Truex desires to make history by revealing Daytona 500 plans

Martin Truex Jr. will start within the 67th Daytona 500 on the wheel of the No. 56 Toyota – it is going to be a return to the times spent at Michael Waltrip Racing. He will drive for TRICON Garage within the team's Truck Series Cup debut. Longtime partner Bass Pro Shops will sponsor the hassle, Joe Gibbs Racing will offer technical support, and Truex will reunite with former crew chief Cole Pearn.

Truex began nearly 700 Cup races in his illustrious profession, including 20 Daytona 500s. However, none of his 34 Cup victories included the five hundred itself. He has won crown jewel events just like the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500, but Daytona continues to elude him. He never actually won a superspeedway race as a Cup driver.

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But this yr's trial puts Truex in uncharted territory. Dale Earnhardt Sr. won his only Daytona 500 after “20 years of trying and 20 years of frustration,” probably the most attempts of any driver in Cup history, before finally winning the Harley J. Earl Trophy. If Truex runs the race, 2025 can be his twenty first start within the Daytona 500. At this point in his profession, a 500-meter victory can be each unprecedented and record-breaking.

The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion is probably not winning in pack races, but that doesn't mean he wasn't near the largest prize in NASCAR. In fact, he got here closer to that victory than every other driver who had yet to win this race. In 2016, Truex lost the Daytona 500 to Denny Hamlin within the closest finish within the race's history – 0.010 seconds.

Checkered Flag: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo: Action Sports Photography

“It will be a really great deal to be able to work with Cole and have the number 56 again,” Truex said in response to the news. “I actually appreciate everyone at Bass Pro Shops, TRICON and Toyota who helped put this all together to make certain you go have some fun and there's no higher time to win it [Bass Pro Shops CEO] Johnny Morris.

Shockingly competitive open field

There are currently six open entries for the five hundred. Truex joins the ranks of 44 JJ Yeley, 62 Anthony Alfredo, 78 BJ McLeod, 91 Helio Castroneves and the recently announced 500-year-old. JR Motorsports entry 40 with defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier. There are only 4 spots left on the grid with the newly added temporary open exemption only available to Castroneves if he needs it, potentially expanding the sector to 41 cars.

Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is anticipated to compete within the event, in addition to the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing, which has leased its No. 60 RFK charter and is currently an open team with unclear plans. The No. 66 MBM Motorsports team had planned to run the event with Mike Wallace, but since he didn't get approval, the team is scrambling to seek out a driver and sponsor for the five hundred.