Ryan Truex, who has two NASCAR Xfinity Series wins on his record this season in a part-time driving role with Joe Gibbs Racing, thought he was done racing for the 2024 season after a fifth-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway last month. Well, he’s back.
The 32-year-old racer will slide behind the wheel of the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra for Sam Hunt Racing this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. While it’ll be Truex’s first start with the SHR team in 2024, the driver also ran the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 26 car. Truex finished 12th in that event.
Sam Hunt Racing made the announcement of Truex running for them at Homestead-Miami Speedway via a social media post on Monday afternoon.
Go Ryan (& Sam)@Ryan_Truex, two-time @NASCAR_Xfinity winner this season, returns behind the wheel of the No. 26 GR Supra this weekend at @HomesteadMiami!#TeamToyota | #Supra pic.twitter.com/KLuNCUPHQv
— Sam Hunt Racing (@Team_SHR26) October 21, 2024
The younger brother of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. has impressed mightily in the NASCAR Xfinity Series over the last couple of seasons as he has recorded three victories. It was a welcomed sight for the now-veteran racer as he spent 13 seasons at the NASCAR National Series level trying to secure a win of any kind.
Once he picked up his first win at Dover Motor Speedway in 2023, it seemed the floodgates opened as he picked up wins at Daytona International Speedway and again at Dover Motor Speedway in 2024.
Having a proven winner behind the wheel this weekend is a big deal for the Sam Hunt Racing team, which is still seeking its first NASCAR Xfinity Series win in what will be the team’s 177th start. Since its debut in 2019, Sam Hunt Racing has recorded 11 top-five finishes and 26 top-10s in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and while they’ve had some really promising runs, they’ve yet to find victory lane.
The race team and Truex will look to change that on Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
