AVONDALE, Ariz. — Sunday's season finale at Phoenix Raceway marked the end of Martin Truex Jr.'s full-time Cup Series career. Yet you couldn't tell looking at him on pit road after the race.
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Truex didn't focus on all of his accomplishments in the sport or the adulation the fans showed him during his final race weekend. He didn't shed tears after climbing out of the No. 19 Toyota Camry for the final time.
Instead, he talked about how he and his team could have performed better in his final full-time start. He remained focused on performance to the very end.
"It was just not a good day," Truex said on pit road. "Not a good day to end on. I'm proud of the effort of my team. At least we got to lead a few laps at the beginning."
Martin Truex Jr. and James Small still had time for a debrief after Truex's final start in the No. 19. pic.twitter.com/PSBoUJ5Zys
— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) November 11, 2024
That's just Truex - a quiet, humble driver who goes about his business even when there isn't another race on the schedule. He doesn't seek out the spotlight, and he doesn't put himself in front of a camera. He just shows up, does his job, and then heads off to the next fishing or hunting spot.
Of course, this quiet demeanor doesn't mean he escaped attention during his final race as a full-time driver.
The afternoon started with his fellow competitors giving a standing ovation during the pre-race drivers' meeting. It continued with the fans cheering loudly during driver introductions.
NASCAR also displayed an image of Truex on the scoring pylon as the drivers completed the 19th lap of the race.
Pylon honors Truex on lap 19. pic.twitter.com/dXGYmhYz81
— Stephen Stumpf (@stephen_stumpf) November 10, 2024
The Truex celebration did not stop after Joey Logano took the checkered flag and won his third title.
A parade of people marched down pit road to offer handshakes, hugs, and complimentary comments. The list included Jeff Gordon, Tyler Reddick, and NBA icon Michael Jordan.
This only further highlighted the respect for the 2017 Cup Series champion.
"It's amazing, they're all legends of sport, of different sports," crew chief James Small said on pit road. "He's had a great career. He's been a champion. Man, things go a little differently, he could have been a four-time champion. So it's pretty crazy.
"He's a great person, and it's been a pleasure to work with him."
Everyone wanted to give Martin his due. pic.twitter.com/3tgTtfgTpg
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 11, 2024
The sun has set on Truex's full-time career. He will take a long-awaited break while Small and Joe Gibbs Racing move on with Chase Briscoe behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota Camry.
A new chapter will begin for Truex in 2025, one that will include some sporadic starts in NASCAR. He will scale back his racing schedule while focusing on "having fun," and he will still face off on occasion with drivers who view him as one of the all-time greats.
"He's someone that races really hard on the race track, but he's respected and just an all-around great guy," Reddick said after the race.
"It's been nice working closer with him since I came to Toyota. And yeah, (I) can only imagine what the emotions are like for him, but it's been a blast being able to race with somebody that I think will one day be in the Hall of Fame."
