In what's been a season of transition, Martin Truex Jr. finds himself at the doorstep of his second NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Truex has seamlessly fit in at Joe Gibbs Racing, after spending five years at now-defunct Furniture Row Racing and where he won the title in 2017. He's one of four drivers _ along with teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin and Stewart-Haas Racing's Kevin Harvick _ going for the title Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"It's been a good fit for our guys," Truex told reporters Thursday. "Just been amazing to work with all those people this year. Top to bottom, just first class."
This wasn't just another move from one NASCAR team across the street to another. Furniture Row was an outlier in the sport, based in Denver, thousands of miles away from NASCAR's Charlotte-area hub.
But when Furniture Row owner Barney Visser decided to fold the single-car team after the 2018 season, Truex landed at Huntersville-based JGR, with whom FRR had a technical alliance since 2016.
Joining forces with Busch, Hamlin and Erik Jones, Truex and crew chief Cole Pearn didn't miss a beat. Truex and his No. 19 Toyota have won seven races this season, including three in the playoffs.
It didn't take Truex long to see that what has worked at JGR, which has four NASCAR titles, comes straight from the top, from team owner Joe Gibbs, a NASCAR and NFL hall of famer.
"It's been amazing," Truex said. "Honestly, the biggest thing that surprised me was how damn hard that guy works. I mean, he just does not stop. He doesn't have a dealership, he doesn't golf, hunt or fish. He races. If he's not in that shop, he's on a plane going somewhere to meet with a sponsor, doing something for the race team. That's all he does.
"The guy is relentless. Leading by that example; that's what the team is built around. You can win, they're still working to get better. You're never good enough, always working to get better. Honestly, that's why we're so successful this year. It's that mentality."
Has Truex seen the normally mild-mannered Gibbs lose his temper yet?
"He stays pretty calm, but I haven't made him angry yet," Truex said, laughing. "I've heard a few stories about when he got angry. I'd rather not see it. I wasn't around for it, just heard about it. It was hearsay. I've heard he has gotten mad at Kyle a few times. Not surprising. But cool to see, man. Such a cool guy."
Truex and his team acclimated into the Gibbs culture immediately.
"Of course, our guys from Denver fit right into that, that's Cole to the T, right?" Truex said. "He's relentless, he's not going to stop, work until he can't work any more, think some more and try to do something else. It's never good enough. You can always be better. How do we do it?"
Truex _ along with Busch and Harvick _ is seeking to become only the second active driver to win multiple championships. The other is seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who didn't make the playoffs this season.
"It would be amazing to win two," Truex said. "To have the opportunity again is huge. You just want to put your best foot forward and leave here knowing you gave it all you had, you didn't screw up, step on your foot, put your foot in your mouth or anything stupid. You just want to leave here knowing you gave it all you had, gave it the best you have, all you had, you can live with that.
"What it means, I don't know. I think a second championship would be indescribable right now for me."
