One last one for the road. Martin Truex Jr. will be passing on the mantle as he retires from NASCAR, but before he can do that, there are the playoffs. This will be his final full-time season in NASCAR, and it’s obvious that fans are disappointed. Sure, Truex Jr. is retiring, but that is only from having a full-time driver role. Fret not, as he will make his one-off appearances as a part-time driver.

The 2017 Cup Series Champion has decided to leave the fast lane and live a more relaxed life, which includes not running around the country every weekend. Although he is retiring, the last chance to prove himself is just moments away, and with the regular season points getting reset, Truex Jr. finds himself at P16.

Martin Truex Jr. breaks down his mindset heading into the playoffs

Before the playoffs begin, it’s important to note that Truex Jr. made it to the playoffs by scoring consistent points throughout the season. He has been winless since June 2023, and now is the time to bag a win, as next year onwards it will get more difficult. During the pre-race press conference, Bob Pockrass spoke to Truex Jr. and asked him if he was ready for a reset in points.

Knowing that he has had a winless 2024 season, Martin Truex Jr. was excited for the reset. He told Pockrass, “Things have not been going too well lately,” and that’s not because of his cars failing to be fast. Truex Jr. spoke about how the team is doing a “great job.” 

Speaking of his mindset heading into the playoffs, the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing driver stated, “We just need to execute better, and hopefully this starts this week.” The last time Truex Jr. drove into Victory Row was at the 2023 Crayon 301, and after that, the only times he got close were at Michigan the same year and at Bristol in 2024.

Coming in second is one of the most difficult things to come to terms with, especially when the playoff system incentivizes victories. So the pressure is on for Truex Jr.; retiring after having a winless season isn’t the best look, especially coming from a champion of his caliber. Martin Truex Jr. mentioned, “I am trying to do the best I can do for my team, and hopefully we’re going to have some good celebrations over the next 10 weeks.” Now the question stands: will he secure a win during the playoffs? As of now, more than anything, the world wants to know what Martin Truex Jr. has planned for his retirement.

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Martin Truex Jr.’s thoughts as he approaches his retirement

It’s been a long journey, and Truex Jr. has been racing for 2 decades in the Cup Series. It’s the end of an era for sure, and Bob Pockrass wanted to understand more about Truex Jr.’s retirement plan.

Pockrass asked him about how his approach to the playoffs will change because of his retirement as he asked, “Have you done anything to try to soak in any moments more since you announced that you weren’t going to be full-time next year?”

Truex Jr. made it clear that he likes living in the moment when he replied, “No, really, no. I think I just try to do the same thing I’ve always done. I still feel the same kind of pressure, the same weight on my shoulders to deliver for my team. So, I mean, it’s not like you can just sit back and have fun; I mean, it’s still a job; it’s still tough. It’s stressful.”

He explains that if a NASCAR driver does not feel stressed during the season, then it means that they don’t care. His plans are to focus on doing the best that he can for his own team with expectations of winning races during the playoffs.

With Martin Truex Jr. retiring from full-time NASCAR, what has been your favorite moment from his career? Share your thoughts in the comments below.