After a demoralizing finish to the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, speculation regarding the future and possible retirement of Martin Truex Jr. is growing.
Truex Jr. was leading the race late, and after Kyle Larson caught and passed him, he seemed to at least be heading for a runner-up finish. However, the No. 19 ran out of gas, and dropped from a top-five to P27 when it was all said and done.
Afterwards, FOX’s Bob Pockrass wondered if the way Sonoma worked out for Truex Jr. will have any bearing on his retirement decision, as his future for 2025 and beyond is still up in the air with Joe Gibbs Racing.
“Martin Truex Jr., another frustrating finish. Will these frustrating finishes drive him to retirement? You know, he’s about to finish second here at Sonoma to Kyle Larson, and runs out of gas in the final turns here at Sonoma. Frustrating day, should’ve done much better, but what does that mean for the future?” Pockrass prefaced. “I don’t know that it means a whole lot. I think the fact that he’s running near the front, the fact that he’s you know, top five in points, that’s performance that he likes. That’s performance where you know that if he gets to the playoffs, he can be a contender. So I don’t know that that has a huge impact on his decision.
“I think it’s just a matter of quality of life. Does he want to continue being on the road 36 weekends a year? I know Joe Gibbs wants a decision. They want to be in line for potential replacements. Don’t want to lose out on anyone. They want a decision, I think yesterday. I think there will be a decision soon. What will it be? I kind of lean towards that this will be his last year, but I’m sure as heck not going to Vegas to put any money on it. Martin’s a hard person to read. He tends to probably change his mind some. So we’ll just have to see.”
Evidently, Pockrass believes Sonoma’s finish won’t have a major impact on Truex Jr.’s decision, but it’s certainly fair to wonder. Regardless, if the No. 19 wheelman does decide to hang up his helmet at the end of the season, the FOX insider shared some potential names that could replace him,
“If he does retire, who does replace him? I think Chase Briscoe has a shot. He’s the most veteran of the Stewart-Haas drivers. He’s been in the playoffs. Been having an up and down year, but still kind of a veteran who’s out there,” Pockrass added. “Another veteran who’s out there is Erik Jones. Yes, he’s already had the stint at Joe Gibbs Racing. Wouldn’t totally rule out a return for him. You’ve got to consider Noah Gragson, because of how well he’s done, not just this year, but the fact that he does have a relationship with Bass Pro Shops. Whether that would be enough to get him that ride, I don’t know.
“But certainly some things for Martin to figure out, if he hasn’t already, and certainly for Joe Gibbs Racing to figure out here, in the next couple of weeks.”
Alas, time will tell what Martin Truex Jr. decides, but Joe Gibbs Racing is waiting for an answer, with a bevy of potential options ready to replace him in the No. 19 if the former NASCAR Cup Series champion decides to call it a career after 2024.
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