Why Martin Truex Jr. is retiring from the NASCAR Cup Series full-time after 2024
Martin Truex Jr. had considered retirement the past couple seasons as he raced into his 40s, yet he continued on as one of the NASCAR Cup Series' top drivers.
But Truex decided that the 2024 season would be his last as a full-time Cup Series driver, announcing his retirement following the season on Friday at Iowa Speedway ahead of Sunday's Cup race at the venue.
The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota has compiled a Hall of Fame résumé, compiling 34 Cup Series wins and the 2017 Cup Series title along with two Xfinity Series championships.
"It felt like the right time for me," Truex said Friday. "I thought about it a lot in the past few seasons, and waited for that feeling in my mind for it to be positive. 'OK, I'm good. I want to do something else.' "
"Something just felt different this year for me."
Truex did mention the "crazy schedule" for Cup drivers that includes up to 40 weekends a year away from home as something he won't miss.
"I want to do the things I want to do," Truex said.
Truex joined JGR in 2019 after Furniture Row Racing (which had a partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing) folded following the 2018 season. He won 15 races in 5½ seasons with the team, with the second half of the 2024 season still to come. Truex should be factor in the 2024 Cup Series playoffs; he is fifth in the regular-season points standings and has the third-most laps led in the series this season.
Owner Joe Gibbs said Friday at Truex's announcement that Truex will be an ambassador to Joe Gibbs Racing and will be working on various ventures for the team. Both Gibbs and Truex left the door open for Truex to run races in the future — Truex made sure to term his retirement as from "full-time" Cup racing.
"Everybody has such great respect for Martin, and I did everything I could (to keep Truex racing full-time)," Gibbs said.
"It's something that obviously will be a big deal for us. It's a big loss."
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Martin Truex Jr. is retiring from NASCAR full-time after 2024
