The historic feat Truex aims to accomplish with NASCAR comeback at Daytona 500

Lately-retired 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. will enter the 2025 season-opening Daytona 500 and pursue a chunk of NASCAR historical past.

Truex stepped away from his trip within the #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on the finish of the 2024, with Chase Briscoe shifting over from Stewart-Haas Racing to take his place, however will purpose to make his 694th profession begin in Cup by teaming up with Truck Collection group TRICON Storage for its collection debut at Daytona.

The 44-year will drive a #56 Toyota, paying homage to his days utilizing the quantity with Michael Waltrip Racing between 2010-13, in an effort supported by JGR that may reunite him with former crew chief Cole Pearn.

“It’s going to be a very cool deal to have the ability to work with Cole and have the quantity 56 once more,” stated Truex.

“I actually admire everybody at Bass Professional Retailers, TRICON and Toyota serving to put this collectively to go have some enjoyable, and I can’t consider a greater time to go win the factor for [Bass Pro Shops CEO] Johnny Morris.”

Truex has began NASCAR’s crown jewel race 20 occasions, however none of his 34 Cup wins embrace the five hundred itself. Actually, Truex has by no means received a superspeedway race as a Cup driver.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. famously received his solely Daytona 500 in 1998 after “20 years of attempting and 20 years of frustration”, essentially the most makes an attempt of any driver in Cup historical past earlier than lastly accumulating the Harley J. Earl Trophy. Ought to Truex make the race, 2025 will probably be his twenty first Daytona 500 begin. At this level in his profession, a win within the 500 can be each unprecedented and record-breaking.

Whereas Truex could also be winless in pack racing occasions, he has come nearer to a 500 victory than every other driver who has but to win it. In 2016, Truex misplaced out to future Denny Hamlin within the closest end within the race’s historical past – 0.010s.

Six open entries at the moment are set in stone for the five hundred, headlined by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves in a third Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.

Truex additionally joins the #44 NY Racing Crew Chevrolet of J.J. Yeley, Anthony Alfredo’s #62 Beard Motorsport Chevrolet, BJ McLeod (#78 Dwell Quick Motorsport Chevrolet) and defending NASCAR Xfinity Collection champion Justin Allgaier’s #40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

Solely 4 spots stay on the grid, together with the newly added Open Exemption Provisional that’s solely obtainable to Castroneves ought to he want it, doubtlessly increasing the sector to 41 automobiles.

It’s anticipated that seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson will enter the five hundred, which he received in 2006 and 2013, whereas different groups are additionally trying to discover drivers and sponsors for an entry.