teams like Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Furniture Row Racing. Since 2019, the former Cup Series Champion has settled down driving the Toyota Camry XSE at Joe Gibbs Racing. With an impeccable record of winning 34 Cup Series wins throughout his career, Truex had entered his last season before retiring as a full-time racer in hopes of bringing back his glory days.

However, the 2024 season has been a mixed bag for the 44-year-old so far. While his position in the points table looks solid with 695 points, the Joe Gibbs Racing ace racer has longed for a win so far this season. But more than that, given the developed nature of racing and the recent incidents on the racetrack, the fear of crashing out at the bottom of the pack is genuine in the hearts of many racers—and Truex Jr. is no exception to it.

Martin Truex Jr. expresses his fears

Martin Truex Jr. is right in the playoff mix with other racers. Currently at the 9th spot in the points tally, his chances of qualifying for the playoffs are decent. For Martin Truex Jr., the wider belief is that a top-10 finish from the 44-year-old would almost guarantee him a playoff spot. The No. 19’s circumstances are relatively easier than racers like Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace, as they are stuck in a puzzling scenario. However, the situation is toughest for racers like Chris Buescher and Kyle Busch, who will be desperate for a win at the Darlington Raceway.

However, the general characteristics of NASCAR racing have developed significantly over the past few years. In the modern age, to expect a smooth finish would be like living in a fool’s paradise. High-intensity racing and theatrics in the race thus involved are almost imminent. The coming regular-season finale at Darlington Raceway is expected to be packed with either or both of them. The most interesting part, however, is that it seems Martin Truex Jr. is aware of it.

Talking about the hopes before the race in Darlington, the 44-year-old had this to say, “I’ve seen crazy things happen in my time doing this. We should be fine, you know. If you know, hopefully, nothing out of control happens. That’s really what’s it gonna take to you know get us out of the roadblock. If we can just run a smart race, have no failures, nothing crazy, we don’t get run over or crash or whatever. We’ll be fine.”

Martin Truex Jr.’s concerns about the clean race were genuine. In 2022, he suffered from overtime, unexpected restarts, and late-race cautions, ultimately missing the playoffs despite finishing fourth in regular season points. His best chance came at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where he started from pole and led for 172 laps. However, a series of late cautions and restarts derailed his dominance, allowing Christopher Bell to take the lead with 42 laps remaining, and Truex finished fourth.

While the points scenario is different this season, the increase in on-track incidents and wrecks could be alarming for Truex. Coming into Darlington, Martin Truex Jr. might have upended the playoff race—not with a winning move, but with a costly early mistake. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran lost control of his No. 19 Toyota Camry exiting a corner, overcorrecting in a bid to avoid a collision with William Byron, which nearly caused a major wreck.

Unfortunately, Ryan Blaney, who was not part of the initial incident, got caught in the chaos when Truex’s car hit the safer barrier. Blaney’s No. 12 Ford suffered severe front-end damage. Owning up to his mistake, Truex confessed, “I’m an idiot.” Despite efforts to keep the No. 19 car in the race, the team was forced to retire early. If a new winner emerges, Truex’s playoff chances could be at risk.

A season shrouded in wrecks!

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The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season has been unlike any other season as far as the number of wrecking incidents is concerned. Both the quantity and seriousness of these incidents have increased this season, with NASCAR doing little to solve the issue on a fundamental level. The drama at Richmond Raceway during the Cook Out 400 is a perfect example of just how bad the situation is. Racers this year have not hesitated to opt for rash driving out of desperation.

While wrecking has been a major issue this year, other incidents around driver safety have also raised major concerns amongst racers and fans alike.

Corey LaJoie’s shocking flip at Michigan International Speedway and Josh Berry’s flip at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 have alarmed everyone. While NASCAR has brought new safety measures and protocols, their long-term effect remains to be seen. Such incidents have caused multiple cautions and restarts in several races this season, which directly affects the outcome of the race.

What are your thoughts on Martin Truex Jr.’s words? Do you think the regular season finale at Darlington Raceway will be a clean race? Tell us in the comments down below.