Martin Truex Jr. reminisces on NASCAR career, how he wants fans to remember him in retirement

Martin Truex Jr. is thinking back on his storied NASCAR Cup Series career ahead of his final full-time start this weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

The Mayetta, New Jersey native will retire from racing at the end of Sunday’s trip to Arizona, and don’t expect to see him behind the wheel again, aside from a potential one-off here and there. With the finale inching ever closer, Truex reflected on how he would like to be remembered by the sport in the future.

“I’ve gotten that question a lot lately, and it’s a tough one,” Truex told FOX’s Bob Pockrass. “Just that I was a good guy, treated people right and hopefully people still think I’m a little bit underrated.”

That’s a humble answer from a former champion. Truex has never been super outspoken, and he’s been gracious regarding the way he feels about his career as a whole. He recognizes it’s been a tremendous journey, but it certainly had ups and downs.

“Happy. Thankful. Proud. Just the things we’ve been able to do,” Truex added, regarding how he feels about his career as a whole. “If you would have told me after my first couple years in the Cup Series that I would win 30-some races and a championship and had three runner-ups and just be around and be a solid, front-running driver for this long, I would be very excited about that. And so I just feel like I’ve had a great career, more so than I ever thought I could accomplish or would accomplish, especially early on.

“I’m just thankful for all the people I got to work with and the fans and all my partners that made it possible. I feel very lucky to be able to get to do what I’ve done.”

Perhaps Martin Truex Jr. can dial it back and give NASCAR fans a vintage, dominant performance at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. It’d be a fitting way to go out, and a much-deserved celebration for one of the greatest wheelmen in Cup Series history.

More on Martin Truex Jr, NASCAR Cup Series career

Moreover, it’ll be bittersweet seeing Martin Truex Jr. walk away from the sport, but it’s something he’s contemplated over the past few years. 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. 

Truex’s success continued the following year as he finished runner-up to Joey Logano — his last season with Furniture Row. Furniture Row closed up shop at the end of the 2018 campaign and soon thereafter, Truex signed a deal with Joe Gibbs Racing to pilot the No. 19 Toyota. 

Truex finished second again in 2019 and 2021 and has remained one of the Cup Series’ most consistent drivers all the way up to and through the current season.

In addition to his Cup Series career, Truex had one of the better careers in the history of the Xfinity Series. He captured back-to-back Xfinity Series championships in 2004 and ’05 and won 13 races in 104 starts. Truex was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers last year and is a shoo-in for the NASCAR Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible. 

On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this article.