Dale Earnhardt Jr. recognizes Martin Truex Jr. could leave Joe Gibbs Racing in a serious pickle if he decides to hang up his helmet at the end of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign.
It’s evident Truex Jr. still has the ability to race with the best, as he’s among the top drivers once again after winning the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series regular season title. He’s once again in the mix at the top of the standings, despite not winning a race thus far during the 2024 campaign.
While his racing ability hasn’t waned, Truex Jr. has been distant from his JGR teammates at times, and he hasn’t been shy about retirement crossing his mind once or twice. He even thought about retiring last season, after a tumultuous run in the playoffs. There’s just something about that No. 19, see Carl Edwards.
If Truex Jr. does retire, an interesting candidate to replace him would be Noah Gragson, as the current wheelman of the No. 10 for Stewart-Haas Racing will be looking for a ride at the end of the season.
He has the Bass Pro Shops connection, but his rivalry with Ty Gibbs from their time in the Xfinity Series could end that rumor before it even begins, at least that’s the way Earnhardt Jr. is seeing it at the moment.
“So if Martin Truex Jr. does retire, you know you’ve got to think there’s a handful of drivers that would be considered for that car. I think one of those drivers that would be considered is Noah Gragson, because of his connection to Bass Pro Shop,” Earnhardt Jr. theorized, via the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download. “Bass Pro spends a lot of money on Martin’s car, the No. 19. I think that they would probably say to Joe Gibbs, ‘I’ll pitch in a little bit more, if Noah can be considered.’
“I think the problem is, I’m not sure how favorable Joe and Ty Gibbs would be to having Noah as a teammate.”
If Gragson and Gibbs can’t work together, Earnhardt Jr. pushed for another of his former drivers in Josh Berry, as he’s also worked with Bass Pro Shops in the past, and his relationship with Gibbs is far from frayed.
“Would they consider Josh [Berry]?” Earnhardt Jr. questioned. “Ty Gibbs raced with Josh in the CARS Tour. They know each other well. I think they have a great relationship.
“Josh has worked with Bass Pro in the past. So Johnny Morris and those folks at Bass Pro know who Josh is. But that would depend on what Truex is going to do.”
That last part is key, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. recognizes it all depends on what Martin Truex Jr. decides. Time will tell, but if the former NASCAR Cup Series champion decides to retire, who replaces him will become one of the more interesting conversations of this year’s edition of silly season.
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