Martin Truex Jr. left Richmond Raceway a winner in his final go to to the Virginia brief monitor, a playofff victory final September that helped him get into NASCAR’s championship spherical and confirmed the veteran has a lot left in his tank.
He returns to Richmond six months later together with his NASCAR future unclear. The 41-year-old Truex is within the ultimate 12 months of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing and hasn’t determined how lengthy he desires to proceed his profession.
There isn’t any wait-and-see happening with Truex, who in his seventeenth full Cup Sequence season is grappling with NASCAR’s new Subsequent Gen automobile. Truex simply merely is not a planner — an annoying trait for his family and friends — and is just delaying fascinated with his future in racing.
He heads into Sunday’s race at Richmond winless — all 4 of the Gibbs drivers are winless by the primary six Cup races, as is the Toyota camp — and seventh within the standings. His gradual begin sparked curiosity about how lengthy he desires to race.
“I try not to look too far ahead; I’m not a big planner,” Truex instructed The Related Press. “As long as I am having fun and competitive, I’ll keep going.”
That ties Truex to his capacity to be taught the Subsequent Gen, which in its debut season has featured six completely different winners by six races. The oldest driver to win a Cup race to this point this season is reigning sequence champion Kyle Larson, who turns 30 in July.
Truex’s seventh-place end on the street course at Circuit of the Americas in Texas final Sunday was his greatest to this point of the season. At Richmond, he has gained three of the final 5 Cup races and has not completed decrease than fifth throughout that streak.
He has not studied any numbers, nor will he set any benchmarks he should hit to proceed his Cup profession.
“I try not to overthink stuff. I just do my thing and roll with the punches,” Truex instructed AP. “I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career, I understand the sport, you just take it as it comes and enjoy the good days.”
Truex is aware of he cannot reside in blissful ignorance for for much longer; Joe Gibbs is ultimately going to want to know what Truex is considering his future.
“Pretty soon because I’m pretty sure I’m going to start getting pressure from the team,” Truex stated. “They have to plan. So there always comes a deadline. I don’t know when that is, but I’ll have to have this conversation I’m sure pretty soon.”
UNHAPPY HAMLIN
Denny Hamlin may need been the primary NASCAR participant to throw the warning flag on plans to race the Subsequent Gen within the 24 Hours of Le Mans subsequent season.
Hamlin was instantly irritated when NASCAR introduced it had partnered with Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports to develop a particular model of the brand new automobile that may enter Le Mans. The undertaking means each Hendrick and Chevrolet have testing capacity not afforded every other groups.
Hamlin’s preliminary gripe appeared offhanded, however the Toyota driver for Gibbs and co-owner of Toyota crew 23XI Racing is severe in regards to the slight. He stated for the remainder of the business — Ford and Toyota groups, in addition to the Chevy groups that aren’t a part of Hendrick — studying in regards to the undertaking by a information convention was insulting.
Hamlin alleged it’s doubtless to present NASCAR’s winningest race crew a bonus. Three of the 4 Hendrick drivers have a win to this point this season and Alex Bowman is the defending winner on the Richmond spring race.
“I’m concerned about, how is it not an advantage?” Hamlin stated. “You cannot convince me right now that the one team that does not need any advantages has gotten a very big advantage.”
ODDS AND ENDS
Chase Elliott, the lone Hendrick driver with out a win to this point this season, is the FanDuel Sportsbook favorite…. Ross Chastain final week at COTA grew to become the third first-time winner this season, becoming a member of Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe. It marked the primary time since 2001 that three first-time winners have opened the Cup Sequence season with victories by the primary six weeks. A brand new winner Sunday at Richmond can be a NASCAR file by seven races. …. Richmond has topped 5 first-time winners within the Cup Sequence, most just lately Kasey Kahne in 2005.
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Extra AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
