Martin Truex Jr. out of Cook Out 400 early after engine failure at Richmond

Disaster for Martin Truex Jr. at Richmond! It appears Joe Gibbs Racing has had another major mechanical issue as the 19 car was smoking on pit road. This NASCAR season has not gone the way that Truex Jr. imagined it would go.

Martin Truex Jr. had a problem on pit road earlier in the race. He was in the top-five for much of the early part of the race. The driver, who will retire at the end of the season, ends his last ride at Richmond with a DNF result.

Now the other JGR drivers are going to be sweating it out to the end hoping their cars hold up. For Truex, this is the end of the line.

BIG PROBLEMS FOR MARTIN TRUEX JR.#NASCAR | USA Network pic.twitter.com/aOegTJVBw7

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 12, 2024

Ever since the playoffs last season, this 19 team has been off. Things are a far cry from where they were after New Hampshire 2023. Let’s not forget that Truex won the regular season championship last season.

As far as tonight’s bad luck, that goes back to the organization. Engine issues have been a major issue for JGR going back to early summer. Ty Gibbs has had a pair of failures, Christopher Bell has had issues, and so has Denny Hamlin. Now, it’s come to get Truex.

No matter how it happened or who is at fault, the result is the same – DNF. That is not what a winless driver needs heading into the final three weeks of the regular season.

Martin Truex Jr. explains engine failure

While speaking to NBC Sports, Martin Truex Jr. explained why his engine failed during the final stage of the race.

“It hiccuped once down the backstretch and then started missing. It’s like it broke a valve spring or something, and then it just kind of self-disintegrated right there, self-destructed really quickly, Truex said. “I don’t know, it’s just one of them days.”

Truex was then asked about the challenges he and his team faced on Sunday due to the option tires and the different pit strategies. “It wasn’t. I think James [Small] made the right call to put the tires on when he did,” Truex said. “We just had that issue on pit road with the wheel coming off. We went from being one of the fastest cars on the track to not having a very good car with a very small change.

“We just missed an adjustment race track-wise, we were still going to be okay. It’s a shame, last race here full-time. Would have been since to get another win.”

What will it take for Martin Truex Jr. to get back on track or even in Victory Lane again?