"It was a little weird" - Martin Truex Jr. opens up on seeing Chase Briscoe take his JGR ride

Joe Gibbs Racing has announced Stewart-Haas Racing driver Chase Briscoe to pilot the #19 Toyota Camry following Martin Truex Jr.'s retirement. Chase Briscoe will become a free agent, ahead of SHR announcing its exit from NASCAR.

Truex Jr. announced his retirement from full-time racing on June 14 ahead of the inaugural Cup Series race at Iowa and Briscoe signing for JGR was confirmed less than two weeks after this on June 25.

Martin Truex Jr. recenly appeared on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dirty Mo Media podcast to discuss his retirement and his plans for the future. Earnhardt Jr. asked the 43-year-old how he felt about Briscoe's announcement, to which he replied by saying:

"I guess it was a little weird seeing him stand there next to the car, at the shop, wearing th Bass Pro hat and all that like yay look at me, it is a little strange for a minute, but i dont think it gave me any weird feelings."

Furthermore, Martin Truex Jr. also shed light on the importance of grabbing the right opportunity and how it can bring positive results for the driver and the team, with regard to Briscoe joining Joe Gibbs Racing right after his stint with SHR would finish.

"I'm happy they're going to get a guy that I feel like can get in there and do a good job. If you're contract's up at the right time and there's a good opportunity, it could change your entire career. He(Briscoe) seems like a great guy, and I'm happy for him, and I think they'll do well," Truex Jr. added

Chase Brisce has spent the past four seasons at Stweart-Haas Racing driving the #14 Ford. His best finish with SHR was a Cup Series win in March 2022, in the Rudolf Mortgage 500, at Phoenix Raceway. Briscoe, ahead of the Grant Park 165 sits in P16 in the driver standings having secured 421 points, two top-five, and six top-ten finishes in the 2024 season.

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Martin Truex Jr. sheds light on his future in NASCAR

Martin Truex Jr. after announcing his retirement from racing full-time in NASCAR, had hinted at still being around and running some races. In an episode of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dirty Mo Media podcast, he was asked what "running some races" meant to him, to which he responded.

"It's almost a guarantee that I'll run the Daytona 500, which is not a done deal yet but it shouldn't be too hard to finish that up. I'll definitely run a few Xfinity races...and maybe even a few truck races here and there if I could put something together." [07:23]

Truex Jr. has had a pretty decent Cup Series season so far in 2024, as he is currently fifth in the standings with 591 points to his name, 73 behind Kyle Larson. The 43-year-old is yet to win a race but has had four top-five finishes.