[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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[autotag]Martin Truex Jr.[/autotag]’s full-time NASCAR Cup Series career is one race way from being over. On Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway, Truex will say goodbye to Joe Gibbs Racing as he leaves NASCAR as a full-time competitor. The driver of the No. 19 car won’t be able to compete for a second Cup Series championship, but he will be celebrated either way.

Truex has spent 21 years in the Cup Series dating back to the 2004 season and has won 34 races and one Cup Series championship with Furniture Row Racing in 2017. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver hasn’t won a race in his farewell season, but could Phoenix change that? Based on Truex’s performances in the playoffs, it doesn’t seem likely, but it shouldn’t be ruled out.

The NASCAR garage won’t be the same with Truex leaving as a full-time driver, but it doesn’t mean he will be gone for good. The 2017 Cup Series champion is expected to compete with 23XI Racing in the 2025 Daytona 500 and will have a part-time NASCAR schedule. This isn’t a firm goodbye for Truex, but it marks the end of a 21-year era for one of the sport’s best drivers.

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[autotag]Martin Truex Jr.[/autotag] will retire from full-time racing in the NASCAR Cup Series at the conclusion of the 2024 season. While it will be different without Truex competing for the Cup Series championship, it doesn’t mean he will be entirely out of NASCAR. In fact, Truex’s teammate Denny Hamlin offered to enter another 23XI Racing entry for him throughout the year.

Truex jumped on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, and talked about his plans for the 2025 NASCAR season. Based on his response, it seems likely that he will aim for his first Daytona 500 victory in 2025.

“I’ll probably run the Daytona 500,” Truex said. “Not a done deal yet, but I feel like it shouldn’t be too hard to finish that up.”

Hamlin already offered for Truex to run a 23XI Racing entry for the Daytona 500, which seems to be the likely outcome in this scenario. Truex could stick with Toyota and drive for his teammate in a competitive entry. There may not be a championship for Truex to chase in 2025 and beyond, but that competitive side in NASCAR will not disappear yet.

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[autotag]Martin Truex Jr.[/autotag] appeared to have one of the best cars at New Hampshire Motor Speedway; however, it was a rough day for the No. 19 team. Truex clawed through the field and took the lead in Stage 2. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had a very poor pit stop and eventually ended up spinning in the back. Truex eventually regained some track position for a ninth-place finish.

Following the event, Truex talked about his likely last race at New Hampshire in the NASCAR Cup Series. The driver of the No. 19 car was disappointed about not winning but was satisfied to climb through the field and earn a top-10 finish.

“When it was pouring rain, I thought we were headed home,” Truex said.
“Definitely a tough day. We had a speed in our Reser’s Camry. It is a shame the way things worked out, but definitely happy to get a top 10. It has been a rough four weeks, so we needed a good finish. We had good stage points, and we needed a good finish, so glad that we got it, but it hurts to have a tough day here, probably being my last one.”

Truex could have been in victory lane for the second straight year at New Hampshire, but it ended up being Christopher Bell who led 149 laps on Sunday afternoon. Truex’s time for one more victory in the Cup Series is coming, but it wasn’t meant to be in Loudon. Now, he will look forward to the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway as his next opportunity.

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