NASCAR's Joe Gibbs Racing team announced Wednesday morning it reached an extended contract agreement with No. 19 driver Martin Truex Jr. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the extension means that Truex is expected to race for the team through at least the 2022 season.
He has been with Joe Gibbs Racing since 2019, a season in which he achieved seven Cup wins.
"I'm happy to get this news out there so we can focus on this season and the future with Joe Gibbs Racing," Truex Jr. said in a statement. "This is where I wanted to be and to continue building on the success we have had together the past two years."
Truex told reporters last week that he "had talks and things have moved forward" regarding his contract with Gibbs. The organization announced last week that it reached a multi-year contract extension with driver Denny Hamlin and No. 11 sponsor FedEx, setting up a similar lineup for the Toyota organization next season.
Truex garnered just one win last year in the Cup Series, but his team sees him as a perennial championship contender. He won the 2017 Cup championship with now-defunct Furniture Row Racing and has made four Championship 4 appearances in the past six seasons. The Mayetta, N.J., native earned eight Cup victories, 29 top-five finishes and 47 top-10s with Joe Gibbs Racing over the last two seasons.
"Extending Martin's agreement has been a big priority for us this offseason," JGR owner Joe Gibbs said in a statement. "Martin brings so much to our organization. Obviously, he's talented and shown he can win at any racetrack but his insights also helps to make all our teams better."
Truex crashed out of Tuesday's Busch Clash exhibition race at the Daytona road course ahead of the 2021 season. JGR's No. 18 driver Kyle Busch won the race with a late pass of Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott as the leaders made contact in the final seconds of the race. Truex's night didn't end as well, but he still led two laps of the 35-lap race and held the top spot in the final 10 laps before he slid into the outside wall and exited the race.
