Martin Truex Jr. lets his feelings fly after escaping the madness of Daytona 500’s “crazy” qualifying

2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion and former Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. recently opened up about qualifying his way into the starting grid for the upcoming Daytona 500. Truex Jr. knows what it means to qualify for the 65-lap duels that will determine his starting spot in the Great American Race. However, he seems unbothered with the duels itself, knowing that he has a guaranteed spot in the 40-car starting grid.

Speaking about the qualifying run on Wednesday, Truex Jr. shared that he is thrilled to have made it into the top 40 and is looking forward to competing in the iconic 500-mile race, irrespective of where he sits on the starting grid. Truex Jr. retired as a full-time Cup Series driver at the end of the 2024 season and is competing in the Daytona 500 as a non-chartered Toyota driver.

"I’m happy to get that done and not have to sweat it out tomorrow night. We’ve seen the Duels get a little crazy before. … We don’t have to worry about any of that. We can just focus on getting ready for Sunday and have a good week," Martin Truex Jr. was quoted as saying by Frontstretch.

While Truex Jr. isn't bothered about the shenanigans of the qualifying duels, he does have a firm stance on the new OEP rule introduced by NASCAR for 2025 and beyond. He is against the idea of allowing a driver to compete in NASCAR just on the basis of an impressive resume.

---

Martin Truex Jr. opens up about the new Open Exemption Rule

Speaking to the media after qualifying on Wednesday, Martin Truex Jr. shared his thoughts on how he feels about his race car, having retired from full-time racing. He explained that he feels comfortable in the new Toyota but is wary of the unexpected nature of the Daytona 500.

"I think I've got enough experience with this car and known how it plays out to to do what it takes tomorrow night. But you just never know what could happen with this type of racing. A lot can happen especially with just a simple green flag pit Stop you know, so that could really mix things up," said Treux Jr.

He was then asked to share his opinion on Helio Castroneves (an IndyCar driver) making it to the grid despite failing to qualify in the top 40. Castroneves qualified because of the new OEP rule. Here's what Treux Jr. had to say about it:

"I mean I have to say yes. I mean, I don’t see any other, I really don’t understand it. I don’t see a reason why (Castroneves) should be in the race and Jimmie Johnson shouldn’t be. It’s a little weird to me, but I don’t make the rules."

What Martin Truex Jr. said about the new rule aligns with what many other NASCAR drivers have said about it. The likes of JGR driver Denny Hamlin and HMS driver Kyle Larson have already spoken against the ruling.

For most of them, the rule diminishes the importance of part-time NASCAR drivers who want to make their way into certain Cup Series races to gain the experience required to move up in their respective careers.