By Seth Eggert, Associate Editor
Although his final race as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver wasn’t what Martin Truex Jr. hoped for, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver still found a silver lining in his run.
Driving a No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE that resembled the No. 1 he drove in his debut for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Truex struggled throughout the 312-lap race at Phoenix Raceway. The Mayetta, NJ native was one of many trapped a lap down by a caution halfway into the final Stage. Forced to take the wave around, Truex quietly ran just inside the top-20, taking the checkered flag in 17th.
Although the result wasn’t what Truex was expecting, he found a silver lining in leading laps at the start of the Cup Series Championship Race. That was in part because he won the pole for his final start as a full-time Cup Series driver.
“I wanted it to go better than that,” Truex admitted. “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, losing more balance, [and] losing track position. It just 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.”
In addition to the congratulations that three-time champion Joey Logano received from his competitors, Truex too had drivers and crew members acknowledging his achievements. Among those that stopped by Truex post-race were Hendrick Motorsports’ Jeff Gordon and 23XI Racing’s co-owner Michael Jordan.
“It means a lot to have the respect of guys like that and what they mean to the sport,” Truex explained. “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.”
The top-20 finish leaves Truex 10th in the final driver points standings. That was his best points finish in the NEXTGen era and his seventh career top-10 points finish.
Truex caps off his 23-year career with one NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2017, consecutive Busch Series titles (now known as Xfinity) in 2003 and 2004, as well as 34 victories in the Cup Series, 13 in Xfinity, and one in the Craftsman Truck Series.
While Truex is stepping away from full-time competition, he will still be involved at Joe Gibbs Racing in an advising role. He also has hinted at plans to compete on a limited basis in the future, similar to other drivers like Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, Parker Kligerman, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.