Kroger, a longtime principal sponsor of JTG Daugherty Racing, is believed to be considering quitting the team after the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, bringing an end to a collaboration that began in 2010.
Team co-owner Tad Geschickter’s future with the organization is also being questioned, and given that he has been assisting in the sale of sponsorship to Joe Gibbs Racing since 2022 via his Brand Activation Maximizer, it is speculated that Joe Gibbs Racing could be Kroger’s — and Geschickter’s — new home.
What this means for JTG Daugherty Racing’s future after the 2024 season is unclear, despite the fact that they recently signed a multi-year contract deal for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. But what does it signify for the future of Joe Gibbs Racing?
Is Martin Truex Jr. considering retirement?
Given FedEx’s continuing absence as the principal sponsor of Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota, collaborating with America’s largest supermarket company would be a significant addition. But may it also signal what Martin Truex Jr. intends to do after 2024?
Truex has considered retiring for the past three seasons. He finished no higher than fourth place in any race in 2022, but he chose to return in 2023 on a one-year contract, winning three races and the regular season championship. In 2023, he decided to return in 2024 for another one-year contract.
Now we’re in 2024, with Truex facing a similar dilemma in 2025. He is now second in the point standings after 11 races in 2024, indicating that his performance is adequate.
However, the 43-year-old from Mayetta, New Jersey, is the series’ oldest full-time driver, and he has not committed to returning in 2025. As a result, the future of Joe Gibbs Racing’s principal sponsors, Bass Pro Shops and Auto-Owners Insurance, is questionable.
Would the addition of Kroger signal Truex’s retirement and, as a result, a new driver and partners for the No. 19 Toyota in 2025, or would it simply be a case of a powerhouse team landing a major sponsor who has been linked to them — by association with Geschickter — for the past three years?
Only Truex knows — and even he may not know, at this point — because, as we saw in 2022 and 2023, the 2017 Cup Series champion is usually hesitant to reveal anything until he makes a public announcement on his decision.
Leave a Reply