Martin Truex, Jr. drives during practice for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway. Photo: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
After considerable soul-searching, Martin Truex, Jr. decided to return to Joe Gibbs Racing for another season in the No. 19 Toyota.
The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion told reporters of his decision Friday in a question-and-answer session in the Nashville Superspeedway media center.
Joe Gibbs Racing subsequently released a statement featuring a typically terse comment from Truex: “I’m coming back.”
“The competitive side of me said, ‘I’m not done, and keep fighting,’ so here we are,” Truex told reporters. “I tried to just think about all of this myself and figure it out.
“Friends and family helped as well. I just wanted to look and make sure I was doing the right thing. I wanted to make sure if I kept going, I was going to be happy with the decision.”
The affable driver from Mayetta, New Jersey, who will turn 42 on Wednesday, won his series title with Furniture Row Racing in 2017. Since joining JGR in 2019, Truex has accumulated 12 victories but none so far this year. He’s currently sixth in the Cup standings.
Asked whether he would find himself in the same position at this point next season, Truex said: “Probably. I’m the world’s worst procrastinator.”
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Stays With JTG-Daughtery Racing In Multiyear Deal
Martin Truex, Jr. wasn’t the only driver with contract news on Friday. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. revealed he had re-signed with JTG-Daugherty Racing in a multiyear deal whose specific terms were not disclosed.
Stenhouse has two career victories, both recorded on superspeedways with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in 2017. Through 16 races this season, he has posted one top five (a runner-up finish at Dover) and is 24th in the series standings.
Nevertheless, Stenhouse thinks he and JTG-Daugherty are a good fit, and he believes the Next Gen race car introduced this season will help elevate the team’s performance.
“I really have enjoyed my time at JTG-Daugherty Racing,” said Stenhouse, who joined the organization in 2020. “I feel like we haven’t had the end results, points-wise. But I feel like we’ve had so many bright spots throughout our first few seasons together.
“I feel like with this new car — we were hoping to have it last year (before the COVID-19 pandemic intervened) and continue to build on that. Obviously, this is the first year with it. So I know for me and the way this car has been, I feel like at certain race tracks we kind of have it figured out.
“And then there are other race tracks where we’re pretty out to lunch, and we’re still looking for those parts and pieces to be in the right spot to be fast.”
Kyle Busch Gets First Look At North Wilkesboro During “Alien Abduction”
During the filming of a new commercial for the return of Toyota “Sponsafier” campaign, Kyle Busch got his first look inside North Wilkesboro Speedway, which will undergo a series of transformations later this year.
In the new ad titled “Alien,” Busch watches as his brother Kurt is beamed up into a spaceship and presumably carried away. (Spoiler alert: Kurt was back in time for practice and qualifying at Nashville Superspeedway.)
During the filming, however, Kyle Busch saw the potential of North Wilkesboro, which will return to action in August with a month of late-model races, after which the pavement will be removed to accommodate a slate of dirt races in October.
A repave will follow, with the hope of possible NASCAR racing at in the future of the historic track.
“It can be successful, and it can turn into something nice,” Busch said. “So I’m looking forward to it, if they put something there. I think it would be sweet. I know, from my understanding anyways, I know Dale (Earnhardt, Jr.) is looking forward to running a late model stock race if he can.
“And so, you know, it’d be nice to see that place come back to life, and whether it’s an All-Star Race or a Truck race or Xfinity, whatever, I think that we can make something happen there for sure.”
NASCAR Cup Series
Nashville Superspeedway – Lebanon, TN
Ally 400 – June 26, 2022
Sunday’s Starting Line Up
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
1. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 29.848 160.413
2. 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 29.905 160.107
3. 5 Kyle Larson HendrickCars.com Chevrolet 29.932 159.963
4. 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 29.938 160.107
5. 99 Daniel Suarez Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevrolet 29.948 159.877
6. 12 Ryan Blaney Advance Auto Parts Ford 29.950 159.867
7. 1 Ross Chastain Jockey Chevrolet 29.977 159.722
8. 4 Kevin Harvick Busch Light Apple Ford 29.989 159.659
9. 20 Christopher Bell DeWalt Toyota 30.070 159.228
10. 19 Martin Truex, Jr. Bass Pro Shops Toyota 30.074 159.207
11. 10 Aric Almirola Haas Automation Ford 29.999 159.605
12. 48 Alex Bowman Ally Music City Chevrolet 30.015 159.520
13. 24 William Byron Valvoline Chevrolet 30.021 159.488
14. 16 A.J. Allmendinger(i) Gold Fish Casino Slots Chevrolet 30.108 159.028
15. 17 Chris Buescher Fastenal Ford 30.120 158.964
16. 8 Tyler Reddick 3CHI Chevrolet 30.136 158.880
17. 41 Cole Custer Dixie Vodka Ford 30.140 158.859
18. 34 Michael McDowell Love’s Travel Stops Ford 30.142 158.848
19. 45 Kurt Busch Monster Energy Toyota 30.143 158.843
20. 3 Austin Dillon Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road 30.152 158.795
21. 31 Justin Haley LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet 30.253 158.265
22. 7 Corey LaJoie Schluter Systems Chevrolet 30.288 158.082
23. 43 Erik Jones FOCUSfactor Chevrolet 30.326 157.884
24. 2 Austin Cindric # Menards/Duracell Ford 30.360 157.708
25. 47 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Kroger/Entenmann’s Chevrolet 30.407 157.464
26. 21 Harrison Burton # DEX Imaging Ford 30.471 157.133
27. 6 Brad Keselowski King’s Hawaiian Ford 30.472 157.128
28. 14 Chase Briscoe Mahindra Tractors Ford 30.475 157.112
29. 42 Ty Dillon Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet 30.641 156.261
30. 23 Bubba Wallace Root Insurance Toyota 30.688 156.022
31. 51 Cody Ware Nurtec ODT Ford 30.863 155.137
32. 15 J.J. Yeley(i) Ford 30.876 155.072
33. 38 Todd Gilliland # Boot Barn Ford 30.952 154.691
34. 77 Josh Bilicki(i) Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet 31.091 154.000
35. 78 B.J. McLeod(i) Motorsport Games XBOX Ford 31.985 149.695
36. 18 Kyle Busch Pedigree Toyota 0.000 0.000
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
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