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Martin Truex Jr. will aim to make the first start of his post-retirement career in NASCAR’s biggest race, partnering with Tricon Garage for an entry in next month’s Daytona 500.
The attempt will mark a debut in the Cup Series garage for the David Gilliland-owned organization, which announced Thursday that Truex will drive the No. 56 Toyota in the “Great American Race,” scheduled Sunday, Feb. 16 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Truex retired from full-time competition after the 2024 season, hinting in his June 14 announcement that he was open to another Daytona 500 attempt, along with entering other select races. The 44-year-old driver’s full-time racing career ended with 34 Cup Series victories, the 2017 Cup championship and a pair of titles (2004-05) in what’s now called the Xfinity Series.
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Cole Pearn, his longtime crew chief, will also come out of retirement to be atop the pit box for the Daytona effort. Pearn helped guide Truex to 24 wins in their five seasons together, including four Championship 4 appearances and the Cup Series crown in 2017.
Primary sponsorship will be provided by longtime partner Bass Pro Shops. The Johnny Morris-founded company has had a connection to Truex since 2004, the same year that Truex made his Cup Series debut in a Bass Pro Shops-sponsored car.
“It‘s going to be a really cool deal to be able to work with Cole and have the number 56 again,” Truex said in a team release. “I really appreciate everyone at Bass Pro Shops, Tricon and Toyota helping put this together to go have some fun, and I can‘t think of a better time to go win the thing for Johnny Morris.”
Truex will attempt to land the unchartered entry onto the grid for his 21st Daytona 500 start. The past Cup Series champion has never won the 500-mile season opener, coming closest in 2016, when he was the runner-up to Denny Hamlin by just 0.010 seconds.
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Tricon’s first Cup Series effort will include technical support from Toyota affiliate Joe Gibbs Racing. Gilliland, a former Cup Series driver, has fielded entries in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since 2018, rebranding from David Gilliland Racing to Tricon Garage and shifting its manufacturer alliance from Ford to Toyota before the 2023 season.
“This opportunity is a testament to the dedication of our entire organization and our partners at Toyota. Having raced against Martin for many years, I can confidently say there‘s no stronger competitor I‘d want behind the wheel for our first Cup Series entry at the sport‘s most prestigious race,” Gilliland said. “As an open entry, we know the road ahead will be challenging, but I have no doubt that Martin will put us in the best position to succeed. I‘ve had the privilege of sitting on the pole at Daytona, but my next goal is to celebrate in Victory Lane.”
Tricon Garage will field five full-time Truck Series teams this year, with returning drivers Corey Heim and Tanner Gray joining newcomers Toni Briedinger and Gio Ruggiero for full-season schedules. The fifth entry will be split among four drivers — Lawless Alan, Brent Crews, Brandon Jones and William Sawalich.
The Daytona 500 bid continues Truex’s connection to Toyota, which began in 2016. That stretch includes the last six seasons with Gibbs’ No. 19 team.
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