NASCAR.com's Alex Weaver wets a line at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Martin Truex Jr. as the former Cup Series champion discusses his historic career and what's next.
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00:00Martin, we are here in Miami, in the infield, which is a pretty cool spot I know for you,
00:11the fisherman, because there's a lake here.
00:12Yeah.
00:13So I have to imagine that you like this racetrack a little bit.
00:17Anywhere where we're close to water, especially salt water, is a good track for me.
00:20Of course.
00:21What's in here?
00:22Bass.
00:23Largemouth bass and peacock bass.
00:24Quack grass.
00:25Yeah, there's a lot of weeds right here.
00:26A lot of weeds.
00:28So, making the transition though, when you go back to your early days, how difficult
00:34was it to find success in NASCAR in general?
00:39You know, honestly, really early on it was not that difficult.
00:43It kind of came naturally, I guess.
00:45It happened really quickly as far as going to the Bushnorth Series and had success early
00:50on there.
00:51And the next thing you know, I feel like it wasn't that long, I'm getting a call to go
00:57test Dale Jr.'s car.
00:58Martin Truex Jr. scores his first career Cup Series victory.
01:02Thank you guys!
01:03Thank you so much!
01:04That was awesome!
01:05What a car!
01:06What do you remember from those DEI and Michael Walter Bray Seniors?
01:11A lot of hard work, a lot of struggles, a lot of, you know, almost, you know, DEI started
01:17out really good and, you know, we won in our second year and went to the, you know, made
01:21the playoffs and then it was kind of downhill from there, you know, it didn't last very
01:25long after that.
01:27And then, you know, went to MWR and, you know, started out slow and we finally won our first
01:31race there and then, you know, make the playoffs and then, you know, things kind of fall apart
01:36there too.
01:37So, just a lot of hard work and not a lot of success, honestly.
01:40What did you learn from that adversity in your career?
01:43It's really, really a hard sport, you know, it takes a lot of people, it takes so many
01:48different things.
01:50You know, I think a lot of people look at racing and they're like, ah, you know, that
01:53driver, he's not very good, he's not doing very good, you know.
01:55And, yeah, it just takes a lot of things to come together for the driver to be successful.
01:59Alright, show me how it's done.
02:01I have the easy, just like push the button and release.
02:04That's the little.
02:05You have the bait master.
02:06You got the little kiddie rod.
02:07That's what I have.
02:08But it's alright.
02:09I mean, that was way out further than mine.
02:12So then, you know, we have the adversity in your career, but then you meet this guy by
02:15the name of Cole Pern.
02:16What do you remember from working with Cole Pern in those successful years you had at
02:20Furniture Row?
02:21Well, now we're tangled.
02:23Now we're tangled.
02:24Overcast over someone's line.
02:26It's like rule number one.
02:27I broke rule number one.
02:29Now what do we do?
02:30We're good.
02:31Yeah, you know, when I first went to Furniture Row, Todd Barrier was the crew chief and Cole
02:35was the engineer, and I didn't know Cole at all.
02:38And, you know, our first year was 2014 and, man, it was a huge struggle.
02:43I was complaining a lot that year, and I think, you know, for Cole and I, we forged a really
02:49great relationship as far as just him understanding exactly what I was looking for and, you know,
02:54I feel like he looked at me and said, I know he can do it, you know, I know he can drive
02:59our cars fast when I get them right.
03:01So that was a big deal for us, and Cole obviously got the crew chief job, and, man, we just
03:06hit the ground running.
03:07We just started 2015, like, running good everywhere.
03:10We didn't win a race that year until Pocono.
03:12Martin Truex Jr., he's going back to victory lane.
03:17That really is what got us in the mindset of, hey, we can win together, like we can
03:21win a lot of races together.
03:22It really kicked off a pretty incredible run of seasons we were able to put together and
03:27a lot of race wins and a championship.
03:28All right, you cast out.
03:29I'm not going to cast over you this time.
03:31I'm not going to break the rule anymore.
03:32I'll cast with the wind a little more.
03:34Perfect.
03:35Well, you mentioned the championship, 2017.
03:36What does that championship mean for your career?
03:39Well, that's the thing, is they can never take it away.
03:42Exactly.
03:43You know, it's there forever and ever and ever, and, you know, I know it's only one,
03:46and I think looking at it all, I always think more about the three second places.
03:51Yes.
03:52You know, just knowing that where I came from to get to the top and win a championship at
03:57this level is something I never dreamed possible, and, you know, I'm going to have that with
04:02me for the rest of my life, which is really cool.
04:04Finally, the closing chapter of your career has been with Joe Gibbs Racing.
04:08What has this organization done for you and for your career in motorsports?
04:12Well, a lot, and I think, you know, just working with the team there and driving for coach,
04:17I've learned a lot of things.
04:19You race with, you know, a lot of great competitors, and you look at, you know, JGR as, you know,
04:23one of the top teams as long as I've been around.
04:26You know, to be a part of that kind of legacy and being able to win races for them and,
04:30you know, battle for a few championships there, and, you know, at the end of the day, them
04:36allowing me to kind of go out on my own terms and do things my way was just really important
04:40and really special to me.
04:41Feel really lucky to have a great place to work for the last, you know, handful of years
04:45and work with a lot of really good people.
04:48Well, you are officially hanging up the full-time hat after this season, so why now?
04:53It just feels like the right time.
04:55I've been doing this a long time.
04:56I think I've raced basically, you know, at least 30 races a year, you know, since I got
05:02out of high school, and, you know, it's a long time.
05:05It's a lot of commitment, and I'm ready to just go have a little bit of fun and enjoy
05:10the fruits of my labor.
05:11Well, we're fishing here because not only is it an activity that you do frequently,
05:16but I have a feeling that this might be a lot of your retirement future.
05:20What does retirement look like for Martin Truex, Jr.?
05:22A lot of hunting and fishing, that's for sure, and catching a lot of tuna this year, so that's
05:26been fun.
05:27I'm still going to do some racing, though.
05:29I still love to race.
05:30I just, it's nice to have a break and live life.
05:32I've missed out on a lot of things over the years, you know, friends and family stuff,
05:35and it's time to catch up on that.
05:37Yeah.
05:46Yeah.