Dale Earnhardt Jr. praises Martin Truex Jr. and hopes he continues racing in NASCAR: “He could have mentally torpedoed his career”

Martin Truex Jr. is one driver who has always kept the NASCAR fraternity guessing about his future in the sport. Fans of the 2017 Cup Series champion witnessed a dismal season last year, in which he didn't win a single race and displayed an overall lack of hunger.

The 2023 Cup Series season seems to have bright that mojo back for Truex Jr., as he currently sits as a three-time winner and guaranteed playoff entrant. However, as was the case with his future plans in the sport last year, Martin Truex Jr. hasn't changed one bit in 2023.

Keeping the stock car racing community on their toes as to whether he will retire come 2024, Martin Truex Jr. does not necessarily equate winning to continuing in NASCAR. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is known for his integrity on the track and an air of mental fortitude off it, as confirmed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. In a recent episode of the popular podcast Dale Jr. Download, he said:

"I hope he races. Me and Truex, I consider us to be close pals. Martin ends up in a bad situation with how the Michael Waltrip thing falls apart. He has to basically relegate down to a car and help that program that was in a bit of a rebuild."

He added:

"I gotta give him a lot of credit, he was in a crossroads where he could have mentally and emotionally torpedoed his career or turned the corner and went the right way and he goes the right way. Takes a lot of guts and mental toughness."

With Dale Earnhardt Jr. amongst an army of fans who root for Martin Truex Jr., it remains to be seen if the driver decides to extend his career in the NASCAR Cup Series.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. looks back at Martin Truex Jr.'s history in the sport

In an interviewer with usanetwork.com, Dale Earnhardt Jr. elaborated further on what kind of a character Martin Truex Jr. is in the NASCAR Cup Series. He said:

“I know that he’s ruffled some feathers with some comments in the past about, you know, especially with Joey Logano. I know all that changed people’s minds about Martin at points, and I could read that and social media and so forth. But dang, man. Man of few words, when he speaks, he genuinely has something to say that matters to him.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr's comments indicate that he certainly remains a member of the force rooting for Truex Jr. to continue in the sport.