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Denny Hamlin leaves door open for Martin Truex Jr. at 23XI: ‘His Daytona 500 car will be ready immediately’

Posted on by angelo
Denny Hamlin leaves door open for Martin Truex Jr. at 23XI: ‘His Daytona 500 car will be ready immediately’

With the revelation of Martin Truex Jr. retire after 2024 NASCAR The Cup Series campaign is revealed, Denis Hamlin had nothing but praise for his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.

Hamlin and Truex Jr. are part of a declining era of NASCAR, and it is evident that there is immense respect between the two competitors. Although there was some friction earlier this season after a contentious restart at Richmond, each of the veteran helmsmen really likes each other.

“You know, when I think about Martin, I just try to think about if I ever had a moment where I said, you know, I can’t believe he did that, and the answer is No. He always did the right thing, 100 percent of the time, and it’s just, you know, it’s a hard thing to do,” Hamlin told FOX’s Bob Pockrass.

That’s exactly why Hamlin told Truex Jr. that if he gets bored in retirement, or if he even just wants to race in the Daytona 500 next season and beyond, a Toyota will be waiting for him with his name on it at 23XI Racing.

“I told him I would prepare his Daytona 500 car immediately. Just tell me the word,” Hamlin added. “…100% I (would add a car to 23XI Racing for Daytona if Truex wanted to race). I would 100% do that.

There are a myriad of reasons why Hamlin wanted to give Truex Jr. a ride with his team, but it boils down to one thing, Truex Jr. is the complete package as a driver, and the Daytona 500 is truly the only something missing from his career CV.

“All of the above. I just explained it, he’s a great driver, right? So why not? But yes, we definitely would – whenever Martin gets bored and wants to run the Cup, we We’d have a place for him, that’s for sure,” Hamlin said.

23XI Racing has done impressive things in the Cup Series, and adding Martin Truex Jr. to its team, even if just for one race, would be a major boon for Denny Hamlin, Michael Jordan and the entire NASCAR world, if it is about achievement.

Martin Truex Jr. on future Daytona 500 and Xfinity races

Alas, there’s only half the NASCAR Cup Series season left until Martin Truex Jr. officially hangs up his gloves and helmet to race full-time. However, the key word here is “full time”.

It has become more common for retired drivers to continue driving part-time. At least he feels that way. We are sure there has already been precedent. But it looks like Martin Truex Jr. could go the Aric Almirola route in retirement.

Asked about possibly starting the Daytona 500 in the future, a race that has eluded Truex in his career, the driver left the door open: “Maybe. I don’t know, I’d be open to that. Truex said. “(Joe Gibbs) has Xfinity cars. Coach, I’m bored, I want to run a race. Let’s go.”

Of course, Aric Almirola has competed in a few Xfinity Series races for JGR this year. He even won a race at Martinsville. So Truex might have a spot to race next year if he ever wants to scratch that competitive itch.

As for selecting a replacement for Truex, Gibbs isn’t sure yet. He just wants to celebrate his induction into the Hall of Fame: “We’re still working on all of that and so we just want to focus on Martin right now and all of that will happen later,” Gibbs explained. “So we’re excited to be here supporting, all our guys are here. Martin means a lot to us.

A new era in NASCAR and a new era for Joe Gibbs Racing. We’ll see what the future holds for everyone involved.

On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this article.