Martin Truex Jr. Is Undecided on Retirement or One other NASCAR Season for Joe Gibbs Racing

LOUDON, N.H. (AP) — Martin Truex Jr. stood together with his again to a desk the place hours earlier Kevin Harvick had been gifted a colonial musket from New Hampshire Motor Speedway in honor of the driving force’s ultimate race on the monitor.

Harvick made his retirement name forward of the Daytona 500 and has been feted with presents and tributes all through his final NASCAR season.

The 43-year-old Truex has but to decide — not less than, publicly — on if he’ll return for an additional season at Joe Gibbs Racing or cling up the helmet and finish a profession that included the 2017 NASCAR championship.

Truex has floated retirement earlier than, solely to be coaxed again to return for an additional 12 months within the No. 19 Toyota. Truex is having enjoyable once more on the monitor and has two wins after he missed the playoffs final season.

Truex cracked “subsequent query” when requested Saturday about retirement however conceded an announcement have to be made quickly, perhaps even this week.

Is that his timeline or JGR’s? JGR would want to make essential selections on the driving force, sponsorship and probably a brand new group to place in place for 2024 ought to Truex retire.

“In all probability extra so their timeline than mine,” Truex stated.

Truex introduced final June that he would return for a nineteenth season, so discussions for a possible substitute by no means acquired far with group proprietor Joe Gibbs. With out a top-tier free agent out there on the finish of this season, the group would possible look to Xfinity Sequence drivers John Hunter Nemechek or Sammy Smith to finish the four-car group. The group promoted Ty Gibbs this season to take Kyle Busch’s spot after he left to drive for Richard Childress.

Truex understood the clock was ticking.

“I give it some thought rather a lot through the week however not on the racetrack,” Truex stated. “That’s why I don’t actually speak about it a lot. I haven’t decided but, so no want to speak about it.”

He opened the season with a win within the exhibition Busch Mild Conflict and has since gained at Dover and Sonoma. Truex did every thing however win final season, which was his downfall. He ran contained in the top-10 within the standings by way of your entire common season, solely to overlook a spot within the playoffs as a result of NASCAR had a record-tying 19 totally different winners final season.

Truex is primed to finish this season in championship competition — and perhaps exit a winner.

With heavy rain within the forecast, New Hampshire may mark the third straight race shortened by climate.

William Byron gained final week at Atlanta in a race sliced by 75 laps. Shane van Gisbergen gained his NASCAR Cup Sequence debut at Chicago in a race referred to as due to fading daylight.

“I feel if we begin a race within the rain, we have to have a time restrict or one thing,” 2014 NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick stated. “The rain laps are a lot slower and it simply winds up taking all day.”

Aric Almirola won a 2021 race at New Hampshire delayed by rain and shortened by eight laps due to darkness. The thought is at all times to complete the race on Sunday, even when at a couple of much less miles than promised.

“I feel you form of noticed perhaps a bit of little bit of rain issue final week within the racing at Atlanta, the place guys had been actually pushing as a result of they knew the rain was coming so that they wished to be up entrance, so the aggression was excessive,” two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch stated. “However in addition to that, race distance, race size, I feel if yow will discover a cheerful spot with a TV window, then simply stick with that.”

Chastain already attended beer faculty and discovered it’s a lot tastier to drink a chilly beer out of a pint glass somewhat than the can.

Anheuser-Busch and Trackhouse Racing introduced a multiyear settlement that connects one among NASCAR’s 4 premier companions with one among Cup’s most polarizing drivers. Chastain developed an aggressive driving style that repeatedly rubbed different drivers the improper method.

Could be a fairly good match for a race day beer-drinking fan.

Busch Mild has been a sponsor in NASCAR for 44 years, investing not solely in race groups but additionally lending its title to the Busch Pole Award and the Busch Mild Conflict. The model has sponsored the No. 4 automotive of Kevin Harvick at Stewart-Haas Racing since 2016.

Harvick, in fact, was featured in lots of Busch Mild commercials and different promoting spots. Chastain stated he’s not but used to the glare of the promotional appearances forward for him.

“It’s going to be issues that I’m not in all probability completely snug with, issues that I’ve not skilled earlier than,” he stated. “So long as we consider in one another, it’s going to be an excellent partnership.”

Ryan Preece, from Berlin, Connecticut, grew up going to New Hampshire together with his father and grandfather and later had success on the monitor racing modified inventory vehicles. He is an area fan favourite and hopes to increase his attain on “ Thursday Night Thunder.”

Preece, who has but to document a top-10 end this season driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, was a late add to subsequent week’s SRX all-star sequence race in Connecticut. Preece was a monitor common at Stafford Speedway earlier than his NASCAR profession took off and he was thrilled to compete towards a lineup that included Hailie Deegan, Brad Keselowski and Marco Andretti.

“It’s an excellent alternative for the hometown followers to see a hometown man go towards them,” Preece stated.

Kyle Larson is the betting favourite to win Sunday, in response to FanDuel Sportsbook. … 2021 Daytona 500 champion Michael McDowell topped the lone follow session with a lap of 126.416 mph. Martin Truex Jr. had the perfect 10-lap common at 125.495 mph. … Kyle Busch will begin in the back of the sector after a crash in qualifying.

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