Martin Truex Jr. may have retired as a full-time Cup Series competitor, but his journey as a racing driver is far from over. The former Joe Gibbs Racing veteran recently clarified that he intends to compete in the 2025 Daytona 500, even though it won’t be under the 23XI Racing banner. Having competed at NASCAR’s highest level for two decades, the 44-year-old is looking to get some well-earned rest, while keeping his passion for racing alive with one-off appearances.
In a candid interview at the 2024 NASCAR Awards, Truex Jr. reiterated his desire to continue racing, even though it would be in a limited capacity. The driver is looking forward to racing for enjoyment, without being weighed by the pressure of securing results on the racetrack.
Martin Truex Jr. remains committed to racing
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Martin Truex Jr. is open to all sorts of possibilities. Besides wanting to be involved in the 2024 Cup Series season opener, the veteran is also interested in competing in the Xfinity Series as well. With time on his hands and endless possibilities on the horizon, the New Jersey native’s goal is to return to his roots and compete on his home track at the Wall Stadium, which hosts the Turkey Derby on Thanksgiving. Even though the 44-year-old won’t miss being on the road for the majority of the year, living life away from the fast lane isn’t a possibility he’s willing to consider just yet.
Appearing to be in good spirits at the 2024 NASCAR Awards, Martin Truex Jr. was asked if he was enjoying his retirement from full-time racing. The 44-year-old responded by saying, “Yeah, I do. I feel great. I’m happy, excited about the future. Still get to race a little bit as well. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop racing of some sort. Just very thankful, proud, and happy. Proud of a lot of things we’ve been able to do over the years. It’s been great.”
With Joe Gibbs Racing already having four entries in the Cup Series, Martin Truex Jr. will need to look for alternate arrangements for his Daytona 500 appearance. The only other Toyota-affiliated team is Legacy Motor Club, but it already fields John Hunter Nemechek, Erik Jones, and co-owner Jimmie Johnson. Given the circumstances, it will be interesting to see what options the veteran has, in his first race as a part-time driver.
As things stand, Joe Gibbs Racing is brokering a deal for Truex Jr.’s participation, and one option is that a new Toyota team fields a one-off race at Daytona International Speedway. Another alternative that can be explored is that the Japanese car company loans Martin Truex Jr. to another manufacturer for ‘The Great American Race’ so that the 44-year-old can fulfill his desire. Irrespective of the circumstances, fans aren’t seeing the last of the New Jersey native, who will continue living in the fast lane for years to come.
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Truex Jr. sheds light on his plans for the future
Longevity. That’s the right word to describe Martin Truex Jr.’s illustrious career. The racing driver has been competing against NASCAR’s elite for almost two decades and has given some of the sports’ heavyweights a run for their money. Not only has he built a reputation as a ‘clean driver’, but he has also adapted to the ever-changing nature of the sport, succeeding irrespective of the circumstances. With his retirement from full-time racing, the 44-year-old will look to explore avenues he couldn’t in the past.
Revealing his plans for the future, the driver candidly said, “Racing-wise, I mean, I’m going to do the Daytona 500 and looking forward to running some [NASCAR] Xfinity Series cars a bit here and there, just to have fun and see how it goes. I really enjoy that style of car, you know, low downforce, and just the older cars that we raced. So, I look forward to doing a little bit of that again, but other than that not sure. I have a lot of hobbies, and I need to catch up on those. I’m excited about that.”
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Despite being known for his love for fishing, Martin Truex Jr. hasn’t had the time to sit back and pursue his hobby now that the season is over. However, the New Jersey native is engaged in a different type of sport during the off-season. When asked if he had success with the fishing rod recently, the 44-year-old revealed, “Honestly, not a lot of fish. I killed the biggest deer of my life last week. I’m doing alright.” The racing driver went on to say that it was a “183-inch whitetail”, highlighting that he isn’t just winning trophies on the track but off it too.
