Martin Truex Jr. is in his final season as a full-time Cup driver, having announced his retirement from NASCAR last week. Now, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is looking for Truex’s replacement for 2025 and beyond.
Whoever follows Truex will have big shoes to fill. Since Truex is a Cup champion and winner of 34 races, the pressure will be on the driver to succeed quickly. Here’s a look at NASCAR.com’s ranking of the drivers who should replace Truex at JGR.
1. Noah Gragson
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With Stewart-Haas Racing closing at the end of the year, Gragson will be looking for a new team and JGR could be the perfect fit. So far this season, the 25-year-old has earned five top-10 finishes, including a ninth-place finish in the Daytona 500.
Prior to joining the Cup Series, Gragson earned 13 Xfinity Series wins and finished second in the 2022 Xfinity Cup Series standings.
2. Chase Briscoe
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Briscoe is another Stewart-Haas Racing driver who will be with a new team in 2025. This year, the 33-year-old has recorded five top-five finishes, including a fifth-place finish at Darlington.
In his career, Briscoe has competed in 121 Cup Series races and earned 26 top-10 finishes. He also won 11 Xfinity Series races in 86 starts.
3. Josh Berry
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JGR could also target Berry, who is the third driver for Stewart-Haas Racing. Berry, 33, has competed in 29 Cup races and earned six top-10 finishes.
Berry is in his first full-time Cup season and has recorded three top-10 finishes. Last week, Berry finished seventh in the Cup race at Iowa Speedway.
4. Erik Jones
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Jones has shown a lot of promise at Legacy Motor Club, earning a win in 2022 and placing eighth in this year’s Daytona 500. He has experience with JGR as he was with the team from 2015 to 2020 on a part-time basis.
Jones has competed in 267 Cup races and has earned three wins with 89 top-10 finishes.
5. Ryan Preece
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Preece is the fourth member of Stewart-Haas and has his share of experience. This year, the 33-year-old has only had one top-10 finish, which was at Martinsville.
In his career, Preece has earned 12 top-10 finishes in 159 starts. He has competed in the Daytona 500 five times and finished in the top 10 twice.
6. John Hunter Nemechek
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Nemechek is 27 years old and is in his first year as a full-time Cup driver with Legacy Motor Club. This year, Nemechek finished seventh in the Daytona 500 and sixth in the Cup race at the Food City 500 at Bristol.
In 2023, Nemechek competed in the Xfinity Series for JGR. He won seven races and finished fourth in the final standings.
Wild card to replace Truex: Kyle Busch
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It would be surprising to see Busch return to JGR since he is still signed with Richard Childress Racing. There have been rumors that it could happen since Busch is not having a good 2024 season, but many experts believe it will not happen.
Honestly, Busch is the most successful driver on the list with two Cup titles and 63 race wins. But Busch probably wants to ride with RCR and get the team title before his career is over.
Xfinity and Truck Series drivers who could replace Martin Truex Jr.
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Martin Truex Jr. was named one of NASCAR’s Top 75 Drivers in 2023. In addition to winning a Cup title, the 43-year-old claimed the regular season championship in 2017 and 2023. His most notable race wins are the Cocas of 2016 and 2019. -Cola 600 and Southern 500 of 2016.
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