[autotag]Martin Truex Jr.[/autotag]’s full-time NASCAR Cup Series career is officially over. On Sunday evening, Truex took the checkered flag as a full-time competitor for the last time at Phoenix Raceway, finishing in 17th place after winning the pole. It was a disappointing finish for the 2017 Cup Series champion, who ended his farewell season without a victory.
Following his last full-time NASCAR event at Phoenix, Truex climbed out of his No. 19 car with several people, such as Jeff Gordon and Michael Jordan, congratulating him. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver talked about his final full-time race and what’s to come in the future.
“Oh man. I wanted it to go better than that,” Truex said. “We were pretty good early and then lost track position and then the track just continued to rubber up and get hotter. At least that’s what I felt like it was doing. I kept losing the grip. I kept losing more balance. I just losing track position. It just all magnifies with this thing. We got caught by the caution there and had to stay out on old tires and get the wave around and we couldn’t even race to try to go forward. It was just not a good day. Not a good day to end on. I’m proud of the effort of my team. At least we got to lead a few laps at the beginning.”
Perhaps no driver has persevered more than Mayetta, New Jersey's own, Martin Truex Jr. pic.twitter.com/Zgtd13PSKS
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 10, 2024
“Yeah, it means a lot to have the respect of guys [like Jeff Gordon and Michael Jordan] and what they mean to the sport. Absolute legends, right? It makes me feel good that I’ve earned that respect over the years, and it means a lot. From here forward, I’m just going to go have some fun and do a little bit of racing here and there just for fun. Hopefully, it will be less stressful than days like today.”
This isn’t Truex’s “goodbye” moment from NASCAR, but it does mark the end of an era. The driver of the No. 19 car for Joe Gibbs Racing’s career has been a rollercoaster, but he will step away from full-time racing as a Cup Series champion. Truex will still race in 2025, but it won’t be the same without his presence in the garage every weekend.
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