Martin Truex Jr.’s season has taken a difficult turn according to several NASCAR insiders. Once a driver showing promise at the start of the year, Truex’s performance has significantly waned as the season progresses, culminating in a dismal 35th place finish at the Cup Series playoff opener in Atlanta. Now heading into the next race in Watkins Glen, Truex finds himself 19 points below the cutline—a troubling position for the veteran driver.
Compounding his current woes is a string of lackluster finishes and a winless record for the season.
Statistically, the situation is grim: Truex has only secured one top-10 finish since Nashville in late June, and his last top-five finish was as far back as Kansas in early May.
Martin Truex Jr. speaks with the media during NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Media Day at the Charlotte Convention Center on September 04, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Martin Truex Jr. is struggling in the NASCAR…
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“This is not at all a driver and team that I have any confidence in. They haven’t been able to score stage points, they have no momentum, they’re not running well, they haven’t had a lot of speed in their racecars. They’re going in the wrong direction at the wrong time, and it’s been that way for a while,” remarked Jordan Bianchi from The Athletic during “The Teardown” podcast.
“This year went from really promising in the beginning of the year of like Martin Truex Jr. looks like he’s gonna be in the championship mix, to now, it’s is he gonna get out of Round 1? Is he gonna win a race in his final year?
“And this playoff was so different for Martin Truex Jr. than in recent years. Most years, he’s gone into the playoff with just a cache of playoff points where he’s been able to afford himself [some hiccups].
“Last year was a great example; horrible Round 1, didn’t matter. Had all these playoff points and was still able to move on. This year he didn’t really have any playoff points, and he doesn’t have any safety net. Now, he’s going to Watkins Glen and Bristol, and would you call it a must-win mode?”
