Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
CHARLOTTE (September 4, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to the media on Wednesday as part of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Media Day.
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
What were the round of emotions last week in Darlington?
“It was pretty wild, honestly. 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. Obviously, glad we made it. We have a lot of work to do, so ready to get after it.”
You didn’t want to go out (of the race) like that, obviously?
“Yeah, 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.”
How did you overcome mistakes like that, mistakes that almost every driver has?
“For sure. Yeah, we’ve all done stupid things, certainly, and that one was at the top of my list. Yeah, the key is to learn from those things and not just lock and forget about them. Kind of a reminder of how delicate things can be and how quickly they can change and go away. 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. No mistakes. One mistake and you’re probably done. Yeah, we’ll see.”
Where did you watch the end of the Darlington race?
“I did leave, I couldn’t sit there anymore. I took a shower and calmed down for about ten minutes, but I couldn’t watch, so I got out of there. As soon as I landed, I found out (that I made the Playoffs) so it was good to get out of there and think about something else. And I didn’t have to get into Tyler (Reddick)’s car either as I was gone. Sounded like it wouldn’t have been fun (laughs).”
Could you have fit in Tyler Reddick’s car?
“No, there’s no way. Would’ve taken us 15-20 minutes to get me in there, so by that time, what’s the point? Yeah, no way I was fitting in there.”
Winning the championship in 2017, how did it impact you the following season once the Playoffs came around?
“I think it makes it easier, I really do. I don’t know if the other guys who have won it before feel the same, but you just feel less pressure. It’s so hard to win in this format. You can have a perfect season but run second at the last race and don’t win it. And that’s a lot. If you’ve never won a championship and you want to, you understand just how difficult that is at this sport, at this level. Everybody knows how hard it is to do. I think you’re just looser, more confident after you’ve done it as you’re like, ‘okay, at least I have one.’ It’s a different mindset. We were there five times in the final four, and just got one of them. Three of those times, we ran second. Two of those times, we dominated the race. Dominating doesn’t mean anything. (Kyle) Larson dominated Darlington the other night and finished fourth. And that’s the reality. You can dominate nine races, and you can be beat in the 10th and not be the champion. That’s it, it’s really hard to deal with and think about. So, once you have one, it’s a lot easier.”
Ryan Blaney won the championship from the No. 12 seed last year. Does that give confidence your team can do the same from the No. 16 seed this year?
“It’s 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.”
You’ve been on both sides of being the No. 1 seed and now the No. 16 seed. What’s the difference there?
“Yeah, not optimal, but happy to be there. Certainly, better than being out so we’ll give it our best shot.”
How are you and your team approaching the first round of the Playoffs?
“Yeah, approach is the same as always, right? Prepare as best we can and go try to execute. Yeah, Atlanta’s going to be tough. Daytime race there, track’s getting older, cars won’t handle as well. It’s going to be a lot tougher than the spring. And the potential for chaos is higher. So, I don’t know, the approach is to out and do the best we can do.”
If tire wear is a factor again at Bristol, how confident are you in your tire management skills to manage that?
“Yeah, I’m certainly looking forward to it more than in past years. Bristol has been in the past, just ‘hammer it’ as hard as you can all day. Track position was huge. Tires didn’t really wear out and it was all about pit stops, restarts and track position. Now, in the spring, it was like old school racing. I enjoyed that more and had better success at it than I did in previous years at Bristol, so excited for that and I think it’s a good opportunity for us.
If tire degradation is as serious as we think for Watkins Glen, how much does that affect strategy?
“It seems that way (flipping the stage) and can be a good thing for me, personally. And it’d be a good thing for passing. Watkins Glen is so fast, and we’ve gone there the last few years with no tire fall off, so you can’t get close enough to a guy to make a pass. It’s simple as physics, right? You go up through the esses and lose five-to-six car lengths, it’s over. So, it’s going to help us be able to make passes if our car is good and that’s what we need at those kinds of places.”
What is your perspective on the overall first round of the Playoffs?
“I mean, as crazy as it can be certain places and has been in the past, whatever you do, just race one at a time. Take one at a time and hopefully, you have a good race and go home and say you made it through one and let’s focus on the next one. That’s all you can really do.”
Hendrick Motorsports has won the last five races at Watkins Glen. How do you stop them?
“We’ve been fast (there, Watkins Glen) for sure. Not as much in the Next Gen car. But it’s going to be a lot different this time around, so open minded and we’ll prepare as hard as we can and see what shakes out.”
Do you think you’re in an advantageous position coming into the Playoffs?
“I mean, I’d certainly like to be the guy on top with the most points, right? That’s the best place to be, so I don’t think we’re in a great spot, by any means. I think we have a good opportunity ahead of us, though. Great team and we’ve been really fast lately. Just need to execute, clean up a lot of mistakes, and a lot of that is on my end as well. We know what we need to do, we’ve done it before, and we’re excited to get going.”
How much do you lean on being a past champion?
“Yeah, quite a lot, I guess. It’s easier to deal with the emotions when you’ve been through it before and you’re not scared to death thinking your career is going to be over you’re not going to win a championship, as you already have. It helps keeping you calm and focused and hopefully it’ll help us.”
What lessons did you learn from last year’s Playoffs to take into this year?
“Last year, we had a great regular season and then, the Playoffs started, and it went a lot like how it’s been going here lately. I’m hoping for the opposite this season, crappy regular season and stout Playoffs. We’ll see.”
For a potential Daytona 500 run and other part-time races next year, have you picked out a number you’d like to run?
“Yeah, it’s either going to be 56 or 78. 78 being our championship number, which is a special one. And 56 was always my number, so we’ll see.”
Is there one word to sum up your career?
“Stressful? (Laughs). I don’t know, I’m not sure there’s one word. There’s so many different emotions and things I’ve been through over the years. It’s been a roller coaster, there’s no question.”
Do you view your career in two different parts?
“Yeah, I think certainly if you’re just looking at my Cup career, then yes. There was certainly a first half and a second half somewhere around the same number of years. But if you look at the rest of it, then no. If you look at my Xfinity years, growing up and running my dad’s cars and all of that, it’s all one. It’s all the same, so you have to take the good with the bad, I guess. Definitely had a lot of reality checks along the way.”
Did you ever think you’d accomplished all you have?
“I always dreamed I could. Always thought I could. But you know, in this sport and in life in general, that’s all just talk. So, it’s been fun to get it done a few times.”
What does it mean to be in the Playoffs in your final full-time year and what do you think your odds are to make the Championship 4?
“I’m happy to be here and excited about it, obviously. I think when the year started, our goal was to go be a champion. Last year, we had a great year and then the Playoffs got a little rocky for us and didn’t go as well as we hoped. We’re hoping to do better this season and was looking good during the first half of the season, and then we’ve hit a slide here recently. Just looking forward to getting back to what we know how to do, what we know we’re capable of. At the end of the day, you want to do a good job and reach your potential. We’ve certainly had a lot of potential lately and not much to show for it. So that’s been the most frustrating part, but our odds are decent, not the greatest. You know, look at history, all the guys with the points and won the most races this year, they have the lead and better odds. But you never know what’s going to happen, so have to get to work and see what we can do.”
Where do you feel most confident winning in this round?
“I feel (we can win) at any given track, on any given weekend right now. 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.”
What do you see as the toughest round in the Playoffs?
“I mean, honestly, they’re all tough. One bad race can jeopardize anyone’s chances. That’s the scary part about this format. As bad as the first round seems, you only need to beat four guys. People lost sight of that, sometimes. They get all crazy and a ‘oh my gosh, I have to get this one spot at the end of the race,’ and then you get yourself in trouble and next thing you know, someone’s out. All you need to do is beat four guys, and there’s four guys you need to consistently beat to get to the next one.”
Do you worry about “point stealers?”
“Yeah, that’s always a concern, right? But you have to race everyone. Big picture in mind, if you can’t win, get all you can.”
Is your Daytona 500 deal done?
“I think so (laughs). I mean, we’re doing it, so I don’t know exactly the details of it, but it’s all but done.”
You said Cole Pearn will be your crew chief?
“Yeah, he said he’d do it. Should be fun.”
Would it just be a one-off or multiple?
“I don’t know. For now, just one. We’ll see how that one goes.”
Is winning the Daytona 500 bigger than winning a championship or vice versa?
“It’s definitely not bigger than a championship, no question. Depends on who you ask. You know, people in the sport, drivers especially I think unanimously will say championships are more important. People who don’t know the sport as well may think the Daytona 500 is that big. It’s huge, but it’s not a championship. A championship is what we all race for.”
Would you say winning the Southern 500 is bigger than the Daytona 500?
“Yeah, I think if you poll all the drivers, they would probably say that. But, you know, nobody else would. For me, it’s more special. I wouldn’t say bigger, but more special. You’d want to win it more as a driver. Does it (a Southern 500 win) mean more? Probably not, but it means more.”
Is it still possible to win a bunch or even half of the Playoff races in this era?
“I think it’s definitely harder to do than it was. It’s all because of the car. Definitely. You used to be able to find advantages easier with cars and builds than you can now.”
If you’d win the championship this year and the Daytona 500 in February, would that be the end of your career then?
“I’ll still race still. I don’t know when and in what, but I’ll still try to have some fun. I still love racing and driving cars, just ready to not travel 40 weekends a year. That’s the only thing, just the travel and every week, having to pick up and go again.”
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