LOUDON, N.H. — Martin Truex Jr. has seen the photo of he and his brother Ryan sitting in the stands at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the 1990s many times, but as he looked at it after his Cup victory Monday, Truex couldn’t stop smiling and reflecting on that moment — and his future.
Ryan, who isn’t more than 2 years old, if that, in the photo, drinks from his bottle and stands against the back of the bleachers in front of him. His car seat is behind him. Big brother Martin, who is 12 years older, is a teenager at the time. He lounges in the stands, wearing his Dale Earnhardt hat and looking at his brother.
“Just crazy to think about what has happened between then and now,” Truex said while he continued to look at the photo that his brother posted on social media.
“It’s crazy how fast time goes by. That’s what makes the retirement decision a question mark. Part of that is how fast time goes and when you want to stop working and enjoy it.”
MORE: New Hampshire results
MORE: What drivers said
While it seems that Truex, a New Jersey native, can claim many home tracks in the Cup Series, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has always been special to him. The son of a racer, he saw his dad compete at this 1.058-mile track.
Truex recounted this weekend how one of his most special memories at this track came when he was old enough to get into the garage. His dad’s car was parked across from Earnhardt’s car.
“I remember him under the hood working on his carburetor,” Truex said of Earnhardt. “As a little kid, it’s like you can’t really believe it. I just kind of stood there and watched. Never bothered anybody. Just watched and stood back like this is really cool.”
Re: sitting in grandstands with little brother drinking from bottle pic.twitter.com/E1yZ3B0w43
— Ryan Truex (@Ryan_Truex) July 17, 2023
Now 43, Truex looks at things differently. He’s trying to decide his future. Last year, he decided to return to Cup. This year? He’s not sure even though he’s won three times and is the point leader.
Why wouldn’t he come back?
He was asked that after Monday’s win, the 34th of his Cup career.
“This sport isn’t exactly what it appears to be sometimes,” Truex said. “It takes a big commitment.
“My team is amazing. They deserve the very best driver, the guy that wants it more than anyone else, and I’ve been that guy. I want to make sure that if I come back, I’m willing to do that.
“It’s not just show up at the track, drive the car, go home. It takes a lot. It takes a lot of commitment. It’s a lot of travel. A lot of time missing things with family and friends and all those things that I’ve done for 25 years. Do I want to keep doing it? Am I willing to sacrifice all those things again for my team?
“So that’s just what I’m thinking about. I don’t know that running good and winning makes a difference. It would be pretty awesome to win the championship and walk off into the sunset.”
He then talked about how he’s not good at big decisions, noting how he’s looked at buying a salt water boat for more than five years and still hasn’t done so.
One can only imagine how much more difficult it would be to decide if to keep racing.
“I wish I had more time to figure out what I want to do next year,” Truex said, “but I don’t, so I’ll know soon and you’ll know soon.”
Until then, one can marvel at what he’s done this season and what he did Monday.
Truex won both stages and led 254 of 301 laps to claim his first Cup win at this track.
It happened a year after a gut-wrenching defeat for him here.
Truex had the best car then. He started from the pole, won both stages and led the most laps … and finished fourth. His race changed when the caution flag waved with about 95 laps left in that race. He pitted for two tires. He restarted fourth after three cars stayed out, got trapped on the restart, shuffled to 11th and never was factor.
“It’s always been one that he wanted to win,” crew chief James Small said of Truex and New Hampshire.
Small recounted how on the flight back from the Sonoma race, he and Truex talked about this race.
“This is the one,” Small said. “We need to win this one. Hopefully he doesn’t go and retire on us now that he’s got it.”
Car owner Joe Gibbs also hopes the same thing.
“I really feel like he’s having such, I think, a great year, and I think he’s having fun,” Gibbs said. “So, I’m hoping that we get a good answer for us here.”
On Monday, there wasn’t time to decide his future. He was enjoying the present and reminiscing about his past at this track.
“Just seeing that (photo), just a reminder of what this place means,” Truex said, “and how long we’ve been coming here.”
Still, it’s hard not to wonder if this wasn’t the last time Truex raced at New Hampshire.
