Martin Truex Jr. “excited for a reset” after string of ‘frustrating’ Cup Series weekends

Martin Truex Jr. recently told journalist Bob Pockrass that he is excited for a reset as NASCAR gets ready for the postseason. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been winless since July 2023 and hopes to turn the narrative around over the upcoming weeks.

Truex Jr. and his teammate, Ty Gibbs, are the only two drivers locked in this year's playoffs through points. The Cup Series points have been reset and Truex sits 16th, one point behind the provisional cutline for making the Round of 12.

Truex recorded several strong finishes this year, notably coming third at the Wurth 400 at the Dover Motor Speedway while being fourth in the AdventHealth 400 at the Kansas Speedway.

The closest Truex has been to the victory lane was at the Bristol Motor Speedway in March. Leading the second-highest number of laps (54), Junior finished the race as the runner-up.

"Definitely excited for a reset," Martin Truex Jr. told Pockrass. "Things have not been going too well lately but like I said, our cars have been really fast and the team's doing a great job. We just need to execute better and hopefully, that starts this week."

Sunday's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway begins at 3 PM ET. The 260-lap race will stream live on NBC Sports and USA with radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Truex Jr. has 29 starts at the quad-oval racetrack in Hampton, Georgia, with his best performance (P2) coming in 2019.

Martin Truex Jr. sheds light on mindset as he nears retirement

Martin Truex Jr. and team owner Joe Gibbs during the practice for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway (Source: Imagn)

Martin Truex Jr. is set to retire at the end of this year. Pockrass asked the Toyota pilot if there was any change in his mindset, given that this was his last season in the Cup Series.

"I've always tried to do the same thing I've always done," Martin Truex Jr. replied. "I still feel the same pressure, the same weight on my shoulders to deliver for my team."

"So it's not like you can just sit back and just try to have fun. It's still a job, it's still tough, it's stressful. I think it has to be. If it doesn't, you don't care. I'm just trying to do the best job for my team," he added.

Earlier in an interview at Iowa Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. reflected on how hectic it is to pursue a career in the top-tier racing series of NASCAR. According to him, a NASCAR driver does not have any life outside of the racetrack and is essentially married to racing.

"Everyone in my family, who’s ever gotten married, I’ve missed their wedding. You know what I mean? You don’t have a life. You’re married to racing, that’s all you do. Monday until Sunday, that’s all you do," he explained.

Per tennesseean.com, Martin Truex Jr. will be around as an ambassador to Joe Gibbs Racing even after his retirement. Although Truex will not race full time in the NASCAR Cup Series, he might run races on a part-time schedule in 2025 and beyond.