“I want it”: Martin Truex Jr. on his desire to go after one of NASCAR’s crown jewel races

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. has his sights set on clinching the iconic Daytona 500 race in 2024, a feat that eludes his illustrious career.

After a dismal 2022, where he failed to qualify for the playoffs, Martin Truex Jr. was back to his best last season. Winning three races in Dover, Sonoma and New Hampshire, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran clinched his second Cup Series regular season championship after 2017.

While he failed to capitalise on his early success, a strong season saw Truex renew his contract for one more season. Now, the 43-year-old is looking forward at the season-opener in Daytona International Speedway. Speaking to FOX Sports, the driver of the No. 19 Toyota Camry said:

"Obviously, I want it. It'd be great, be amazing."

Contemplating the significance of the race in the context of his career, the JGR driver acknowledged:

"I don't know if I'd be completely disappointed with my career as a whole if someday when I retire and I look back and I'm like, ‘Ah, I didn't win that race.' I don't know if that is a big deal to me or not. I still have opportunities to get it done, so I try not to think about it. But it'd be huge to win, that's for sure."

Martin Truex Jr. on fumbling the playoffs last season

Reflecting on the ups and downs of the previous season, Truex addressed the challenges he faced during the playoffs.

When questioned about whether he had bid farewell to the previous year or still saw it as a success, the former Cup Series champion offered a nuanced perspective:

"You always look at everything. You look at the good and the bad, and you try to learn from everything and try to be better."

The seasoned driver acknowledged the significant leap forward from 2022 to 2023, emphasizing the team's commitment to improvement. He added:

"We're working hard to do better and be more consistent. That's the name of the game with this car and everything just being so close now. Just being more consistent, making better decisions, less mistakes and having better speed everywhere, hopefully."

Recognizing the competitive nature of NASCAR, he stressed the importance of maintaining speed across different tracks:

"We've just got to repeat the regular season and figure out how to turn it up in the playoffs like we used to."