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NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. had a no good, very bad 2022 season.
The 2017 series champion was plenty fast. But he was unable to pick up a victory and missed the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs for the first time since 2014.
The 43-year-old even considered retiring, but ultimately opted against it.
He’s pretty happy with that decision these days.
Truex Jr. already had two victories just over halfway through the 2023 season and he sits second in the series point standings. He’s considered one of the favorites to win a championship come the end of the year in Phoenix, and he’s still one of the series’ top drivers.
So, surely he’ll stick around for a few more years, right?
Well, it’s complicated.
Truex signed a one-year deal to return to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2023. He’ll have to sign another should he want to return in 2024.
But he told reporters Saturday that he’s still considering retiring at the conclusion of the season.
“Probably more so their timeline than mine,” Truex said of Joe Gibbs Racing and when he’ll announce his future plans.
Does he want to come back?
That decision doesn’t seem to have been made yet.
“I think about it a lot during the week but not at the racetrack,” Truex said. “That’s why I don’t really talk about it much. I haven’t made a decision yet, so no need to talk about it.”
If he does opt to call it a career, it would be one heck of a career at that.
Truex has one championship, 33 career victories and 21 poles at the highest level of the sport. And all signs seem to indicate he’s not done yet.
The New Jersey native is set to start Sunday’s race in New Hampshire in second place and hopes to finish it one better. If he does, it will be yet another statement of intent as he seeks a second championship.