Martin Truex Jr. will have one last shot at a NASCAR Cup Series title this year, but a mistake at the start of the Southern 500 had him believing he had just thrown it all away. Losing control on Lap 3, he slammed the wall, watching helplessly as a 58-point buffer in the Series' points evaporated. Despite this, he still barely made it and is now one of just two drivers to advance into the playoffs on points alone.
“It was pretty wild, honestly," said Truex during Media Day interviews. "I wanted to leave Darlington, dig a hole and crawl into it for a few days. It was a terrible feeling. I felt like it was the biggest mistake I’ve made in my entire racing career, which was pretty bad given what the day was and what was on the line ... I was thinking that I just ruined our whole season and the next ten weeks would stink. Now, we have a chance for the next ten not to stink and it’s going to be fun.”
Truex couldn't sit at the track and quickly left as the race unfolded without him. While confident in the speed of his race cars, Truex noted, "we have a lot of work to do," as he and teammate Ty Gibbs have fewer playoff points than the rest of the field. He starts the playoffs at the very bottom of the standings, already in the elimination zone. It's a very different story from last year when Truex entered the postseason as the regular season champion. What followed was a disastrous run, finishing no higher than 18th in the first six races. He only made it to the Round of 8 because of bonus points, where he was finally eliminated. He has no such cushion this year, so a single mistake will spell the end of his campaign to become a two-time Cup champion.
"With this format and the way it is, and not having any bonus points per se, it’s a reminder you have to be on it," said Truex. "No mistakes. One mistake and you’re probably done. Yeah, we’ll see.”
At the bottom of the standings
While playoff points remain important, Ryan Blaney did win the 2023 title as the 12th seed. Truex is 16th out of 16, and asserted that winning from there is “definitely possible. You win one race in the first two rounds, that’s a good chunk of points. You know, the confidence and momentum that come with it, it’s totally doable. We’re going to have to win. I don’t think we’ll be able to point our way into the final four from where we’re at. We’re going to have to win some races.”
It's been over a year since Truex's last victory in the Cup Series, which came in July, 2023, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Since being crowned champion in 2017, he has been the championship runner-up three times. After announcing his plans to retire from full-time competition, this will be his last chance to join the exclusive list of Cup drivers with multiple titles, and only the third to every win more than one under this volatile format.
“I feel (we can win) at any given track, on any given weekend right now," said the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, who has led more laps this year than any other winless driver (489). "I know people probably think I’m crazy saying that because of how things have gone for us lately, but we’ve had the speed to win a lot of races this year and if we can do all the little things right, all the hard things to do right, we’ll have the speed to win.”
A former champion with no wins, few playoff points, and one last chance to win the Cup. Truex will certainly be one to watch over the next ten races.
