The historic feat Truex aims to accomplish with NASCAR comeback at Daytona 500

Recently-retired 2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. will enter the 2025 season-opening Daytona 500 and pursue a piece of NASCAR history.

Truex stepped away from his ride in the #19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at the end of the 2024, with Chase Briscoe moving over from Stewart-Haas Racing to take his place, but will aim to make his 694th career start in Cup by teaming up with Truck Series team TRICON Garage for its series debut at Daytona.

The 44-year will drive a #56 Toyota, harking back to his days using the number with Michael Waltrip Racing between 2010-13, in an effort supported by JGR that will reunite him with former crew chief Cole Pearn.

“It’s going to be a really cool deal to be able to work with Cole and have the number 56 again,” said Truex.

“I really appreciate everyone at Bass Pro Shops, TRICON and Toyota helping put this together to go have some fun, and I can’t think of a better time to go win the thing for [Bass Pro Shops CEO] Johnny Morris.”

Truex has started NASCAR’s crown jewel race 20 times, but none of his 34 Cup wins include the 500 itself. In fact, Truex has never won a superspeedway race as a Cup driver.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. famously won his only Daytona 500 in 1998 after “20 years of trying and 20 years of frustration”, the most attempts of any driver in Cup history before finally collecting the Harley J. Earl Trophy. Should Truex make the race, 2025 will be his 21st Daytona 500 start. At this point in his career, a win in the 500 would be both unprecedented and record-breaking.

While Truex may be winless in pack racing events, he has come closer to a 500 victory than any other driver who has yet to win it. In 2016, Truex lost out to future Denny Hamlin in the closest finish in the race’s history – 0.010s.

Six open entries are now set in stone for the 500, headlined by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves in a third Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.

Truex also joins the #44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet of J.J. Yeley, Anthony Alfredo’s #62 Beard Motorsport Chevrolet, BJ McLeod (#78 Live Fast Motorsport Chevrolet) and defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier’s #40 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.

Only four spots remain on the grid, along with the newly added Open Exemption Provisional that is only available to Castroneves should he need it, potentially expanding the field to 41 cars.

It is expected that seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson will enter the 500, which he won in 2006 and 2013, while other teams are also looking to find drivers and sponsors for an entry.