"A real performer and gentleman" - Fans react emotionally as NASCAR honors Martin Truex Jr. ahead of his retirement race

The race at Phoenix is going to be the last one for the 2017 Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. NASCAR fans shared their reactions to a special farewell video for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver on Instagram.

Truex Jr. began his NASCAR journey in the Xfinity Series in 2001. He went on to secure the championship titles twice in the 2004 and 2005 seasons. 2004 was a crucial year for the New Jersey-based racer, as he got a chance to drive in the Cup Series as a substitute for Dale Earnhardt Jr. (who was injured in an accident off the racetrack). Impressed by his performance, he was offered a full-time drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s #1 race car for the 2006 Cup Series season and the rest is history.

With 681 race starts in the Cup Series, Truex Jr. has 34 wins and 289 Top-10 finishes to his name so far. After competing for over two decades, the 44-year-old racer announced his retirement from racing at the end of the ongoing season. To pay tribute to the #19 racer, NASCAR collaborated with JGR, Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. Foundation to post a special video showcasing Truex Jr.'s journey in motorsport.

Here's a look at the post, captioned:

"He did it his way … always. Thank you, Martin."

NASCAR fans posted reactions to the farewell video for the 2017 champion:

Heartfelt message by a fan (Source: @nascar on Instagram)

Another fan praised Truex Jr. (Source: @nascar on Instagram)

A fan wrote, highlighting Truex Jr.'s skills (Source: @nascar on Instagram)

Another fan commented (Source: @nascar on Instagram)

A fan replied, calling Truex Jr. one of the best drivers (Source: @nascar on Instagram)

Another fan commented (Source: @nascar on Instagram)

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"We’re working hard, we’re not giving up" - Martin Truex Jr. after grabbing pole position for the Xfinity 500 race at Martinsville Speedway

Despite the Xfinity 500 being the penultimate race of his Cup Series career, Martin Truex Jr. delivered his best performance to grab pole position at Martinsville on Saturday (Nov. 2). The Joe Gibbs Racing driver spoke about the team's mentality and approach during a post-qualifying interview.

"I feel great about our car on stickers (new tires). You never want to get too optimistic, but I fired off really good in practice, especially that second run with the track rubbered in. I was like, ‘If we can just hit the balance here for qualifying, it should be really fast,'" Truex Jr. said.

"We’ve got two more chances to win. We want it bad, we’re working hard, we’re not giving up, and hopefully we can get it for everyone," he added.

Ahead of the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, Truex Jr. is placed 10th in the 2024 Drivers' table.