On June 14, NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. announced his impending retirement from the sport at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Truex won the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series championship, and as of June 14, holds 34 Cup wins, 146 top-five finishes, and 287 top-ten finishes. Truex has also won back-to-back titles in the Xfinity Series in 2004 and 2005.
GettyMartin Truex Jr., Toyota/Save mart 350
Truex’s Excellent 2023 Season
Truex has flirted with the idea of retirement previously, but has always returned for yet another season, amounting now to 18 years in full-time Cup series competition.
On June 5 Truex was asked about his future in NASCAR during a media appearance with reporters, and at that time, he hadn’t shared any conclusion regarding his potential retirement.
“Yeah, I don’t know yet. We’ll see.I think, you know, it’s never enough time in this sport because you need to start planning for next year — like now. So it’s a tough situation to be in where I’m at right now, trying to figure it out six, eight months ahead of time, whatever. But it is what it is, you know. There’s a lot of people that have to make plans and you don’t want to mess them up. So you kind of got to be looking out for everybody else in these situations,” Truex said.
There’s a lot up in the air in the NASCAR Cup Series for 2025. A new media rights deal and charter agreement alongside Stewart-Haas Racing’s charters being up for grabs…it’s no wonder that trying to project months ahead would be difficult, especially this season.
Truex has more than shown that his racing ability still exists this season. In the first twelve races, Truex was the only driver in the Cup Series that hadn’t fallen 20th or below in a finish. He is ranked fifth in the driver standings. As of June 14, he has totalled 508 points in 16 races this season, with 4 top-five finishes, and 7 top-tens.
GettyMartin Truex Jr., 2017 Championship
Truex’s Cup Series Career
Truex began his Cup career in 2006 with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, with his first win coming in 2007 at his home track, Dover Motor Speedway.
In 2017, Truex entered his 12th season, and arguably, his best. Truex and his team earned a career-best 8 wins and 26 top-ten finishes alongside the championship win. Truex won the championship with Furniture Row Racing.
Truex is currently in his fifth season with Joe Gibbs Racing. He took his first victory for the team in 2019, and his most recent win was in 2023.
“Martin has been a fierce competitor, champion and loyal friend to Toyota and TRD for over a decade. He is the only NASCAR driver to win Cup races in a Toyota Camry across three different race team organizations – a remarkable achievement. His genuine personality and consistent performance have made him a fan favorite and someone who will truly be missed on-track each week. Martin’s racing achievements highlight just how talented of a racer he is, and his outstanding work off-track with the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation showcases the incredible person he continues to be. Martin is a future Hall of Famer and someone we will always be honored to call a part of the Team Toyota family,” Toyota Racing Development (TRD) USA President David Wilson said in a statement.
The final race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season will be on Oct. 27 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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