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It’s no secret to NASCAR fans that future Hall of Fame driver Martin Truex Jr. and crew chief James Small didn’t always get along. In their five seasons paired together, Truex Jr. and Small routinely had blow ups at one another over the team radio and Truex recorded just eight of his 34 career NASCAR Cup Series wins under Small.
But what fans didn’t know, it seems, is just how much Small disliked working with Truex Jr. That became evident on Wednesday when he threw some not-so-subtle shade in Truex Jr.’s direction when discussing incoming driver Chase Briscoe.
.@JoeGibbsRacing crew chief James Small says that new driver @ChaseBriscoe_14 has already hit the ground running with the team in advance of the 2025 season.
🗣️ “We’re gonna push him hard […] we can actually build the team around him.”
More → https://t.co/MKhd9eLXG8 pic.twitter.com/DdQPBBeDGu
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) November 20, 2024
James Small Throws Martin Truex Jr. Under The Bus With Scathing Comments
Truex Jr. retired following the completion of the 2024 season. Briscoe, who spent the first four years of his Cup Series career with the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing team, is set to replace him. And Small sounded both excited and relieved when discussing the switch.
“It’s just going to be really great to actually have somebody, for one, who lives in North Carolina. Two, comes into the shop multiple times a week. We can actually build the team around him, and having a process of developing a setup each week. Helping us be better as well, so we’re all really excited to have him on board. I think it’s going to be a big gain for the #19 team,” Small said on SiriusXM radio.
Ooof.
It’s not the first time Truex Jr.’s commitment has come under fire in recent years. He debated retirement for the entirety of the 2023 season before opting to come back. But Small is also not without blame. He made several calls in recent years that appeared to cost Truex Jr. at least a chance at a race victory.
Regardless, it appears there’s much more harmony at Joe Gibbs Racing for the time being. We’ll see how long that lasts if race wins don’t soon follow.