“Tonight it went our way"- ‘Proud’ Martin Truex Jr. kicks off the NASCAR season in style as he wins in LA

The first race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season kicked off with a feel-good story, with Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. returning to winning ways after what could be labeled a 'less than ideal season' last year. The Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum saw the #19 Bass Pro Shop's Toyota Camry TRD driver take the checkered flag in P1 after nudging Ryan Preece for position in the final stages of the race.

Having led 25 laps before the checkered flag was waved after Truex Jr. passed Preece, the 2023 season kicked off on a high for the #19 team and the 42-year-old driver after having struggled in the past year. Truex Jr. also considered retiring from the sport altogether after the 2022 season was over. He, however, decided against it to give his hopes of visiting Victory Lane another chance.

Now that Martin Truex Jr.'s decision has paid off in the 2023 season opener, the Mayetta, New Jersey native elaborated on how the 150-lap race turned out for him, saying:

"Just a really good racecar, the guys did a great job. Last year was a pretty rough season for us with no wins and to come out here and kick it off this way, just really proud of all these guys."

Martin Truex Jr. spoke further about how he and the #19 team managed to make the most of their opportunities on the track at the right time, which allowed them to take the top step of the podium, a NASCAR first, and said:

"Tonight was just kind of persevere, not give up and just battle through and we found ourselves at the right spot at the end. Sometimes they work out your way, sometimes they don't, tonight it went our way, and we made some good adjustments too."

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Martin Truex Jr. talks about the battle with Ryan Preece during the 2023 Busch Light Clash

The 2023 Busch Light Clash saw Joe Gibbs Racing's Martin Truex Jr. return to winning ways after battling with driver Ryan Preece before overtaking him to clinch the top spot on the new-for-NASCAR podium last Sunday. The 150-lap-long exhibition race, which also saw a concert at half-time, left Truex Jr. impressed with Preece's speed ahead of him during the race.

The 42-year-old elaborated on the same in a post-race press conference and said:

"He's (Ryan Preece) is a great short track driver, won tons of short track races, modifieds, etc. He's run a lot of races on tracks like this, or are similar to this so I wasn't surprised at all."

Watch the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season continue at Daytona International Speedway for the 65th run of the Daytona 500 later this month.