"Martin Truex Jr. kicking my a** at Furniture Row": Kyle Busch reminisces about his battles with former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate

Kyle Busch reflected on his relationship with former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. after the latter announced his decision to retire from full-time Cup Series competition at the end of the season.

The veteran drivers have traversed a remarkable journey, from competing for the 2004 Xfinity championship to becoming Cup Series champions. Despite their on-track battles, they share a great relationship and harbor mutual respect for one another.

Following Martin Truex Jr.'s recent announcement, Kyle Busch opened up about his memories with his former teammate and his influence. Busch jokingly recalled being frustrated about getting outperformed by Truex Jr. in the #78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota.

"Him [Truex Jr.] kicking my a** at Furniture Row and being so mad about that all the time," he jokingly told Bob Pockrass.

Martin Truex Jr. won the 2017 Cup championship with Furniture Row Racing with Kyle Busch finishing second. Truex Jr. joined forces with Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing for four seasons between 2019 and 2022.

Busch added that he has always maintained a great relationship with Truex Jr., highlighting their mutual respect. He fondly recalled working alongside the #19 Toyota driver at JGR as enjoyable.

"We've been here the whole time together, we have always had a great relationship, a great understanding and respect for one another. It was always fun working with him and being a part of the same team. His skill level, how good he is at what he does..."

Busch also revealed that his former teammate put in minimal effort compared to others, but always managed to get good results.

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Kyle Busch reveals he was slated to share Xfinity ride with Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr. won back-to-back Xfinity championships with Chance 2 Motorsports, a team owned by DEI, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Meanwhile, Kyle Busch driving for Hendrick Motorsports, fought Truex Jr. for the championship in 2004 and finished second.

Busch recently disclosed that he was slated to share the Chance 2 Motorsports ride with Truex Jr. in 2004. However, when HMS offered him a full-time seat, it allowed both drivers to fight for the championship.

"Him and I actually came in at the same time. Not many people really know it but he and I were slated to share the Chance 2 car together. Then when I got my opportunity at Hendrick [Motorsports], that give him the full-time opportunity in the #8 Busch car and me in the #5 Busch car. We competed for the championship and he beat me out of the gate with that one," Busch said.

Two decades later Martin Truex Jr. is set to retire from the NASCAR Cup Series, with a championship and 34 victories under his belt, as of now.