5 Drivers That Could End Joe Gibbs’ Search for Martin Truex Jr’s Successor
It is no secret how there’s plenty of uncertainty around Martin Truex Jr’s future. Since 2022, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has twice extended his contract by a year as he approaches retirement with time. While Truex Jr did phenomenally well to win the Regular Cup Series season in 2023, it is not going to be an easy job for Joe Gibbs to replace him.
By the end of this month, Martin Truex Jr will turn 44, making it only natural that rumors of his retirement have been picking up pace. Having said that, if he decides to retire at the end of this year, Joe Gibbs will be left with some interesting options to replace the 2017 Cup Series champion.
Joe Gibbs faces a tricky decision in replacing the veteran Martin Truex Jr
After spending 24 years in the Cup Series, Martin Truex Jr has undoubtedly established himself as one of the finest racers in the sport’s history. With 34 wins, 146 top-five, 287 top-ten finishes, and one championship in over 600 races, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s skills behind the wheel have been nothing but spectacular.
Not only that, his wealth of experience in the Cup Series remains an invaluable asset to Joe Gibbs and his teammates at JGR. Should he decide to retire at the end of the season, it certainly would make it tricky to replace him. Having said that, some decent options are present in the market for JGR to capitalize on.
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Corey Heim remains one of the rising stars in the NASCAR world. With his stunning performances in the Truck Series, Heim has certainly grabbed the attention of many. For the 2024 season, the 21-year-old remains a reserve driver for 23XI Racing. While Joe Gibbs could target him to replace Martin Truex Jr, Heim’s affiliation with the Denny Hamlin co-owned team could see him end up with them should they buy a third charter for the next season.
Martin Truex Jr. qualified a disappointing 19th. The team checked the shifter and did not change anything so he keeps his starting spot. What Truex said after his qualifying lap about the struggle (and also says no decision yet on next season).
Another realistic option that could come to Joe Gibbs’ mind would be Noah Gragson. With SHR shutting down, Gragson’s availability as a free agent next season would be a tempting prospect for JGR. With five top-ten finishes in the first 15 races this year, the 25-year-old surely remains one of the favorites to replace Truex Jr.
As is the condition of Gragson, the same is the case of Chase Briscoe. The 29-year-old remains available as a free agent in 2025 following SHR’s exit from the Cup Series. However, considering his Ford ties, Briscoe becomes a likely candidate for Wood Brothers Racing as well. Should Truex Jr announce his retirement in the coming days, it would be interesting to see how it plays out for Briscoe.
While these remain the most likely options, two more alternatives could come into play. One of them includes the name of Chandler Smith. Undoubtedly, Smith has been doing a fine job with JGR in the Cup Series so far this season with two wins, six top-five, and eight top-ten finishes in 13 races. As compared to the other options, promoting the 21-year-old would be an easy job for Joe Gibbs.
Without a doubt, all these options look interesting. However, the idea of bringing back Erik Jones could be tempting. Jones spent three years with JGR before leaving them in 2021. It is important to note that his career-best Cup Series finish came with Joe Gibbs’ team. On the other hand, Jones’ experience in the Cup Series could be beneficial in replacing the veteran Martin Truex Jr.
With some interesting names on the list, it all comes down to the timing of when the current #19 driver plans to retire. However, the legendary Dale Earnhardt Jr analyzed why one of these drivers could land Truex Jr’s seat.
Dale Earnhardt Jr believes internal links could be a key factor in deciding Martin Truex Jr’s replacement
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It is no secret how Dale Earnhardt Jr understands the dynamics of NASCAR better than most people do. Having seen the sport from the lens of a driver and as a team owner, Dale Jr has a realistic perspective on how things can turn out. With such a vision, he recently enlightened how one of Martin Truex Jr’s possible replacements could be evaluated.
Speaking on his podcast “The Dale Jr Download,” Dale Jr said, “So if Martin Truex Jr does retire, you know only a handful of drivers will be considered for that car. think one of those drivers that would be considered is Noah Gragson because of his connection to Bass Pro Shop. Bass Pro spends a lot of money on Martin’s car, the 19. I think that they would probably say to Joe Gibbs, ‘I’ll get you a little bit more if Noah can be considered.’”
While Dale Jr pointed this out, he shared his hesitancy in the materialization of such a move. He said, “I don’t know how favorable Joe and Ty Gibbs would be to having Noah.” This comes considering the intense rivalry Noah Gragson and Ty Gibbs once had in the Xfinity Series. Naturally, Joe Gibbs wouldn’t want to be in a tough spot.
Having said that, anything is possible in NASCAR. Eventually, it all comes down to the timing of Martin Truex Jr’s retirement announcement. Who knows who’s going to be available by the time the JGR driver decides to retire? Regardless, the trust is on Joe Gibbs to make the right call then.
