Letting go of true potential hurts. What hurts even more is getting repeatedly called out for it. Joe Gibbs is facing such a situation currently after he let go of Ryan Truex last season. Martin Truex Jr’s brother delivered statement victories to JGR over the past two seasons, picking up one trophy in Daytona and two consecutive ones in Dover. Now, Ryan is ready to showcase his Dover brilliance to another team, but fans still would not let Gibbs be at peace.
After all, Ryan Truex ended 2024 with two wins, 3 top fives, and 6 top tens. These stats, along with his average finish of 14.1, should have been enough for Joe Gibbs to keep the experienced racer on his team. However, they parted ways, and now Truex is ready to make Gibbs regret his decision even more.
Joe Gibbs’ former star tapped for a new ride
Ryan Truex losing his seat definitely baffled NASCAR fans. What baffled them even more was Joe Gibbs falling on an 18-year-old ARCA Menards Series ace as a replacement. William Sawalich had 18 ARCA victories under his belt, but his NASCAR foray has been far from impressive. He captured 3 top tens and a Talladega pole in the Craftsman Truck Series for TRICON Garage. After Gibbs tapped him for a full-time Xfinity ride, however, things have been worse. Over 18 races in the 2025 Xfinity Series season, Sawalich has netted only 3 top ten finishes and 1 pole. With an average finish of 24.5, many of his results have been outside the top 25. According to a Reddit post, Sawalich has the worst record for a full-time Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series driver in organization history.
That is why hearing about Ryan Truex’s new ride is likely to rub salt in Joe Gibbs‘ wounds. In a recent update, journalist Bob Pockrass updated Truex’s participation in the upcoming Dover race. He wrote, “Ryan Truex will get to go for three in a row in the Xfinity races at Dover as he will drive the Sam Hunt Racing No. 24 next week.” Truex tamed the Monster Mile first in 2023 and followed it up in 2024. He has competed with SHR before, netting an 11th-place result in a 2022 Daytona race. Truex has also competed at Homestead-Miami in the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra.
Ryan Truex will get to go for three in a row in the Xfinity races at Dover as he will drive the Sam Hunt Racing No. 24 next week.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 8, 2025
With the New Jersey State Police as a sponsor for the BetRivers 200, Ryan Truex will aim to catch a third Dover victory in a row. His team owner Sam Hunt cannot be more excited about this new venture: “It’s always fun to have Ryan behind the wheel at SHR. He brings so much experience, knowledge, and past success to the table, especially at Dover. He understands where SHR is as a team and wants to help everyone continue to improve. We couldn’t be doing this without our partners at New Jersey State Police, and are all excited to get to work at the Monster Mile.”
Although Ryan Truex will get to defend his Dover crown, NASCAR fans are not satisfied. They demanded action on Joe Gibbs’ part.
Fans pressure Gibbs to retract his decision
Well, one look at Ryan Truex’s stats would be enough to convert any racing fan. His successful year under JGR in 2024 has hardly left the conversation, and fans are still baffled about his position. How a proven winner like Truex can fail to land a full-time seat is beyond one fan. “Wonder why JGR wouldn’t give a winning driver a car.” William Sawalich has not exactly been able to prove himself yet. Although a lack of sponsorship and other financial issues sprang up in Truex’s case, one fan urged Joe Gibbs to look beyond that. They wrote, “It was over here @JoeGibbsRacing, nothing against William but Truex deserved that seat more and would be a contender every weekend, sometimes money isn’t everything even if the basis of this business is like that.”
Now that Ryan Truex is back at his home ground of the 1-mile Monster Mile, fans expect him to ooze gold. Last year, he prevailed in a thrilling double-overtime finish to win in Dover. And one fan is certain that even with the non-winning equipment of Sam Hunt Racing, Truex will succeed. They wrote, “He’s gonna win in that shitbox and he still won’t get a full time ride.” Somebody else compared Truex’s excellence with Shane Van Gisbergen’s victory in Mexico City. The latter turned around a disastrous season with his road racing skills, as the fan wrote: “SVG at Chicago @Ryan_Truex at Dover.”
What is more, somebody insisted that it is long overdue for Joe Gibbs. He is not only ignoring Ryan Truex’s 2024 excellence but his dutiful involvement in 2025 as well. When Denny Hamlin had to be on paternity leave, Truex wheeled the No. 11 Toyota at the Viva Mexico 250. From traveling overseas to tackling a tough high-altitude racetrack, Truex did a lot. So one fan wrote, “Joe Gibbs owes him after Mexico, and the 3 fucking wins.”
Clearly, calls for Ryan Truex’s career restoration are ringing out in the community. But will Joe Gibbs pay heed to them? We can only wait and find out.
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