NASCAR reporter hints at No.19 crew chief James Small's fate post Martin Truex Jr.'s retirement

NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass reported that Martin Truex Jr.'s crew chief James Small with stay with the team next season. Truex is set to retire from the sport at the end of the season.

After months of speculations, NASCAR legend and former Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. announced his retirement from the sport at the end of the ongoing campaign. Truex confirmed that he will not return to the Cup Series on a full-time schedule in 2025.

The 43-year-old driver's retirement leaves a giant gap to be filled within the Joe Gibbs Racing camp. Truex, who joined the team in 2019, clinched the regular season championship last season and has been pivotal within the organization given his age and experience.

A recent interview from Christopher Bell, another JGR driver, has very well hinted that Chase Briscoe, the 29-year-old who currently pilots the No. 14 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing, has been chosen to replace Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 Toyota Camry. Briscoe is one of the four SHR drivers whose future faced uncertainty after the Tony Stewart-owned outfit announced its discontinuation at the end of the season.

With Bell accidentally confirming Briscoe's move next season, Pockrass has now suggested that James Small, the current crew chief of the No. 19 JGR team, will return to duty in 2025. The report on X (formerly Twitter) read:

"The JGR media alert for the 2025 driver announcement states 'team owner Joe Gibbs, crew chief James Small and our newest NASCAR Cup Series driver will meet with the media" -- which indicates that James Small will remain as the crew chief of the No. 19 team in 2025."

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How did Christopher Bell leak Martin Truex Jr.'s replacement?

In a media session prior to Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Bell was asked about assuming the "leadership role" following Truex Jr.'s retirement. He responded:

"Honestly, I don’t really know if there is any leadership from the driver’s standpoint. Certainly, from when we get into our competition meetings, the more guys with experience will, I guess, take the role of steering the ship as far as what we need in the race cars and stuff like that.

"I have definitely grown in confidence telling the team what we need inside of our cars, with experience, but week-in and week-out, a different guy may lead the discussion. Every time we go into our Monday meetings, it could be whoever has a good race that week. Plenty of times it has been Ty (Gibbs), plenty of times it has been Martin (Truex) or me or Denny (Hamlin).

"I don’t think there really is a leadership role in that aspect, and whenever Chase come into the car….whenever some…whenever… whenever we have a new driver into the 19 car, their experience level will dictate how much input they will have in the team."

Bell's inadvertent mention of Briscoe effectively confirmed the 29-year-old as the likely successor to Martin Truex Jr.

Joe Gibbs Racing is set to announce the replacement for Martin Truex Jr. on June 25.