Martin Truex Jr. never shied away from blunt self-assessment. In a 2011 interview, the then-Michael Waltrip Racing driver declared himself NASCAR’s most underrated talent. His reasoning? The raw speed rarely turned into consistent results.
Over a decade later, his peers echo that sentiment as Truex prepares to retire from full-time racing. Despite 34 Cup wins and a 2017 championship, his quiet dominance and unassuming personality often left him overshadowed.
Martin Truex Jr.’s Self-Assessment of Speed vs. Results
Truex’s candid 2011 conversation with journalist Jeff Gluck revealed his frustration. “I run a lot better than my results show,” he said, referring to close calls like a tough loss at Richmond.
“I don’t really care about the amount of press. It’s more like what my peers think and people around the sport. It’s not so much the press. It just seems like my career has always been, ‘Run really well and finish like shit.’ So it kinda sucks.”
Truex’s self-criticism came from a strong desire to win. He prioritized victories over playoff berths, once saying he’d rather “go for the season McMurray had”—multiple big wins without a title shot—than make a winless Chase appearance.
“The way he did it with all the big races he won. You know what I mean? At the end of your career, you’re going to look back at the trophies on your mantle and say, ‘I won that race.’ You’re not going to say, ‘I made the Chase but didn’t win,’” he said.
But his relentless pace often ran into bad luck. Mechanical failures, strategy mistakes, and just plain bad breaks haunted his early years. Even after finding success with Furniture Row Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, Truex’s quiet personality kept him out of the spotlight, unlike some of his more attention-grabbing competitors.
Peers Validate the “Underrated” Label
Truex’s retirement announcement in June 2024 brought a wave of tributes. Denny Hamlin, his JGR teammate since 2019, called him “one of the most naturally gifted drivers” in NASCAR.
“He’s so respectful. He reminds me of Jimmie Johnson; I think he’s so underrated as far as the natural ability to drive a car fast. I have to work tremendously hard week in and week out to run the speed that Martin Truex runs,” Hamlin said.
Others highlighted his consistency and humility. Christopher Bell praised Truex’s lack of ego: “He’s got no ‘I’m better than you’ attitude. He’s just a very normal person who does himself.”
Brad Keselowski described him as a “throwback” to a time when drivers valued calculated patience over showmanship.
Even his rivals acknowledged his quiet strength. Joey Logano, whose 2018 Martinsville bump-and-run cost Truex a shot at a championship repeat, admitted, “He’s obviously a Hall of Famer.” Chase Elliott summed up Truex’s appeal: “I wish we had more of that.”
Truex’s legacy goes beyond his stats. A two-time Xfinity Series champion and 2017 Cup champ, he built a career marked by resilience, not drama. As Keselowski noted, “Martin is a very chill guy, so I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
For a driver who once thought about trading his firesuit for a baseball glove, retirement brings more fishing trips and fewer headaches. But his “underrated” label? His peers and history have already changed that.