Martin Truex Jr. opines on what he'll miss most, least about full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing

As Martin Truex Jr. prepares to retire from fill-time NASCAR Cup Series racing following this weekend’s trip to Phoenix Raceway, there’s some things he’ll miss about the grind he’s been on for over half his life.

Speaking with FOX’s Bob Pockrass, Truex shed some light into his feelings heading into Sunday’s finale for the 2024 NASCAR season, as he prepares for the curtain to drop on his time as a full-time wheelman. While he loved performing on the track, it’s the relationships cultivated that’ll stick with him moving forward.

“The team, working with the guys, just having that camaraderie and sharing that passion for trying to win and working hard at it,” Truex stated. “The relationships are really what you take from here and things that will go on for years to come.

“You get to keep the trophies, and you get to go back and look at videos and all the stats and all the things — they’re always there to see. But you miss the people, just seeing all the guys at the track every weekend.”

On the other hand, there’s a reason Truex is calling it a career, after all. There’s some aspects of the life that he won’t miss, and the non-stop traveling and rigorous schedule is something he’s ready to let go of.

“The traveling, just every Thursday getting ready to go. It’s just nonstop,” Truex added. “It’s a grind, and it’ll be nice to just not have my schedule printed out for me a year in advance.

“That’s the biggest thing, really, is just having some time to myself to do what I want and still getting to race some, too. So just doing things on my own terms.”

Regardless, NASCAR will miss Truex, and not having him around on a weekly basis will be a disappointing revelation. He’s amassed a highly decorated career, winning 34 races across 19 seasons in NASCAR’s premier series, including two Coca-Cola 600s and a Southern 500. 

Additionally, Truex has reached the mountain top in NASCAR, as in 2017, while driving the No. 78 Toyota for Furniture Row Racing, he won his first and only Cup Series championship. Truex tallied eight checkered flags that season and capped it off with a victory in the season finale at Homestead-Miami. 

Martin Truex Jr. may be ready to move on from the sport, but his contributions and success will forever be timeless. He’s a NASCAR legend, and that’s not going to change.