Martin Truex Jr. Getty NASCAR Cup Series
Getty Images

It was another case of the Mondays for Martin Truex Jr. in New Hampshire. No, not another dreadful start to the workweek, stuck in traffic where you question your career choice.

Instead, it was a breeze of a commute, Truex smiling all the way to his first NASCAR Cup Series victory on the 1.058-mile oval. Yet that last part somehow remained the same, this Joe Gibbs Racing veteran openly questioning how much longer he wanted to compete in a sport he's called home for over 20 years.

That's despite a second Monday win in 2023, a post rainout-romp at the place Truex first fell in love with NASCAR racing. As a child, he sat in the stands, rooting on his father to some minor league successes here (Martin Sr. won the then-Busch North race at Loudon in 1994). Dad even retired here in 2000, rebuilding his operation around a son he knew would one day surpass him.

"This is the first big track I ever came to with my dad and watched and the first time I ever seen Cup cars in person," Truex recalled in victory lane. "It's been a special place for us."

It's also been a special season, Truex collecting three wins plus the L.A. Coliseum exhibition race back in February. The 43-year-old has surged into the points lead, in position to enter the playoffs as the number one seed against twentysomethings nearly half his age.

Truex led 254 of 300 laps in New Hampshire, the third-highest total of a Cup career that's spanned 641 starts. The outcome was rarely in doubt, his lead stretched to four seconds under green-flag conditions and then protected through a two-tire stop under a late caution to maintain track position.

What a trifecta for Truex. The first two trophies this year came at tracks he earned his first two Cup victories at (Dover, Sonoma) before grabbing the one that means the most to him, a New England oval he'd led nearly 1,000 laps at but failed to win in 20 previous starts.

"We were sitting back there drinking some beers on the plane [after Truex's win at Sonoma earlier this year], we were talking about, this is the one," crew chief James Small said. "We need to win this one. Hopefully, he doesn't go and retire on us now that he's got it."

That remains a distinct possibility despite everyone in and around the No. 19 team having more fun than ever.

Why?

"This sport isn't exactly what it appears to be sometimes," Truex explained. "It takes a big commitment.

"My team is amazing. They deserve the very best driver, the guy that wants it more than anyone else, and I've been that guy. I want to make sure that if I come back, I'm willing to do that… it takes a lot of commitment. It's a lot of travel. A lot of time missing things with family and friends and all those things that I've done for 25 years. Do I want to keep doing it and am I willing to sacrifice all those things again for my team?

"So that's just what I'm thinking about. I don't know that running good and winning makes a difference. It would be pretty awesome to win the championship and walk off into the sunset."

That last part, in my view, is what's suddenly giving Truex pause. There's a reason people talk about the legend of John Elway, winning two NFL Super Bowls and then retiring. These opportunities to walk out on top for athletes come around about once a generation.

Could that temptation be enough for Truex to call his shot in the next couple of weeks?

"I don't really know," he said when pressed. "I'm bad at making big decisions."

Traffic Report

Green: Kevin Harvick. A fourth-place finish for Harvick at New Hampshire was his best since Darlington in May. The 47-year-old sits ninth in the standings, solidly in playoff position for a Stewart-Haas Racing team that struggles to run top 20 with its other three drivers.

Yellow: Michael McDowell. McDowell flirted with the top 10 at Loudon, running 13th to post his fourth top-15 result in the last five races. He's once again having a career year running for a Front Row Motorsports program always a step behind in funding and equipment. Yet he remains on the fringe of the playoff bubble, ahead by just one point after a top-10 finish by Bubba Wallace closed the gap.

Red: Christopher Bell. Pit road issues left the pole sitter pushing too hard at New Hampshire, crashing late in the race and limping home 29th. That's three straight runs outside the top 10 while teammate Truex rises to the top at JGR.  

Speeding Ticket: Noah Gragson. The rookie had another rough day, going several laps down before a loose wheel finally took him out. He's gone four months without a top-20 finish running for Jimmie Johnson's team, posting six DNFs and missing a race due to injury (concussion). A dejected Gragson said it best: "I don't know what to do anymore."

Oops!

Aric Almirola put it all on the table at a New Hampshire track he earned his last Cup victory at in 2021. Second to Truex much of the race, he surged ahead after a fast stop by his pit crew under caution. Leading the field into turn one, the No. 10 Ford was in the best position to win since that New Hampshire upset.

But a speedy stop came with a price. The right-rear wheel wasn't completely tight, falling off on the restart and leaving Almirola careening into the outside wall.

"Everything felt normal," Almirola explained. "I didn't really have any concerns going into the restart, and then, obviously the right-rear wheel came off. So, just really, really disappointed."