"I think it’s in a good place and good hands" - Martin Truex Jr. opens up on what concerns him about NASCAR and what doesn't

Martin Truex Jr., a Joe Gibbs Racing driver, recently announced that he will return to the NASCAR Cup Series for the 18th time in 2023. Truex Jr. revealed in June 2022 that he would drive the #19 Toyota for JGR for the fifth time in the 2023 Cup Series season.

The 42-year-old New Jersey native is yet to win any races this season. He is ranked in 15th place in the drivers' standings, where he has led 281 laps with 2 top five and 7 top 10 finishes.

Participating in the 12 Questions with Jeff Gluck section for The Athletic, Martin Truex Jr. was asked what he thought about NASCAR in the five years to come and what worries him. Responding to the question, he addressed what concerns him regarding NASCAR’s future but also stated why he’s not worried at the same time.

In his statement, Truex Jr. said:

“What I worry about is the competition part, like the racing and the racetracks. Are we going to end up where everything looks like Daytona and Talladega where it’s all so close? And then the other side is just the drivers’ aggression because there’s so much on the line. A lot of the kids coming up feel like they have a tiny little opportunity, and if they don’t take it that they’re gonna get ridiculed for it. And we see a lot of big moves that you know aren’t gonna work end up in crashes. It’s happened a lot this year. That part worries me.”

He, however, went on to add, saying:

“At least when I was coming in, you had a group of guys come in and then they were there for a while. And then you had one or two trickle in. And the last two years, we’ve had a bunch of new guys come in. They’ll be around awhile, right? A lot of great drivers. They’ll learn from their mistakes and they’ll get to where they’re veterans and they’re teaching the new guys — but there won’t be five or eight new guys all at once. So I guess I’m not really worried about anything, to be honest. I think it’s in a good place and good hands and heading in a good direction.”

Truex Jr. also explained that the most optimistic thing about NASCAR is the team’s strengths. He mentioned that the teams have new owners and that they are trying hard to help these teams more because their sponsorships are not that great. He also appreciated the work well done since the team’s health is really positive.

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What is NASCAR doing to improve standards of new teams?

While the world is slowly recovering from a global pandemic, NASCAR has played a significant part in improving the standards of all teams. It has brought in many changes, especially with the introduction of Next Gen cars. It's evident that they are at a watershed moment in their history, with changes intended to promote growth.

An emphasis on diversity in Next Gen car development, schedule flexibility, and modifications to social justice efforts have been made to put new teams on the grid and new populations in the stands and watching on television.

As a significant indicator of how the sport has progressed from regional to national, the most extensive fan base is not located in the south but California. Changes in the sport's economy have brought Michael Jordan and artist Pitbull on board, and the number of black personnel on pit crews who have increased dramatically.