After frustrated abuse of Martin Truex, member of Joe Gibbs Racing called driver ‘moron’ for Pit Lane fiasco

Quaker State 400 was another successful night of racing for NASCAR. Although fans had fun watching the race, they may have missed a heated incident that happened at Atlanta Motor Speedway. To give you an idea, this is a member of Joe Gibbs Racing making slanderous remarks about a driver.

One of the most interesting parts of the race was Martin Truex Jr.’s turnaround in the pit lane. When the incident occurred, there was a heated exchange between the drivers. Truex, who got angry because of this unexpected “turnaround”, was seen abusing the other driver. Joining driver #19, also a member of Joe Gibbs Racing, made a stark statement.

Joe Gibbs Racing Member’s defiant reaction to Martin Truex Jr’s turnover

Martin Truex Jr. was hit by Michael McDowell, causing Truex’s car to turn around. This caused a heated exchange, which was not noticeable until NASCAR released the RADIOACTIVE version of Atlanta.

RADIOACTIVE video captured the conversation between Martin Truex Jr. and Michael McDowell after the incident. But what was even more interesting was a crew member’s cool response to the incident.

Truex Jr. was coming out of the pit lane when #34 driver Michael McDowell, who tried to pass Truex Jr., ended up turning around. A furious Martin Truex Jr. made an abusive comment. Since NASCAR censored its radio, what we could hear was, “*******#34”

This however was accompanied by James Small calling McDowell a “****** Fool.” That wasn’t the end of the exchange though.

Michael McDowell, on the radiotelephone, in his defense, said: “I went in a lane and he was in that lane.” But that just frustrated Truex Jr. and the other members of Joe Gibbs Racing.

Frustrated, Truex, expressing his anger, said: “How the hell does this *** always happen?” James Small, who is Joe Gibbs Racing’s crew chief, also showed his annoyance at Michael McDowell for his antics. In response to Truex Jr., member JGR said: “Because we are surrounded by clowns.”

The “turnaround” was definitely a really infuriating moment for Truex Jr. as it disrupted a rider’s momentum, affecting his position.

Such a heated exchange is a common part of stock car racing and they are what makes NASCAR fun for fans, among other factors. But in the case of Martin Truex Jr, fans might not see him being part of those heated on-track exchanges for long. In fact, we may not see him on the track in the 2024 season. There have been rumors that he is going to retire from NASCAR next season. And he recently addressed them.

Martin Truex Jr reveals his NASCAR future amid retirement rumors

The 2023 Cup season is going at a good pace for Martin Truex Jr. So far in the current Cup season, Truex Jr. has won two cup races. Dover was first and Sonoma was Truex Jr’s second victory.

With 607 points, he occupies the 2nd position in the points standings of the cup series, behind William Byron. But amid a successful cup season, Truex Jr. thought about retiring from NASCAR by the end of that season.

After qualifying in Atlanta, the No. 19 driver was asked in an interview about his latest vision for retirement plans. Shedding some light on the subject, Truex said: “I probably have to do it pretty quickly. A lot of people behind the scenes are counting on what they’ll do next year, so we need to find out pretty quickly. With that, Martin Truex Jr. has given us a strong hint that he may indeed not return in the 2024 Cup season.

Watch this story: Martin Truex Jr. blamed Denny Hamlin for losing to Ross Chastain on radio

As Martin Truex Jr hints at his retirement, who will Joe Gibbs choose to replace the veteran?