Martin Truex Jr. has a team for his 2025 Daytona 500 attempt.
Tricon Garage will field Truex’s No. 56 car as the NASCAR Truck Series team enters its first Cup Series race. Truex, 43, retired from full-time racing at the end of the 2024 Cup Series season, but said he would like to run the upcoming Daytona 500.
The car will be built in partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing, where the Truex team has run since the start of the 2019 season. Because the number of teams in NASCAR is limited to four, JGR will not be able to field a car at Truex. 23XI Racing was rumored to be a potential ride for Truex.
Instead, a team owned by former Cup Series driver David Gilliland will run Truex’s entry. Truex will also reappoint Cole Pearn as his team president. The two worked together at Furniture Row Motorsports and JGR before Pearn retired from NASCAR. Pearn was Truex’s crew chief when Truex won the 2017 Cup Series title at FRM with eight wins and 26 top-10 finishes over the 36-race season.
Truex will be sponsored by longtime sponsor Bass Pro Shops. Bass Pro sponsored Truex at the start of his career with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and then sponsored him at JGR as well.
“It’s going to be a really great deal to be able to work with Cole and have the number 56 again,” Truex Jr. said in a statement. “Thank you so much to everyone at Bass Pro Shops, Tricon and Toyota for helping us put this together. Have fun. I can’t think of a better time to win for (Bass Pro founder) Johnny Morris .”
Truex went winless in his final full season, finishing 10th in 2024. Truex has 32 of his 34 career wins with Front Row and JGR from 2015 to 2023. The number 56 on Truex’s car this season is the same number he had with Michael Waltrip Racing from 2010 to 2013. Truex picked up the second win of his career in 2013, but was soon out of the ride after his sponsor NAPA left MWR. Race-fixing scandal that occurred in the last race of the regular season. NAPA’s departure led Truex to join FRM, where he ranked 24th in 2014 and 4th in the 2015 rankings.
Tricon’s entry officially marks the 42nd car for the 40 spots in the Daytona 500 after JR Motorsports announced it would field a car for Justin Allgaier. With 36 spots already guaranteed for the charter car, Truex must qualify for the Daytona 500 through his qualifying speed or finishing position in dueling qualifying races.
