Martin Truex looks to add another NASCAR Championship to his resume

It’s the moment NASCAR fans have been waiting for all season. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race has finally arrived, with all the action broadcast live on NBC from the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, Sunday, Nov. 5.

After a regular season that saw veteran racer Martin Truex Jr. battling it out with rising star William Byron and Kyle Larson, the three racers have continued fighting for the top spot on the podium. Still among the favorites to hoist the Bill France Trophy in Phoenix, Truex Jr. managed to keep himself above the cut line in the Round of 8, placing ninth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and achieving only his first top-10 finish in the playoffs. This came at the end of a disastrous pit strategy that almost looked to be the end for the No. 19 car. Prior to his Las Vegas race, his best finish came at the Texas Motor Speedway, where he would finish 17th.

Despite the slight drop in standings, Truex Jr. remains the top driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, leading in points over teammates Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Chris Buesher and Ryan Blaney. Throughout the regular season, Truex Jr. has proven he’s still one of the most dominant drivers on the track, with his team remaining optimistic.

“That group knows why they can do it because they did it over 26 weeks,” car owner Joe Gibbs told NBC Sports. “So, it’s a matter of hitting it. Coming here, we thought we would have a real good shot . ... We’re working our butt off. We’re going overtime on pit road with practices. We’re doing everything, I think, we can do.”

With everything coming down to the championship race, look for Martin Truex Jr. to come out of the gates blazing, hoping to win his second NASCAR Cup Series Championship.