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Martin Truex Jr. has decided to retire after the 2024 season, but that decision is not due to poor form. In fact, unlike several drivers who experience a decline towards the end of their careers, Truex has managed to maintain a firm grip on the NASCAR wheel.
Over the last eight years leading up to this season, he has celebrated 31 victories and made it to 5 of NASCAR's championship-4, which signifies an exceptional late-career surge.
Besides, although Truex Jr.'s career didn’t flourish immediately—he had only one NASCAR Cup Series win in his first six seasons and just three total victories in his first decade on the track—he eventually gave fans plenty of jaw-dropping moments in his career spanning 20 years.
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Here's a list of his top 5 NASCAR moments:
#5. Dominance in the NASCAR Cup Series for the past five years
According to Tray Ryan's recent analysis, only Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson have led 75% or more of the laps in the races over the past five years. In 2023, Truex Jr. won the Crayon 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, leading 254 of the 301 laps—84.4% of the race.
Kyle Larson also showcased his dominance in 2021 with his dominant performances in races across Texas, Nashville, Atlanta, and Charlotte. In the same year, at the Darlington race, Truex Jr. led for 248 of the 293 laps, an 84.6% lead. Then, back in the 2019 Martinsville race as well, Truex Jr. led for 464 out of the 500 laps—92.8% of the race.
#4. Martin Truex Jr. won the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500 in 2016
Martin Truex Jr. won his first Coca-Cola 600 race, one of NASCAR’s marquee events, in Charlotte in 2016, leading 392 out of 400 laps. Just a few weeks after his Charlotte win, Truex Jr. also celebrated Labor Day weekend with another victory at the Southern 500 in Darlington, another prestigious race on NASCAR's annual calendar. In that race, he managed to stay ahead of seasoned Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick to take the checkered flag, marking 2016 as the first year he secured multiple wins in his Cup Series career.
#3. First Cup Series Win in 2007
Truex Jr. began his first NASCAR Cup race with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI) driving their #1 car at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2004, finishing P37. In his rookie season, he managed just two top-five finishes and ended the year 19th in the points standings. But it wasn't until three years later, in 2007, that Truex Jr. won for the first time in the series—the Autism Speaks 400 race at Dover. That year, he continually finished in the top 10- 14 races, and ended his season with the P11 position in the driver standings.
#2. Back-to-Back 2004 and 2005 Busch Series Championships
Martin Truex Jr. began his career behind the wheel of his father's #56 Chevy in the Xfinity Series—known back then as the Busch Series—in 2001. By 2003, he was racing for his father's team at the start of the season before Dale Earnhardt Jr recruited him to drive the #81 Chevy for Chance 2 Motorsports.
But it wasn't until 2004 that he won his first Busch Series victory at Bristol. The win was part of a remarkable streak that saw him secure four victories over eight races, ultimately outpacing rookie Kyle Busch to clinch the season championship.
However, Truex Jr. didn't just rest on his laurels; he continued his winning ways into the next season, in 2005. He bagged 6 victories that year, including a landmark win in Mexico. Moreover, he racked up twenty-two top-10 finishes and fifteen top-5 placements in 35 races, underscoring a season of consistent excellence.
#1. 2017 Cup Championship
While the #19 JGR driver has racked up plenty of commendable achievements, the crown jewel among them is undoubtedly his 2017 NASCAR Cup Championship. That year, Truex Jr. won 8 races, including 4 during the postseason.
His season topped in a victory at the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he claimed his 1st Cup Series title—more than a decade after his back-to-back wins in the Busch Series. The championship was a highlight in a period where Truex made 5 Championship-4 appearances over 7 seasons from 2015 to 2021, marking him as a consistent top contender in the sport.
