The most dramatic and controversial finish of this season so far was definitely in Richmond. Martin Truex Jr, a veteran driver of Joe Gibbs Racing, was visibly furious as he lost a win right from under his nose. The No. 19 car had led 228 of the 400 laps, only to bow to Denny Hamlin’s picture-perfect pit stop and jump-restart in the end.

However, almost a month has passed since the Toyota Owners 400 took place and, with time, the bitterness has also dissolved. It seems Martin Truex Jr is ready to turn a new leaf and overlook his Richmond misfortune and give a nod to his teammate.

Martin Truex Jr puts an end to the bad blood

The No. 19 Toyota had all the intentions to win in Richmond and even had a 0.469-second lead over Joey Logano. Martin Truex Jr was a lap and a half away from securing his 35th career victory. However, a late-race caution dashed his hopes as Denny Hamlin took full advantage of the situation, even drumming up controversy about jumping his restart. Later, in a fit of rage, Martin Truex Jr decided he wanted to take revenge right then and there and even vented his traumatic loss by bumping both Hamlin and Kyle Larson’s cars post-race.

However, the #19 driver recently revealed his change of heart about the incident. Perhaps his years of wisdom overcame him. While Truex has already hinted at retirement, he is also eager not to stoke the fires of a grudge toward his teammates before leaving.

On an episode of ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour’, he divulged how he had sought to calm tensions with Denny Hamlin. “He texted me first. I don’t know exactly what I said, like, ‘I’m sorry, I’m an idiot’,” Truex Jr revealed.

Furthermore, the veteran also saluted his long association with Hamlin. “I mean we’ve been around each other long enough, we’ve raced each other for so many wins, so many different things…It’s the respect that we love, right? No matter what happens on the race track, I get it, whether to race, whether to win, whether it’s the best for our team at that moment. And it comes down to respect after the race,” he said.

Denny Hamlin also chimed in, acknowledging the legitimacy of Truex’s frustration. “And I knew how upset he was, because I knew the history, that this has happened to him five times. I always empathized…I said it after the races, the guy has six times dominated this race, and not won it for various reasons. I understand why he is going off the rails. I get it.”

Indeed, Martin Truex Jr’s luck turned for the worse at Richmond Raceway several times. Yet the seasoned driver has come to terms with the recurring disappointment.

Truex focuses on keeping his ‘emotions in check’

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This year’s Richmond fallout is only one in a long list of disappointing races for Martin Truex Jr. For instance, in September 2017, he led 198 laps until a late caution and an eventual wreck pushed him out. Then in 2018, his then Furniture Row Racing’s No. 78 team fumbled with pit problems. He finished 14th, despite leading for 121 laps. 

However, Martin Truex Jr knows the sport’s challenges well and also talked about keeping a steady mind. He said: “One of the toughest things about this sport is the disappointments, learning how to deal with those, ’cause there are so many. I can think of five or six different times that same exact scenario happened at Richmond, right? And it’s like, how do you keep your emotions in check, that’s the hardest part of the sport.”

Martin Truex Jr may have lost his chances in Richmond this year. However, the veteran driver had already clocked three wins on the short track, in 2019 and 2021, with Joe Gibbs Racing. So that may have helped him get over the heartbreak easily.