“I’ve earned the respect”: Martin Truex Jr. looks back on his NASCAR career following Phoenix

Martin Truex Jr. picked up several victories throughout his career and clinched multiple titles in NASCAR’s top-tier racing series. Among his accolades are the 2017 series title, and two consecutive Xfinity Series championships in 2004 and 2005. However, what matters more to Truex Jr. is the respect that he’s earned on the way.

Following the championship race at Phoenix Raceway last Sunday, a reporter from SiriusXM NASCAR Radio walked up to the veteran racer and asked what the latter would take away from 23 years of full-time racing.

“Just a lot of good memories and I think I was able to accomplish a lot of things that a lot of people, including myself at some point in my career didn't think were possible,” Martin Truex Jr. replied. “I feel lucky; lucky to work with a lot of great teams and accomplish more than I ever thought possible.”

“I feel like I've earned the respect of a lot of people around here and that means a lot...that means probably more than everything, more than wins,” he added.

Nevertheless, Truex Jr. has confirmed his entry in the Daytona 500 next year, where he will pair with former crew chief Cole Pearn. As for the car, Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing are discussing viable options for his one-off appearance.

NASCAR President sends a message to Martin Truex Jr. ahead of his Phoenix outing

Days ahead of the coveted Championship 4, Steve Phelps, President of NASCAR, revealed his feelings about Martin Truex Jr.’s departure from full-time racing. Phelps regarded Truex as someone who had never raced anyone dirty.

“Just a quick shout-out. I know this is going to sound like a bit of a non-sequitur, but I did want to make sure that I said something about Martin Truex and his retirement from full-time racing. Martin has been a class act,” Phelps said during a press conference last Friday. “He is a clean race car driver, never dirty. He’s got a great fan base, and we will miss him. We are hopeful that he will come back and do one-off races or participate in other ways in this sport.”

Even NBA legend Michael Jordan walked up to the Joe Gibbs Racing driver and congratulated him on his career. Here is a video of the encounter between the legendary athletes:

Truex Jr. will be replaced by Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Mustang. Meanwhile, Stewart-Haas Racing, a North Carolina-based outfit, has officially closed its operations at the Cup and Xfinity levels.

Truex Jr. started from the pole and finished 17th at Phoenix. Following this, he hung up his helmet and walked away with 681 Cup Series starts, 34 wins, and 289 top-10 finishes. Last year, he was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers. What awaits him now is perhaps his induction into the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Fame.