NASCAR Leaks: Martin Truex Jr.’s infamous championship throwback plan was discovered in the middle of retirement season

2017 was the year Martin Truex Jr. and his orange Toyota Camry dominated the NASCAR world. The current Joe Gibbs Racing #19 won his first and only Cup Series championship for Furniture Row Racing in 2017. In a display of pure mastery, MTJ won eight races and four of 10 playoff races to secure the title.

Since then, Martin Truex Jr. has never been able to recapture championship success, but has made it to the championship four times and five times in his career. This feat is still achieved by all active drivers along with Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano. All of these achievements were achieved while driving this beautiful Toyota, and fans longed for a championship-reminiscent design for a fitting send-off for the NASCAR legend who will retire at the end of the season.

Martin Truex Jr. fans are getting a parting gift

The 44-year-old will retire from full-time racing after the 2024 season and rumors of a retro design are circulating on social media. This throwback was discovered by an X user (formerly of Twitter) who pointed out Martin Truex Jr.’s orange Toyota Camry in a garage. This sparked discussion about whether Truex would have a final dance in his iconic car.

MTJ drove the championship #78 Camry for Furniture Row Racing in 2017, a number that changed his fortunes as a NASCAR driver. Before 2014, he didn’t really have the best career as the #56, as he had the second-longest winning streak in NASCAR history from 2006 to 2013, with 218 races without a win and the longest winning streak of any driver between their first two victories. He moved to Furniture Row Racing in 2014 after being involved in the infamous Spin Gate scandal with Michael Waltrip Racing in 2013. Crew chief Cole Pearn marked a turning point in his career after working with him in 2015 changed his fortunes.

Now that we’ve put its turbulent past behind us, it’s time to focus on its Camry comeback. From 2015 to 2018, Truex Jr. reached the championship in three of the four years, with an 11th-place finish in the points being his worst season. His true highlight came in 2017 when he drove his number 78 to the championship. In an interview in 2022, he talked about the biggest moment of his career, saying: “The championship, of course. This is the top of the mountain and that’s why we do this. At the beginning of the year, everyone’s goal is to win a championship. So it’s amazing to be able to do that,,

A look back at MTJ’s unique career highlights

In a tumultuous career that saw him compete for championships and struggle to win a race, Martin Truex Jr. has seen it all.

• He dominated NASCAR, winning 24 races in a five-year period between 2015 and 2019 for Furniture Row Racing (2014-2018) and Joe Gibbs Racing (2019-). This came after he had achieved a meager three wins in the previous ten seasons as a full-time driver.
• It wasn’t until age 35 that he really started winning consistently, and his championship came at 37!
• He proved his authority in the 2017 Coca-Cola 600, NASCAR’s longest race, spanning 600 miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. led 492 of the 500 laps, which remains one of the most astonishingly dominant performances of all time.

Despite an incredibly short-lived peak, MTJ managed to capture the hearts of racing fans around the world and prove that age is just another number. From “bust” to champion, he is a prime example of a comeback story for the ages and one that reminds you that anything can happen in sports.

As he prepares to end his career, fans hope he takes the wheel of the iconic Orange Camry one last time and gives them a glimpse of his remarkable achievements in the car. Does Truex Jr. have what it takes to pull off one final miracle in his championship vehicle?