NASCAR insiders express concern for Martin Truex Jr.: 'Going in the wrong direction at the wrong time'

Martin Truex Jr. had a miserable end to the regular season and that carried over to Sunday’s Cup Series playoff opener at Atlanta.

Truex found himself involved in the Lap 205 wreck, finishing P35 and eight laps off the pace. For a driver with just three playoff points to his name going into Atlanta, that’s not going to cut it. Truex is now 19 points below the cutline heading into Watkins Glen this Sunday. The chances of his Hall of Fame career having a storybook ending? Merely hanging on by a thread.

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As Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic put it on Sunday’s episode of “The Teardown” podcast, Truex is going in the “wrong direction at the wrong time.”

“This is not at all a driver and team that I have any confidence in,” Bianchi said. “They haven’t been able to score stage points, they have no momentum, they’re not running well, they haven’t had a lot of speed in their racecars. They’re going in the wrong direction at the wrong time, and it’s been that way for a while.”

The numbers on Truex are concerning and unlike anything we’ve seen from him during his time with Joe Gibbs Racing. Truex is winless this season, has just one top-10 finish since Nashville in late June and hasn’t tallied a top-five since Kansas in early May. He has finished 24th or worse in 10 of the last 13 races. That includes a current streak of six consecutive finishes outside the top-20.

Martin Truex Jr. on the struggle bus at the wrong time

It’s getting late, and Bianchi isn’t so sure Truex can pull himself out of this funk.

“This year went from really promising in the beginning of the year of like Martin Truex Jr. looks like he’s gonna be in the championship mix, to now, it’s is he gonna get out of Round 1? Is he gonna win a race in his final year?” Bianchi said. “… And this playoff was so different for Martin Truex Jr. than in recent years. Most years, he’s gone into the playoff with just a cache of playoff points where he’s been able to afford himself [some hiccups].

“Last year was a great example; horrible Round 1, didn’t matter. Had all these playoff points and was still able to move on. This year he didn’t really have any playoff points, and he doesn’t have any safety net. Now, he’s going to Watkins Glen and Bristol, and would you call it a must-win mode?”

Jeff Gluck of The Athletic shared the same concern for Truex, although he does see a scenario where he can advance to the Round of 12 without getting to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen or Bristol. But for that to happen, Truex is going to have to piece together his best run in months.

“I wouldn’t panic yet and say, ‘We have to go win Watkins Glen or Bristol.’ Like no, I think he can be just fine,” Gluck said. “19 points is not that much.”