“Be cool if he wins”: NASCAR nation reacts as Martin Truex Jr. returns to qualify for Daytona 500 with Tricon Garage

Martin Truex Jr. took a step back from the tracks after the end of 2024. However, the retired NASCAR champion is ready to make his comeback as he attempts to qualify for the Daytona 500. The 44-year-old will be piloting the No. 56 Toyota for Tricon Garage. The Mooresville-based outlet will be marking its debut in the Cup Series with the race.

Before retirement Truex Jr. raced for 4 teams, starting with Dale Earnhardt Inc., Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Furniture Row ending his career with racing for Joe Gibbs Racing. The announcement of his return was shared by NASCAR via a tweet on X with the caption,

"NEWS: He's got another one in him! @MartinTruex_Jr will attempt to qualify for the #DAYTONA500 in the No. 56 for @TRICONGarage."

Martin Truex Jr’s return has been highly anticipated, especially since he hinted at a possible comeback in his retirement interview with NASCAR.com in June of last year. Now he has the opportunity to make a return, with Tricon Garage, entering the Cup Series, sponsored by Toyota and Bass Pro Shops.

The news of Truex’s return triggered mixed reactions among fans. While some were happy to see him back, others had a more critical view.

"Hell yeah! Be cool if he wins," one fan tweeted.

"Finally! 🙌🏻👍🏻🧡🖤" another added, in support of Truex’s return.

"If only they got @theNAPAnetwork as a sponsor." Another one said.

"Massive W." one added.

"Hell yeah finally @MartinTruex_Jr will be reunited with @colepearn for the #Daytona500." another wrote

However, some fans doubted whether he would succeed. One even called for him to retire.

"It’ll be a great continuation of his 2024 season when he fails to qualify." one typed.

"Bro just retire already," another fan tweeted

Martin Truex Jr. is excited about working with Tricon Garage and Cole Pearn again. Speaking to NASCAR.com, he said,

“It’s going to be a really cool deal to be able to work with Cole and have the number 56 again. I can’t think of a better time to go win the thing.”

In the same interview, David Gilliland, owner of Tricon Garage also shared his confidence in having Truex Jr. race for him,

“This opportunity is a testament to the dedication of our entire organization and our partners at Toyota. Having raced against Martin for many years, I can confidently say there’s no stronger competitor I’d want behind the wheel for our first Cup Series entry.” He said.

Truex Jr., who is 44 years old, has never won the Daytona 500 despite an impressive career that includes 34 Cup Series wins and a 2017 championship. His closest finish in the race came in 2016 when he lost to Denny Hamlin by just 0.010 seconds.

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“DEI fell apart” Why Martin Truex Jr. wanted a long-term partnership with one single team

Martin Truex Jr., who debuted in the NASCAR Cup Series with Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) in 2006, faced challenges early in his career due to frequent team changes. Unlike NASCAR drivers such as Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin, who remained with single teams for long periods, Truex Jr. struggled to find stability until joining Furniture Row Racing (FRR).

Truex Jr’s breakthrough came at FRR, where he was paired with crew chief Cole Pearn. Together, they achieved multiple wins and a 2017 championship. Referring to his time at FRR, Truex Jr. often spoke about the advantages of long-term partnerships. For example, Jimmie Johnson’s time with Hendrick Motorsports, which got him seven championships, and Kyle Busch’s success over 15 years with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). Denny Hamlin, who also raced for JGR long-term, had 54 wins with the team.

In a 2016 interview with Motorsport, Truex Jr. talked about his earlier career struggles and the importance of having a stable team, he said,

“DEI fell apart. I stayed there too long. It was a tough situation. You look at Jimmie Johnson. You look at Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch. They get with a team and they just keep building on that foundation. Year in, year out, they’re the guys to beat because they have that around them...All they have is the car and the rule changes and those kind of things. They don’t have to figure out everything else that goes along with it,”

Martin Truex Jr.’s early career had only two Cup Series wins before he joined FRR. His first season (2014) with FRR ended without any wins, but in 2015, he had his first race with FRR, at the Pocono Raceway.