Martin Truex Jr. is able to get by way of Sunday on the Charlotte Roval and transfer on.
“I’m very completely satisfied I’m by no means racing right here once more,” Truex mentioned.
The previous Cup Collection champion is retiring at season’s finish and makes his last begin on the course this weekend. Truex has a median end of 15.7 on the highway course with two top-10 finishes in six begins.
“It has not been good to me in any respect, I don’t prefer it, and I’ve not been good right here,” Truex mentioned. “Apart from nearly profitable that first 12 months, it’s been a battle. For no matter cause, I haven’t been in a position to get my arms round this place.”
Truex was main coming to the end within the inaugural occasion. Nonetheless, he was taken out from behind when Jimmie Johnson wheel-hopped by way of the frontstretch chicane, spun, and collided with Truex. The incident handed the win to Ryan Blaney.
Charlotte marks 5 races left within the season. It’s the last highway course race of the season, and the sequence will end out the 12 months with two intermediate racetracks (Las Vegas and Homestead-Miami) and two brief tracks (Martinsville and Phoenix). All 4 tracks, which can present a way of normalcy to finish the 12 months, have been locations the place Truex has seen earlier success.
Not solely has Truex gained on all 4 racetracks, he has a mixed seven wins between them, and if he have been in a position to get one other one, it will break his winless drought (which dates again to July 2023) however could possibly be the ultimate one he celebrates within the sequence.
“I’m undoubtedly enthusiastic about Homestead, Vegas, Phoenix,” Truex mentioned. “They’re all nice tracks. Martinsville, even. Yeah, 4 actually good locations. Hopefully we simply get by way of right here (Charlotte) with one thing to point out for it. Actually, we weren’t unhealthy in observe and I simply completely screwed up my first run in qualifying after which the second trip the tires felt horrible like I used to be in race trim, so I hate it for my guys that I screwed that up.
“I believed we might have been someplace perhaps fifth, sixth, seventh or someplace in there. It’s going to be a battle tomorrow, however hopefully we will get some monitor place. We don’t want stage factors and a whole lot of guys shall be going for that, so that ought to get us some monitor place after which, yeah, I’d prefer to get out of right here with a superb day and first rate factors after which go race arduous the following 4 and hope for a win.”
Truex certified thirtieth.
As the top nears, he did acknowledge he’s beginning to get a unique kind of engagement from these he comes throughout. There have been extra “congratulations” and “take pleasure in retirement” sentiments. Others have mentioned, “thanks for the reminiscences.” The competitor in Truex, nonetheless, is just not but letting him absolutely course of all of it.
“It’s been cool however I’m simply attempting to deal with what I’m doing and doing a superb job, and as we speak I simply completely screwed that up,” Truex mentioned. “We labored arduous this week and I’m simply dissatisfied proper now. Hopefully tomorrow goes higher.”
