The 2025 NASCAR schedule release doesn't make Martin Truex Jr. want to reconsider his retirement from full-time racing, but it does make him want to suit up for a one-off start at The Rock.
Truex, the 2017 Cup Series champion, is one of the few drivers with experience at Rockingham Speedway. He enjoyed racing at the historic track, which makes its return to the Xfinity and Truck Series schedules in 2025, but he was not able to check off a goal before The Rock went away.
"May have to pencil in Rockingham (Speedway) in an Xfinity car, I did see that," Truex said at Darlington. "That looks pretty fun.
"I only raced there twice and got beat both times. So I finished second and I'd like to have another shot at winning there. That'd be a cool place to win."
Truex made his debut at the 1.017-mile North Carolina track in November 2003. He drove the No. 8 Chevrolet and put himself in contention for the win. However, he could not defeat Jamie McMurray, who won his third consecutive race at The Rock.
Truex returned to the track the following season. He started 11th and led 68 of the 197 laps, but he could not capture the win. McMurray led the final 21 laps of the race and won for the fourth consecutive time at the track.
Truex will now have a potential opportunity to come back and compete at Rockingham on Easter weekend next season as he enjoys some long-awaited time off. Truck Series and Xfinity Series teams will both compete at the historic track while Cup Series teams remain idle.
After all, making part-time starts is something he indicated he would be open to during the press conference announcing his retirement from full-time competition.
"He's got Xfinity cars," Truex said while pointing to team owner Joe Gibbs. "'Coach, I'm bored. I want to go race.'"
Gibbs, for his part, confirmed that the team would have a car waiting for Truex when needed.
"We're excited about going forward," Gibbs said in June. "I think now he's going to have a lot of opportunities, and some of them with us. I think as much as anything, he'll be setting his own schedule and kind of doing whatever he wants to do."